Test drive: 120 km city road + mountain road
Competitors: Accord, Camry, Passat
Driver Index: 75%
Every post-80s and post-90s must know Mondeo. The three words of Mondeo, in no way less recognizable among thirty-year-old male consumers than accords, Camry or Passat.
This also explains why after the debut of the new generation of Mondeo, the attention on the Internet has risen steadily. Because this is the answer to Changan Ford's nine years of grinding a sword, and it is also the determination of Changan Ford to return to the mainstream mid-to-high-end car market.
As a fifth-generation Mondeo model, it has both heritage and innovation. This generation has two different design sets, and I have experienced a more elegant version of the fashion kit before, and this time we test-drive the ST-Line version, which is also a more extremely sporty version.
Can it make Changan Ford once again call the Japanese car companies in the limelight and awaken the resonance of this group of consumers? Next, I'll give you the answer!
Sharper ST-Line styling
Let's talk a little bit about the difference between the ST-Line version and the normal version.
First, the front face grille design is different. Although the fifth generation of Mondeo used an octagonal grille throughout the series, the design of the inner 3D scale armor was different, and the ST-Line version adopted a concave design, more like a lock armor, called "kinetic scale armor". The fashion version here is a simple design with chrome trim, called "parametric scales".
Second, here on the lower lip of the bumper, the ST-line version makes a vertical bright black trim strip, which is more fierce and sporty. The fashion version is a horizontal design, more calm and elegant. Of course, the bottom is still an active intake grille, which can be opened and closed to improve the efficiency of the intake.
Third, the ST-Line version of the 19-inch wheel adopts a red caliper design. At the same time, this version of the fender has the ST-Line logo, the bottom side skirt adopts the same color of the body, and the upper edge of the window is also a rubber strip, while the regular version is a chrome trim that looks more advanced. It's hard to understand why Ford always likes to use rubber strip window frames.
Fourth, the rear of the car has added a black tail design, which highlights the sense of sportiness. MONDEO's characters have also become black, more combative.
Fifth, the design of the rear bumper of the ST-Line version is also more sporty, and it is also not the style of the fashion version. The high-gloss black trim outlines the exhaust style of the bilateral double, and the diffuser is also a bright black trim. These "visual magic tricks" make the more stocky rear look more symmetrical and slender. However, the real exhaust is hidden underneath, and here it is mainly visual effects.
In addition, the ST-Line version also has a smart welcome flowing water lamp, which is unique to the entire series.
The rest, including the Mustang three-poster taillights, the rear shoulder line that is usually found in sports sports cars, the shape of the rear drive feature, the shark nose shape and other sports elements, all make the ST-Line kit seem more suitable for this car, and it can be said that it complements this generation of Mondeo.
The advantages don't stop at the big screen
If the shape of the Mondeo ST-Line allows consumers in their thirties to find "youth in memory", then the new Mondeo's intelligent experience can make these users who grew up in the Internet era perceive the "variation of the times".
From approaching the vehicle, the new Mondeo began to echo this group of drivers who grew up in the Internet age.
The new Mondeo's smart welcome system is called "Sleeping Dragon Awakening", and the through-line light strip will unfold, the grille will swing three times, and the rearview mirror and hidden door handle will pop out. These ideas will allow the shape of the vehicle to form an interaction with the user, rather than just staying at the static visual level.
Inside the car, even though I had already experienced this 1.1-meter horizontal screen on evos, I was shocked when I sat in the new Mondeo again. The entire large screen will have a coherent animated interface that slowly unfolds, and when you press the start button, it will wake up the whole large screen.
In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch full LCD meter, and next to it is a whole 27-inch 4K resolution full touch screen. This large car screen uses the SYNC+ 2.0 system jointly developed by Ford and Baidu, and the main feature is that it can be divided into screens for the main and co-pilots, and each can be controlled. The co-pilot seat can sense the co-pilot passenger through the seat pressure sensor and then pop up the sidebar. When the front row only has the main driver, the entire 27-inch large screen can be exclusive, which is very satisfied.
