Ford Mondeo/Fusion (5th EU /2nd US gen) 2012-

[Duell]

The fifth generation Mondeo, also known as the 2013 Ford Fusion, was unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.

With a design team lead by Ford of Europe designer Chris Hamilton based in Detroit for the design and global launch phase, the new model takes many styling cues from the European Ford Evos concept unveiled in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and the previous generation Ford Mondeo. Like the newest redesigns of the Focus and Fiesta before it, the new Mondeo is set on a global platform that is shared with the now identical Fusion, which will be sold in the U.S.

The range removes the former V6 3.0 engine, and on launch will have a complete range of Ford EcoBoost engines. From Autumn 2013, there will be added a three-cylinder 123bhp Ecoboost, claimed to produce just 125g/km of CO2 emissions. In 2014/2015 a plug-in hybrid badged as an Energi will be added, and powered by a lithium-ion battery pack and 185bhp Atkinson cycle 2.0-litre petrol engine.

At the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Ford confirmed product details, and delayed launch from early summer to late Autumn 2013 to address quality issues in ramping up production.

[Duell]

Ford Mondeo 5th #2

Ford Mondeo Delayed
The 2013 Ford Mondeo, aka our 2013 Fusion, was supposed to hit UK showrooms around this time, but the launch has been pushed back to September, so Ford can work out some quality-related bugs prior to its on-sale date.

AutoExpress spoke to a Ford representative in the UK, who told the publication that the Mondeo would be delayed so that Ford could “work through various issues to ensure a robust and high-quality launch”. Specifics weren’t given by Ford, but WhatCar, quoted another unnamed Ford spokesman as stating

‘We have a complex global vehicle programme, and we have to sort issues with the vehicle’s robustness and quality that would not be met with the original timings,’ he continued.

The European Mondeos are all sourced from Ford’s Genk, Belgium assembly plant. In the mean time, the tried-and-true current Mondeo will be produced to supply the market.

The closing of the Ford Genk plant wouldn't help (http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/10/24/uk-ford-genk-closure-idUKBRE89N0D220121024)

[demonrunning07]

I'm curious to see what others think but I definitely think that they "borrowed" a few styling queues from Aston Martin, especially the shape of the grille.

With that said, it's really not a bad looking car.

[culver]

I really wish the US would get the hatch version. My SAAB 900 is getting old and needs a replacement. I really like the new car and have a soft spot for the Mondeo (I had the Contour SVT which was basically the same car as the Mondeo ST200). The reason I dropped the SVT was the trunk. I just needed more cargo space than a trunk would offer. Having owned a few hatches I really think they are the way to go. All we get in the US are "short wagon" hatches like the Golf, Focus, etc. We don't get sedan hatches like the Mondeo. For that mater we get few hatches bigger than a Focus save for the ultra expensive A7 and Porsche sedan. Too bad our screwed up CAFE laws make the return of hatches and wagons to the US less rather than more likely.

[pimento]

Why does CAFE hate wagons?

Also, +1 to the large hatch <3. My first car was a Rover SD1, super handy bootspace.

[Chernaudi]

Aside from the normal range of simple hatchbacks (Ford Focus and VW Golf to name two prominent examples) or SUVs, about the only hatchback I can name is the Audi A7/S7 and the Porsche Panamera, but as performance four door luxury coupes, they're on the very pricy side.

And IMO, the SUV killed the station wagon/estate car in the US. That's why Audi have the A4 Allroad as their main wagon now, and relatively few are offered by other manufacturers, foreign or domestic.

[culver]

Here is how the rules killed things like the ubiquitous Volvo wagon
How CAFE Killed Compact Trucks And Station Wagons | The Truth About Cars (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/10/how-cafe-killed-compact-trucks-and-station-wagons/)

[pimento]

Huh.. that sucks then.

[Cobrafan427]

They really don't look good in person. The wheels are small and the roofline is too tall, really disproportionate

[Chernaudi]

I still think that SUVs have put a big dent in the sales of station wagons and other such vehicles. At least there's the Ford C-Max, which I know is on sale here, but it's sort of a slightly larger Focus that looks like a baby SUV. But the hybrid does get 47mpg, but so does the Fusion hybrid for those who want a conventional looking mid-size car.

