With the official advent of the fifth generation of Mondeo, Ford gave a very sincere price: the price range of 15.98-216,800 yuan has a price gap of about 20,000 yuan compared with the mainstream joint venture B-class car, and the power configuration of the whole series of 2.0T turbocharged engines + 8AT is also attractive. Can Ford's new Mondeo lead Ford back to the mid-size car market? Today we look for the answer from this comparison article between Mondeo and the market segment benchmark Accord.
Comparing the models to introduce the fifth generation of Mondeo this listing launched a total of four configurations, its main highlights are on three levels: standard for Ford's latest fourth-generation Ecoboost? 2.0T engine + 8AT transmission power combination, rated power of 175kW, the official zero hundred acceleration of 6.5 seconds; in addition to the minimum model, the rest of the version is equipped with a 1.1 meters 27-inch through-line central control screen, in the intelligent level has the current I think the joint venture brand experience first-class car machine system, about the interpretation of the system can see my recent "Explore the future of digital cockpit trends Ford intelligent cockpit to give their answers" article; finally is the breakthrough in appearance, I explain this in detail in the appearance comparison section.
Honda Accord needless to say, in 2021, this medium-sized sedan that has not been greatly changed for a long time still won sales of about 200,000 units. To sum up, its advantages lie in the very high acceptance of the design, excellent powertrain, Honda's good reputation for many years, of course, in the end, the current terminal to give the discount also makes this car cost-effective outstanding.
From the analysis of product strength, the fifth generation of Mondeo we are most recommended to buy is the supreme type priced at 199,800 yuan, and the honda Accord we buy the most configuration is still 1.5T model, so we chose the Price of 215,800 yuan Of the Accord 260TURBO phantom night flagship version, the current Accord terminal has a discount of 10,000-20,000 yuan, the price is quite close.
Appearance comparison: American tough vs Japanese sports
The design is a more subjective thing, but it is clear that the bold changes in the appearance of the fifth generation of Mondeo will be more innovative than the current Accord - after all, the appearance of this generation of Accord has been used for nearly 4 years.
First look at the front face, the fifth generation of Mondeo in the design can be seen that there are many elements to continue the design of the previous EVOS car, such as the most obvious logo of the previous generation of models of the large mouth front grille using 3D scale armor design, locking and unlocking have a sense of breathing up and down ritual; in addition, the split headlights are also Ford's latest design elements, the center uses a through-type light strip to connect the two sides of the daytime lights, the front of the encirclement of the shape is also quite sharp, the front of the car is quite heavy.
This point is different from the low-lying shape of the Accord, we can see that the fifth generation of Mondeo does not blindly pursue the feeling of the car, the new potential aesthetic design emphasizes the momentum of the momentum, which is not common in the B-class car market, the American toughness and sense of strength are more prominent on this car.
Accord has a clear Japanese ethereal taste in the front face design, the middle net area is also not small, and the phantom night version as a mid-term redesign model, adding some black sports elements, with its own wing LED headlights, low front of the car sports momentum will be stronger than the fifth generation of Mondeo. In terms of lighting configuration, both cars are equipped with full LED light groups at this price point, and automatic headlights, adaptive far and near lights, adjustable height of headlights, and delayed headlight off functions are also available.
On the side, the length of both cars is more than 4.9 meters, but from the data and perception, Mondeo is larger than the Accord in terms of length, width and wheelbase. The lines on the side actually continue the difference in design concept between the two cars: Mondeo has a more powerful sense, and accord is more slender visually.
The side details of Mondeo will obviously be more ahead of the curve – the Supreme model we have chosen this time is equipped with 19-inch rims, and the rim shape is also quite sporty, while the Accord Night's Ultimate edition is 18-inch rims. In addition, Mondeo uses a hidden door handle design, which is rare at this level, often exclusive to new energy vehicles, I think reducing wind resistance is secondary, mainly to give the sense of science and technology excellent.