In terms of workmanship materials, the new Mondeo also responds to the demands of Chinese consumers, becoming more advanced and refined. For example, the entire dashboard is covered with soft materials, while the red trim and ST-Line logo highlight its sporty version. In addition, there is an exclusive red trim strip inside the car, which also strengthens its sports atmosphere.
The air conditioning knobs, volume keys, and even window buttons in the car have fine chrome twill around them, which is better than the previous Ford model. The whole set of sports seats is also a combination of leather and fur, with red stitching and thick enough wings, which is full of sport.
If you really want to pick a thorn, it is that the armrest panel inside the door is still a black plastic board, if you can use the brushed panel on the central console, I believe that the texture and layering of the entire car will be greatly improved.
In terms of space, the front storage space is abundant, including the front standard cup holder and mobile phone wireless charging panel, and there is a special storage compartment at the elbow. After adjusting the sitting position, the front row head space can reach about one punch and two fingers, but as a mid-to-high-end car with a 2945mm wheelbase – 95mm longer than the previous model – the new Mondeo is still in the rear.
Referring to the 174cm tall occupants, the knee space in the new Mondeo rear has a full three punches, and it can even be said that Japanese opponents such as Accord and Camry are not the same level. In terms of head space, although Mondeo uses a sneaky C-pillar design, there is still a balance of one punch and four fingers.
At the same time, the new Mondeo's seats are clearly biased towards comfort style, and the cushions are very soft, including the front sports seats. This may indicate that this generation of Mondeo, although it looks very sporty, is still essentially oriented towards home comfort.
It is worth mentioning that the central platform of the new Mondeo has a certain bulge, which is different from the flat design of the crossover SUV model EVOS. This should be due to the difference in ground clearance between the two models, but it also makes the Mondeo seat height more suitable for sitting and does not appear low.
Comfort takes care of sports, with a little more comfort
Changan Ford this time to the new Mondeo series standard with 2.0T high-power engine and 8AT gearbox, the maximum power of 175kW, the maximum torque of 3N·m, it is said that the 100 km/h acceleration within 7 seconds. Front McPherson rear multi-link suspension and aluminum control arms are all standard level configurations in the same class. Therefore, the driving performance of the new Mondeo is still worth looking forward to.
This test drive is also driving with the former vehicle subjective evaluation engineer Wang Xiaopeng, and his main view on this car is -
"The Mondeo power system is very good, the brake pedal support is a little small, the brake linearity is confident, the steering is comfortable, 2.6 laps, the front response is moderate, the accuracy is moderate, the boost gain is natural, the high-speed stability is not as strong as the old Ford Mondeo, the body follows well, the rear half of the high-speed road through the pothole road has a certain aftershock, the chassis is more biased towards comfort, the dynamic performance is not particularly brilliant, but the problem of playing the same level of Japanese Ashkenazi is not big."
I hold a similar view with him, first of all, this powertrain is the existence of crushing opponents at the price of 200,000 yuan, after all, the Japanese high-end configuration is hybrid, and the Ashkenazi is only 2.0T low power. So you want to feel the "thrill of stepping on it", then the new Mondeo will not let you down.
In standard mode and energy-saving mode, the power output is very restrained, the 8AT actively upshifts, will not let you drive up to have the uncomfortable feeling of a high-horsepower car, and the performance at low revs is calm enough. The difference between the two modes is probably that the energy-saving mode will keep the speed below 1500 rpm, and there will be no too obvious torque output when stepping on more; the standard mode will maintain it at 2000 rpm, and the power response will be faster. It is really necessary to compare, that is, in the same climbing section, close to 20% of the throttle opening conditions, the energy-saving mode is too meaty, the standard mode is much better.