[NSXType-R]

I'm curious to see what others think but I definitely think that they "borrowed" a few styling queues from Aston Martin, especially the shape of the grille.

With that said, it's really not a bad looking car.

Haha, I agree! It looks like a cheapo Aston Martin Rapide, in a good sense.

My friend has been going batshit over this car. I don't see anything particularly great about it other than styling.

The new Honda Accord looks very promising, and I'll still consider a Japanese car over an American car any day.

[culver]

I think the designer of the Aston also did this car.

NSX,
My brother is dumping his Accord for one of these. He has been happy with the '00 Accord but he found the new one to look good only when placed next to the outgoing model. The Ford has done well in reviews (as has the Accord) and has a good hybrid system (the Accord hybrid has never fared that well). Basically the Ford looks to be a great car with good styling. The Accord looks to be a great car with lame styling.

As for always considering a Japanese over American car, well that attitude is understandable but really out of date. A friend of mine bought a new Accord in '98. It left her stranded in less than 3 years. The actual problem was easy for a mechanic to fix but she is not a mechanic. The battery cable had become corroded. While not too hard a fix, Honda decided since the car was just out of the 3 year part of the warranty (under the mileage part) they would not cover it. The dealer charged her $600 (including the tow) to fix this problem. That was a new battery and new cable (the OEM cable isn't just a point to point thing).

So where did Honda reliability land her. As a mechanic I wouldn't have batted an eye if my SAAB had a similar issue (in 15 years it hasn't). Even though the problem was small and relatively easy to fix the car got two big strikes with this one problem. It left her stranded (1) and cost quite a bit to fix (2).

I bet her car will easily last 200,000 miles if she keeps it that long. Of course so will teh Ford or a modern Chevy. With that in mind why default to a car that doesn't look as good and, depending on model, doesn't drive as good?

[NSXType-R]

Culver- I've had only good experiences with Japanese cars.

I'll agree that my stance is a bit extreme. :D

But honestly, you really can't go wrong with any of the marques now. I just have a very Japanese tilt on my automotive preferences, especially when it comes to everyday boring cars.

I've never driven a new Ford product or the new Mondeo or Fusion, so I can't comment on either of that. In fact, all of the cars I've driven are all over 10 years old.

We had an Escort wagon at one point, but that wasn't a particularly great car- it threw a rod and died on us. It was a very spacious car however. But the interior wasn't put together so well.

My dad is also a mechanic, and he's a Honda specialist- he'd skin me if he found me in a Ford product. :p

I don't know, there are always issues and duds with every car. Sorry to hear about your friend's Accord. For the most part the brand has done me no wrong, except for not bringing over products available elsewhere to the US market.

I'll have to admit though, Honda products have been weak and nowhere near as strong as they were in the late 1980's to late 1990's. The Civic was a weak product- there already is a refresh planned. The current Accord is okay, but long in the tooth. It's the in coming Accord that I'm looking forward to, not the 2012 model.

[092326001]

Honda has been out of shape in recent years, but reviews of the new one seem to be very positive.

[Ferrer]

Here is how the rules killed things like the ubiquitous Volvo wagon
How CAFE Killed Compact Trucks And Station Wagons | The Truth About Cars (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/10/how-cafe-killed-compact-trucks-and-station-wagons/)
Let me quote part of the article, if I may:

Mazda is another company that must also play against the stacked deck of CAFE. The Mazda6 wagon was offered here for a few years, and axed after it sold poorly. For 2014, Mazda is launching a third-generation Mazda6, including a gorgeous station wagon (and yes, a diesel engine), but it won’t be coming here. Enthusiast blogs have been harping on Mazda’s decision to withhold the car from the U.S. market, but a simple analysis using CAFE methodology reveals why. The wagon, with its footprint of 48 square feet, is subject to the same standards as the Volvo V70. On the other hand, the Mazda CX-5, with a footprint of 45.6 square feet, is smaller, and again, subject to light truck fuel economy standards. For a model that must be sold over 5-6 years (as previous generations were), the Mazda6 wagon starts out having to achieve a CAFE mpg figure in the high 30s.