In addition, the Mondeo's contrasting roof was also well received, and the side elements of the trim strip with the duckling tail and the door panel at the rear were very rich. The side of the Accord can be said not much, the C-pillar with a large inclination is liked by many people, and the through-type waist line also lengthens the visual length of the side of the vehicle, and the overall design of the Accord is also very good.
The rear design of the two cars I personally think is not as stunning as the front of the car, compared to the Mondeo highlights more: the three-stage taillights are easy to think of the classic design of The Mustang, and the upturned ducktail and the chrome decoration layering of the underside penetration will be stronger. Of course, some consumers will feel that the visual center of gravity of this car is higher, in fact, this set of design language born from EVOS I think is quite successful, there are many highlights and new ideas.
Interior comparison: Mondeo's overall lead
The two cars have very different interior designs, the former highlights the sense of technology, the latter cares more about ease of use, subjectively the gap is still quite obvious.
First of all, in terms of materials, the Mondeo Supreme interior we actually shot uses a lot of leather, and the seats are made of leather and flipped fur stitching, which is quite solid in touch. The Accord is actually not simple in the interior, the leather steering wheel and the imitation leather + leather with the interior material are also good, but there is a certain gap between the texture and Mondeo.
But the bigger gap between the two is in the creation of a sense of technology, into the Mondeo car, I believe that no one will not be attracted by the 1.1 meter wide screen on Mondeo - I previously gave a high evaluation of Ford's current digital cockpit when I test drove the EVOS car, and Mondeo continued to praise, the delicacy of its screen, fluency are not at all inferior to first-class new energy models, and easy to use the voice system, The HMI design for various functions can be seen to be a highly complete multimedia system.
This will also allow Mondeo to win the favor of the post-80s consumer group - they grew up in the era of intelligence and have higher requirements for the hardware and software of technological devices.
In contrast, the interior design of the Accord is more traditional, I am a Honda owner, the interior characteristics of the Japanese car are practical and comfortable, but it does not look so gorgeous, the 10.25-inch central control display is not bad, but there is a big gap in the system compared with Mondeo, whether it is the diversity of functions or fluency, convenience is not as good as Mondeo, and the Accord only supports CarLife, and does not have the practical significance of CarPlay.
Why I have to spend a lot of money talking about the sense of technology in the interior part, because for a considerable part of the consumers, the young group after 90 has reached the age of becoming a family, including big data surveys also show that older consumers will prefer SUVs, post-80s and post-90s are the main consumers of the mid-size car market, after everyone has seen the multimedia system experience of new energy models, now there will be higher requirements for traditional models.
In addition to the interior materials and the sense of technology, let's talk about the spatial performance. First, let's talk about the parameters of the two cars: the wheelbase of the Mondeo is 2945mm, and the wheelbase of the Accord is 2830mm, the former is 115mm more than the latter - at this level, the space of the two cars must be enough. You know, Honda itself has the reputation of space magician, the Accord's ride space has been performing well in the same class, and Mondeo, which has 115mm more wheelbase parameters than the Accord, even if the space utilization rate is not so high, but the wheelbase base is placed there, and the space is better. In fact, for this level of model, brands with vehicle design experience do not have to worry too much, Ford and Honda do not need to say more.
Power comparison: to save fuel or power
Another highlight of this Mondeo is that the entire series is equipped with the fourth generation of Ecoboost? The power combination of the 2.0T engine + 8AT transmission, the rated power reaches 175kW, and the official zero hundred accelerates by 6.5 seconds. At this price, the Accord can sell the top model of 1.5T, that is, the ultimate version of the phantom night of this comparison, and can also sell to buy Honda's excellent 2.0L hybrid system, but the configuration is quite rudimentary.
In terms of power parameters, Mondeo's 2.0T/238 horsepower will be much more than the Accord's 1.5T/194 horsepower, and both can also be filled with No. 92 gasoline. In terms of acceleration ability, Mondeo officially gave a 6.5 seconds of 100 km/h acceleration time, we measured in early 7 seconds, and The Accord I was about 8 seconds in the previous test drive test, and there is a gap between the two in absolute power.