Adjusted to Sport mode, it is also very peaceful under the small opening throttle, but the speed will remain close to 3000 rpm, and the real 175kW output is to directly kick to the end - interestingly, the new Mondeo torque steering does not seem to be as obvious as EVOS.
However, the new Mondeo in sport mode is not so "provocative" because its pedals are very heavy and require force to step on, not the feeling of being more loose. According to Wang Xiaopeng, it is difficult to drive a new Mondeo into a Chongqing taxi, because the throttle is easy to maintain, but the pace of changing at all times is very tiring.
In simple terms, the new Mondeo powertrain is most suitable for high-speed cruising, even without the use of L2+ level assisted driving system can easily control the speed.
One thing to complain about is that the new Mondeo's driving mode switch can only be through the touch of the big screen. However, in the navigation mode, if you want to switch driving modes, you need to use the shortcut keys to enter the vehicle settings and then switch, but the return to navigation can only return to the main interface in the first step, and click on the map in the second step. The whole process takes a lot of time and will be distracting, in fact, the next time the OTA sets a large screen back button.
On the chassis, Ford will never let you down. The new Mondeo has good vibration filtering, when encountering potholes, the vehicle can stabilize quickly after sinking, there is no excess vibration, giving people a very calm feeling, both the tenacity of European cars and the comfort of American cars, not blindly soft. And when driving on a continuous potholed road surface, the jitter transmitted from the tire is also slighter than the original American Ford tuning of the Ford Electric Horse, and there is a thick and soft filtering feeling.
However, because the suspension is not so brittle, when driving fast on the roundabout, the rear axle will have an outward lateral force if it encounters potholes, which I have encountered on the Mercedes-Benz GRC. It is said that the reason is that the suspension damping is not enough, which will produce an outward thrust. It also proves that the new Mondeo does focus more on home comfort than on what it looks like. ，
In terms of steering feel, the new Mondeo is different from the EVOS in the impression, and the whole steering is more Ford-flavored and not so light. Even in standard mode, the re-normalization force is sufficient to quickly give a precise direction, while in the sport mode it is heavier and sharper. However, the steering power of the new Mondeo can only be linked to the driving mode, and cannot be selected alone, which is probably the "pride" of Ford engineers, letting you know that only they are the most suitable.
By the way, the NVH performance of the new Mondeo is quite good, especially the sound insulation performance is very good, which is still under the premise of using single-layer soundproof glass. It would be even more perfect if you could change to a better set of tires and reduce tire noise on cement roads.
Driver's Summary:
Driving a new generation of Mondeo for a day, my overall feeling is that this is not a pure sports car for those young people, but a mid-to-high-end car for the post-80s or post-90s who have just entered the year of establishment.
Maybe today's young people are pursuing that kind of refreshing pleasure and exaggerated personalization, but the new Mondeo has always retained half of its composure in static perception, which will seem a little conservative. But for those post-80s who have established a family, what they need is exactly such a car, decent and fun, and retain the space for self-release under the calm posture.
When driving the Mondeo, I felt like I could drive lightly, but as long as I wanted to catch up, the car would never let me down, and that was the attitude that thirty-five-year-olds wanted. And this feature is not only reflected in the driving control, but also reflects the sense of science and technology of Mondeo, the 1.1 meter large horizontal screen is the best embodiment of the inner needs.
Compared with the longboard of Japanese models such as accord and Camry, this car is more innovative interactive screen, better power output, more textured chassis and better NVH performance, which will establish more advanced car characteristics.
Of course, in terms of fuel consumption, the new Mondeo cannot be compared with self-priming or hybrid models, but as a high-end with high-power 2.0T, the level of 10L/100km is still acceptable. If you have both power and energy consumption, then there is only the Model 3, which is another American car.
I would like to add that in the current economic environment, if a Mondeo can satisfy you, you may not really need to pay extra money to choose BBA.
As the saying goes, a gentleman is content, content and light.
Text| JackieLXX
Pictured| JackieLXX