Fleet discounting and extra features for Mondeo

July was a poor month for Ford's Mondeo. On 309 sales for the month, the Mondeo was just 50 units ahead of Holden's run-out Epica and nearly 200 units behind the June figure for the car. The Ford may have fallen victim to the readjusted pricing of the Mazda6 and the introduction of the new Honda Accord Euro -- particularly the latter.

"That's one that we're still studying," says Ford President, Bill Osborne.

"We know, for example, the new Accord [Euro] launched during this timeframe. [Honda] realigned prices down significantly. In addition to that, the new [Mazda6] was also aggressively launched and was also realigned down.

"So we believe that we were hurt by our competitive position. We have launched new incentives in the market, as of August 1."

In the circumstances, it makes sense for Ford to shift attention away from other company's cut-throat pricing and the cost of diesel fuel -- by packing more gear into the entry-level 2.3-litre petrol Mondeo LX. As a retail offer during August and September, the company is selling the $29,990 base model for the same price with the normally optional 'cruise pack', comprising cruise-control, 16-inch alloy wheels, leather-bound steering wheel and rear electric windows.

In addition, Ford plans to attract more fleet buyers of Mondeo, offering an eight per cent fleet discount on the mid-size car. The discount will also be available for government fleets.

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