This brings us to the question: Do you need more power, or do you want the car to be more fuel-efficient? This is also based on the consumer's own preferences and car usage, but I can talk to you about two different points of view.
Relatively young consumers will care more about the power experience, Mondeo's set of powertrain is actually not unfamiliar to everyone, whether on evos or Ford's SUV, this set of powertrains can give a good sense of push back, including the ability to accelerate halfway, the 8AT gearbox is also tuned more mature, with Ford's chassis, Mondeo's driving experience is not much to be picky about.
Consumers with more stable personalities are more concerned about smoothness and fuel economy, which will be more suitable for the Accord, after all, the Accord L15BN is also a well-known engine in the 1.5T camp, with the CVT gearbox, although the absolute strength is not as strong as Mondeo, but the power is enough, the wider torque platform and the lower turbine intervention speed are very good in daily driving.
As for the difference in fuel consumption, it needs to be tested in the later stage. However, from the perspective of the fuel consumption of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the two, the actual difference will be about 2L/100km - this data is not supported by data, and everyone is only for reference.
Of course, if you choose the Accord hybrid model, then there will be further improvements in the driving experience and fuel economy, after all, under the blessing of the motor, its power response, including absolute power, will be better than the 1.5T Accord, the price is 199,800 You can only buy the lowest model of the Accord Hybrid - the lowest model of the accord is even absent from the reversing image, and the configuration is too shabby.
Configuration comparison: the final battlefield of cost performance
Why does configuration comparison become the ultimate battlefield for cost performance? Because the design is subjective, the motivation also has a stylistic preference, and each family can say that they are excellent. But the configuration is real: there is a yes, no is no, and some configurations can really bring us a very different experience on the car.
First of all, the safety configuration, we always believe that for family cars, a complete safety configuration is the foundation, which should not save costs. In terms of passive safety, the Mondeo Supreme and accord 1.5T Phantom Night Ultimate Edition as high-end models are naturally not shrinking, 6 airbags are available in both cars, and Mondeo also has more knee airbags. The active safety section also has a lane departure warning system, an active braking system, a lane keeping assist system, etc., Mondeo has more parallel assist, and accord has the side blind spot imaging system that Honda models have always been equipped with.
In terms of practicality, both the reversing image and the full-speed adaptive cruise are equipped, and it would be better if it could be upgraded to a 360° panoramic image as a high-end model, but it is also enough to use. At the same time, the Accord has a certain lead in seat configuration: with the addition of ventilation and heating functions in the front seats, it is indeed more comfortable in winter and summer.
But in terms of luxury, Mondeo's 10-speaker B&O sound system and 7-color mood lights have hoisted the Accord – a sense of technology.
Overall, in fact, the configuration of the two cars is similar, the Accord model is also very good after the terminal discount, some of the configurations are there, but in the sense of technology and luxury will lag behind the Mondeo, but the comfort configuration has a certain lead, placed in the price of 200,000, the configuration of the two cars is considered to be a very rich model in the joint venture brand.
Can Mondeo return to the mainstream mid-size car market with its complete and bright product strength this time? We can find out from the list of easy cars, after the release of Mondeo, we can see that in the joint venture B-segment segment, Mondeo has reached the second place in the popularity of the market - and the other two are the 2021 mid-size car sales champion and runner-up. Whether the product power can be converted into word of mouth is the key to the subsequent rise of Mondeo.
Full text summary: The difference in the configuration of the two cars is actually not large, but each car has an irreplaceable core selling point, the Acceptance of accord is higher, the amount of ownership is greater, which also means that after-sales will have certain advantages, whether it is the convenience of maintenance or the retention rate, of course, Mondeo needs to catch up. But Ford is also well aware of its own situation in China, so it gives this very competitive price and many young consumers can not refuse the highlights, at least this 1.1m central control screen experience on the market is rarely the same class of cars can achieve, coupled with stronger power and excellent space performance, from the product strength of the fifth generation of Mondeo has enough competitiveness, even in the face of strong opponents such as accord, there are many reasons to fall in love.