Ford Mondeo Zetec TDCi Wagon 2011 Review

Four years after its launch in Casino Royale, Ford has updated James Bond's car of choice. That was a clever gag, highlighting in equal measure the MB-Series Mondeo's angular good looks and its everyman-ness. Launched in late 2010, the MC-Series is a mid-life refresh, signified in the usual way with revisions to the bonnet, grille, bumpers and tail-lights.

Along with minor changes across the range to the fascia, centre console, fabrics and finishes, the mid-spec Zetec wagon we road tested gets new 17-inch alloys, map lights and an update to the excellently named Human Machine Interface (HMI) – aka trip computer.

But under the skin Mondeo has seen one important change, with the local upgrade of the turbodiesel option to include Ford's PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, adding $3500 to the petrol auto price.

Ford's 2.0 litre Duratorq direct injection four generates 120kW at 4000rpm and 340Nm peak torque through a relatively narrow band (between 1750-2500rpm). That suggests a drivetrain skewed towards economy over performance, something supported by the company's claimed combined-cycle fuel consumption of 6.2L/100km, with CO2 emissions of 165g/km.

These figures stack up well against the Volkswagen sisters – Passat TDI and Skoda Octavia – and Mazda's 6 Diesel. The Mazda fares a little better in fuel consumption, but it's old-school manual only. Range certainly isn't an issue with a 70-litre fuel tank.

As a day-to-day drive, the Mondeo is a pleasure. There's a bit of diesel rattle, but engine noise on the whole is well muted, even when going hard on the accelerator.

The PowerShift transmission works well in auto mode. It's not as quick as Volkswagen's DSG, but it's more comfortable and makes better decisions at low speeds. Driven ordinarily, it keeps the engine happily within its peak torque band for a sense of unflappable ease in urban traffic. The engine is strong without being overbearing, offering enough flexibility through the ratio range to leave you free to drive without effort.

Shifting the stick over into manual mode doesn't turn Dr Jekyll into Mr Hyde, but it is useful for making the most of the oiler's rolling acceleration abilities in overtaking. It's an arrangement particularly conducive to engines like this – while it doesn't object to simple kickdowns, a little manual gets the best out of it. The brakes, with ventilated front discs, are well up to anything that would be asked of them here.

During our week together, the Mondeo wagon didn't leave the Sydney metro area and we averaged 7.4L/100km – good for a vehicle with an official city cycle figure of 7.7L/100km. As usual, barring a couple of separately measured trips to see what happened when I kept my foot light on the pedal, little conscious effort went into keeping consumption down.

Ride and handling are well balanced for car of its class. The nicely weighted, direct steering marries well with its front MacPherson struts and independent multi-link rear end. The Mondeo stays flat and secure through corners while soaking up the rough stuff without fuss. It's all but free of wind noise even at freeway speeds, and reasonably well insulated from the road, although the rumble can get a little intrusive when the surface coarsens.

Indoors, little has changed. It's light and airy with comfortable, well bolstered front seats – they've added lumbar support on the passenger side – and enough leg and shoulder room in the rear to fit two grown-ups or three youngsters on longer trips. Plenty of fore-aft seat adjustment with height and reach adjustable steering help make it easy to find a driving position to suit.

Cabin storage is adequate without being fabulous – satisfactory glove box, centre console storage box and door pockets. Up back, 542 litres of cargo space expands to 1733 via a 60:40 split fold rear seat. It's not as easy as most to flip into place. Most car makers have worked out ways to drop the backrest to flat(ish) with the press of a button or the pull of a lever. The Mondeo's a bit yesteryear in the way you have to flip each base forward to get the backs down flat. The upside: it's genuinely flat.

Despite the space-toy terminology, the HMI 'intuitive digital command centre' works well. The wheel mounted controls can bamboozle at first for the amount of functional terrain it covers – full audio, multimedia and trip computing functions plus cruise and other vehicle settings. But give yourself a few days with it and it does become operable without taking your eyes off the road. The audio package includes auxiliary and USB ports.

The Mondeo remains well spec'ed for safety: seven airbags including curtains and a driver's kneebag, active anti-whiplash headrests, seatbelt pretensioning and all the usual electronics and sensors on the underside: stability and traction controls, ABS, electronic brake distribution, brake assist. Good all round visibility with parking beepers front and rear help eliminate touch parking; hill start assist provides further reassurance.

Ford has come up with a useful update to a very reassuring all round package. The Mondeo was already a thoroughly competent if unthreatening package. This drivetrain update raises the bar for driveability and economy.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site