We all know that the two sides of the contradiction are unified and struggle to promote the development of things, and the same is true for automotive products.
For example, the ride comfort of hardcore off-road vehicles (ORVs) is general, the passability of traditional cars is almost meaningless, and there is an SUV under the unity of opposites, which is the development of categories.
The new generation of Mondeo (5th generation) is also a product of the idea of unity of opposites. It's a car that's not very well defined — designed by The Ford China team, with road tests in Europe, its debut in the Chinese market, and possibly in Europe and the United States in the future.
No matter how you look at the new generation of Mondeo, you can't change the fact that it is full of Chinese elements.
Half seawater, half flame
Since its listing in 2013, the 4th generation Mondeo, which has insisted on not replacing the small 10 years, is an American administrative car with direct work orders.
It's rough, but it's safe; it's solid, but it's a lot of glitches; it's large, but it always seems to lack a more suitable storage compartment; and the shape of Martin's face doesn't hinder its smooth ride.
In 2018, Ford stopped selling cars in the North American market, and her family did not make a living, Mondeo still has a way to go, is there a way back?
The "Ford 2.0" program saved Mondeo and continued the incense of Mondeo. "More Ford, More China" dominates the design thinking of the 5th generation Mondeo.
Obviously, the Ford China team understands the Chinese market better and has heard the criticism of the previous generation of products.
The new generation of Mondeo is larger, with a wheelbase of even 2945mm, directly approaching Taurus, proper B+ class positioning, and the interior of the through-style taillights, designed with three vertical light strips is also quite a tribute to its own legendary sports car Mustang.
The new car is equipped with 2.0+8AT as standard, and the all-aluminum engine can burst out the performance of 238Ps/376N .m, and the top configuration is left to the ST-Line Sport version, with zero hundred acceleration of 6.5 seconds. And the seat is made of fur-turned leather material to form a large package, which is to give you the feeling of an American large sofa.
Putting aside the traditional elements of these fuel vehicles, the new generation of Mondeo also has the meaning of moving closer to new energy.
For example, the invisible handle used by the general tram is used, which also allows it to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.293Cd. For example, under the blessing of SYNC+ 2.0 system, the vehicle OTA can be realized.
However, Ford's letting go is also restrained.
Although the st-line body design is young and athletic, the exhaust port, a symbol of the identity of the sports car, is hidden under the car, that is, the identity is not completely revealed.
The new generation of Mondeo balances smoothness and wildness, innovation and nostalgia.
Half hope, half challenge
On March 18, the new generation of Mondeo opened pre-sales. The starting price of new car pre-sale is 159,800, and the highest pre-sale price is 219,800.
Considering the historical heritage of the Ford brand, considering the positioning of the new generation of Mondeo B+ class, in order to benchmark the pricing of a joint venture brand A+ class, it is no longer a low problem, but a slightly low.
What is the force that makes Ford China bend over? Market forces, of course.
In 2021, Ford China sold 625,000 vehicles, up 3.7% year-on-year.
Among them, ford brand passenger car sales are about 238,000 units, that is to say, passenger cars account for less than 40% of Ford's sales composition in China.
In the face of Changan Ford's once nearly one million vehicles, Ford China officials also admitted that although the "Ford 2.0" plan has achieved some results, it is still far from the target plan.
In fact, since 2014, China has replaced Europe and the United States as the single market with the largest sales volume in Mondeo.
If it loses power in the Chinese market, Mondeo will face the fate of completely withdrawing from the stage of history.
The purpose of the new generation of Mondeo is to seek quantity, pure and direct. Referring to the current competitive status of the B-segment car market, a very sincere price may be its only opportunity.
In 2021, the champion of the B-segment car market is no longer the old powerhouses such as Passat, Maiten and Camry that everyone is familiar with.
The Audi A4L, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class will all sell more than 100,000 units in 2021, and the downward pressure on luxury brand entry-level sedans continues unabated.
More importantly, tesla model 3 killed decisively, stealing the cake of many traditional fuel vehicles.
Ford laid down his body and redefined the price range of the new generation of Mondeo, a courage that is more practical and hopeful than modern.
The official granting of the identity of the flagship of the new generation of Mondio Ford sedans is already a clear indication that Taurus will no longer resume production.
2022 is a big year for Changan Ford's products, in addition to the new generation of Mondeo, the new Focus, the new generation of Sharp World, and the new Explorer will be listed one after another. Support the overall recovery of Changan Ford.
It's just that this brings up a new problem.
The current Focus's top-of-the-line guide price is $153,800, which is only $6,000 from the new generation of Mondeo's entry-level version. So, does this also mean that the pricing of the new Focus will also go down?
Therefore, the new generation of Mondeo sends a clear signal that Changan Ford in 2022 will re-sort the product matrix with new products and new price systems as the core.
This movement is indeed big enough, once the sales volume is less than expected, Ford China at least in the price space has almost no way back, which is a risk, the risk of a backwater war.
Write at the end
The navigator takes a greater risk than the watcher, but there is hope of reaching the other shore.
While we can't predict which camp the new generation of Mondeo's future sales cards will be in, for now, the outlook is positive.
This is also the reason why the American cars represented by Ford are much better than the current situation of the Korean and French systems.
After all, only by surviving can there be proud capital.