Ford’s Falcon replacement arrives

The imported model that will replace the Falcon as Ford’s largest passenger car in Australia has arrived in showrooms.

Officially on sale from May, the Blue Oval's fourth-generation Mondeo will be available in front-wheel drive four-cylinder five-door hatch and wagon body styles, pricing and equipment details for which were previously announced.

The new Mondeo signals the beginning of a roll-out of imported vehicles upon which Ford Australia is pinning its revitalisation hopes after a decade of sales decline.

In the coming months it will be followed on sale by the Everest SUV, significant updates to the Ranger pick-up, an overhaul for the Focus small car and the launch of iconic Mustang.

In total out to 2020, Ford says it will launch 20 new models.

Before then and no later than October 2016, Ford will shut down both its Campbellfield assembly line and Geelong engine plant and axe the locally designed and built Falcon sedan/ute and Territory SUV.

While the Territory is expected to be replaced by an imported SUV there will be no direct replacement for the Falcon. Instead, the Mondeo range will become the largest orthodox passenger vehicle offered by Ford in Australia.

"We are not suggesting for a moment Mondeo is a direct Falcon replacement,” said Ford Australia marketing boss David Katic.

“We are not expecting diehard rear-wheel drive fans to jump into Mondeo.

“But obviously consumers who are looking for a medium to large car Mondeo is a great option."

A lot is riding on Ford’s self-dubbed “transformation” to a vehicle importer, which also includes a massive investment in the “customer experience” and a withdrawal from its traditional V8 Supercars sponsorship to concentrate on other marketing exercises.

The Blue Oval has been on a constant sales slide for a decade. Last year Ford’s overall sales at 79,703 hit their lowest annual total since 1966 and Falcon sales, at 9134, were their lowest since the historic badge’s launch in 1960.

After the first three months of 2015, VFACTS official registration figures show the overall Ford number to be another 18.5 per cent down, while Falcon sales also continue to decline, although the new FG X sedan did record a better sales number in March than the FGII did 12 months ago.

The Mondeo launches in a segment that dipped 14 per cent in 2014, according to VFACTS figures, as SUVs continue to gain favour at the expense of larger cars. The current Mondeo, which is in run-out, is only the 11th most popular car in a class that is dominated by the locally-built Toyota Camry, which claims nearly 50 per cent of the category.

Katic is confident sales of the new Mondeo will rebound: “We have good opportunities to build our volumes from pretty low at the moment to something that we think will be quite reasonable in the segment.

“It’s just another way to build our volumes over the longer term.”

Ford intends to use the Mondeo as a technology leader for the brand. This strategy has been clear in Ford’s pre-promotion, in which it claims Mondeo has “10 advanced technologies that are not available on Toyota Camry”.

Among them Ford points to adaptive cruise control, adaptive LED headlights, inflatable rear seatbelts, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection and SYNC2 infotainment. The new Mondeo achieves a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.

While new to Australia, this Mondeo was sold as far back as 2012 in the USA as the Fusion. Its local launch has been delayed at least in part because of a shift in production sourcing from Belgium to Spain.

There are the levels of trim offered across the Mondeo range – Ambiente, Trend and Titanium. Ecoboost 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and TDCi turbo-diesel engines are offered across the hatch range, but only the base model wagon gets a petrol engine.

The Ecoboost engine also comes in two specs – 149kW/345Nm for the Ambiente and 177kW/345Nm for the other two. The diesel specification is unchanged across the line-up, offering 132kWkw and 400Nm. The petrol engines mates with a six-speed torque converter auto while the diesel is paired a six-speed ‘Powershift’ dual-clutch auto.

Fuel consumption ranges from 8.2 to 8.5L/100km for the Ecoboosts and 5.1 to 5.3L/100km for the TDCi in the hatch and wagon respectively.

Pricing climbs for most models, with the Ambiente Ecoboost hatch kicking things off at $32,790 compared to $31,490 for the old naturally-aspirated 2.3-litre LX. Hatch pricing now tops out at $47,490 for the TDCi Titanium, compared to $46,990 for the old model.

Wagon price are $1850 higher than the equivalent hatch. Diesel pricing adds $4000 to the Ambiente and $3200 for the other two models.

Standard features at Ambiente level include: 16-inch alloy wheels, electrically-adjustable/heated door mirrors, follow-me-home lighting, Hill Launch Assist, electronic park brake, cruise control/speed-limiter, dual-zone climate-control, leather-bound steering wheel/gear shifter, shift paddles, cloth seat trim, driver's lumbar adjustment, SYNC2 infotainment system, 8.0-inch colour touch-screen, Bluetooth/audio streaming, voice control, satellite-navigation, digital radio (DAB+), Ford MyKey and seven airbags.

Moving up to Trend level introduces these features in addition: 17-inch alloy wheels, dual exhausts, puddle lights, fold-in mirrors, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, electrochromatic mirror, starter button, 10-way electrically-adjustable front seats (with memory for driver's), front-seat heating, auto headlights, auto high-beam, rain-sensing wipers, partial leather seat upholstery, reversing camera, Active City Stop and Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection.

Topping the range is the Mondeo Titanium, which adds to the Trend-level specification with the following standard equipment: 18-inch alloy wheels, body kit, powered tailgate (wagon only), adaptive suspension, adaptive LED headlights, dynamic headlight levelling, panoramic sunroof (fixed for hatch, powered-opening for wagon), electrochromatic driver's exterior mirror, sports seats upholstered in leather, rear-seat heating, ambient lighting, electrically adjustable (rake/reach) steering column, aluminium pedal pads, Blind Spot Information System, Enhanced Active Park Assist, Lane Keeping Aid/Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Drive Impairment Monitor.

The new Mondeo will be offered in a selection of eight exterior colours: Magnetic, Ruby Red, Blazer Blue, White Platinum Tri-Coat, Frozen White, Deep Impact Blue, Moondust Silver and Panther Black.

Only Blazer Blue and Frozen White are solid colours. The rest are metallic, which incurs an extra charge of $450.

2015 Ford Mondeo pricing (plus ORCs):
Ambiente hatch EcoBoost – $32,790
Ambiente hatch TDCi – $36,790
Trend hatch EcoBoost – $37,290
Trend hatch TDCi – $40,490
Titanium hatch EcoBoost – $44,290
Titanium hatch TDCi – $47,490
Ambiente wagon EcoBoost – $34,640
Ambiente wagon TDCi – $38,640
Trend wagon TDCi – $42,340
Titanium wagon TDCi – $49,340