Assuming the model lasts until 2020, the Mazda6 would have to achieve fuel economy figures in the high 40 mpg CAFE range. Engineering a low volume, niche market wagon for sale in America that would be subject to increasingly tough targets is arguably beyond their means, especially given the small volumes the car would sell in. Instead, Mazda offers the CX-5 crossover. Aside from being classified as a crossover, with all the CAFE advantages built in, the CX-5 is able to sell in economically viable volumes not just in the United States, but across the globe. The realities of CAFE have likely made sales of the third generation Mazda6 wagon impossible in the United States.
Right from the start they contradict their own argument. I'm not denying there is some truth in the article, but I think that blaiming CAFE entirely for the demise of the estate car in the US is a bit far fetched. I would say that the lack of demand is at least as important as CAFE rules (even if they favour bigger vehicles and trucks). Therefore estates aren't offered in the US because people do not want them in the same way that compact saloons aren't offered in Europe because people do not want them.

[culver]

It's not totally blaming CAFE but what CAFE does do is create a perverse incentive and does distort the market. Also consider that Volvo wagons did sell well. By in large Americans do have a preference for SUVs vs wagons. However, that hasn't stopped companies like Volvo and Subaru (and others) from selling wagons in the US. I mean IF the wagon is already developed for say Europe, the added cost of bringing it to the US is relatively low. The profits might not be huge but the demand is there. The penalties associated with CAFE however, tilt the balance so a car that might have been marginally profitable and worth having if nothing else to have a more complete line up is now a loss leader.

Incidentally, I think the lack of wagons and hatches popularity in the US is at least fairly rational. For family haulers people often prefer the additional space offered by crossovers/SUVs. So if you are only shopping for cargo space a crossover does make more sense (the failings of the crossover are mileage and sporty handling). Most "car" buyers are looking for a 4 door sedan. In the US we are also rather price sensitive. This explains why our Passat is bigger yet not as nice as the one Europe gets (it's also cheaper). Well a wagon/hatch adds cost but many people don't perceive the advantages or don't care. Either way it means that only a few people will want that configuration. Thus the market is small and now CAFE adds a new cost burden. Net result wagon/hatch sales in the US die and people like me are left trying to figure out what's the modern replacement for my 15 year old SAAB 900.

[Ferrer]

I agree that regulations do influence the cars regionally. For instance diesel probably wouldn't have been as popular as it is and developed quite a much in Europe if it wasn't for the taxation of fuels and the kei car wouldn't have had so much prevalence in Japan if it wasn't for regulations.

And even so, I think that actual customer demand plays a more important role than those. Not that all is down to free will, the characteristics of a certain geographical are will shape customer demand, but in any case what people decide is very important indeed.

You say that if a certain bodystyle (or version, or model, or etc) is already developped, why not bring it too all markets, more volume with certainly help spread out costs and make those versions more profitable. Again, I agree with that, but the resourced you have devoted to those are resources you have taken out of more profitable models with higher demand, which doesn't make sense from an economic point of view. It's not ony the lack of estate cars but why isn't the Ford Fiesta saloon not offered in Europe for instance? Following your logic it should be available since it would be profitable from the word go, yet perhaps due to the shift in focus and resources for every Fiesta saloon sold Ford would lose the sale of three Fiesta hatchbacks.

So I guess it's not as simple as it sounds.

Oh and by the way, the new Saab is the Audi A5 Sportback.

[culver]

I don't think we get the sport back in the US. It also moves up the price ladder from my SAAB which was priced similar to an A4.

[Ferrer]

The folks at Ford think this is a (credible) rival to the BMW 340i #1

[Ferrer]

The folks in Munich can't stop laughing #2

[f6fhellcat13]

I have driven an EcoBoosted one, and it is a good car, but that seems suspect. Having not driven the Bimmer, I am ineligible for comment, however.

[Ferrer]

I have driven the BMW, atlhough it was a pre-facelift 328i and wasn't as good as you'd expect it to be. I haven't driven the Ford so am I ineligible for comment too.

This however is the new Sport version, with a six cylinder Ecoboosted engine. Apparently it's plenty fast!