2022 Ford Mondeo revealed for China, ruled out for Australia
The Ford Mondeo nameplate might be just weeks from death in Europe – but it will live on in China, on a new, higher-riding fifth-generation sedan. However, it won’t make its way to Australia.
While production for Europe might just weeks away from meeting its end, the 2022 Ford Mondeo nameplate will live on in China – but there are no plans for the iconic name to return to Australia.
Following leaked images published late last year, the new, fifth-generation Mondeo has been revealed in full in China, where it will be built and sold exclusively – with Ford Australia previously confirming to Drive there are no plans for an Australian launch.
While Ford Australia’s engineering centre has been involved in the development of previous large sedans for the Chinese market – and prototypes of earlier Ford China sedans have previously been spotted on Melbourne roads – it is unclear what involvement, if any, Ford Australia has with the new Mondeo.
The new 2022 Mondeo swaps the five-door liftback body style of its predecessor for a more traditional four-door sedan format – and draws significant styling inspiration from the Evos crossover wagon-turned-SUV revealed in April 2021, both sharing Ford China’s corporate design language.
Both cars share their front fascia designs – with a large front grille flanked by split LED headlights (with slim upper daytime-running lights) – plus common pop-out door handles, smooth body surfacing, and prominent rear wheel arch blisters.
However, the Mondeo sedan’s rear end (unsurprisingly) differs from the Evos wagon, with ‘MONDEO’ script across the tailgate, 3D-effect LED tail-lights, and a touch-sensitive Ford badge that doubles as the boot release. 19-inch wheels wrapped in Hankook tyres are available.
Citing research that indicates Chinese buyers “
value vehicles that embrace responsive design elements,” Ford says the Mondeo’s door handles pop out as a passenger approaches, while the “individual parametric cells of [the] front grille move to acknowledge drivers as they approach the vehicle”.
The new Ford Mondeo measures in 63mm longer and 23mm wider than the car it replaces (making it approximately 4935mm long and 1875mm wide), with Chinese government documents reporting a 10mm increase in height, and a 95mm longer wheelbase.
These documents also show a sportier ST-Line variant – mirroring the related Evos, with unique bumpers and wheels – but this variant is yet to be revealed.
No images of the sedan’s cabin have been released, however if the Evos (below) is any guide, expect a 1.1-metre row of screens across the dashboard, with a 12.3-inch instrument display in front of the driver, placed alongside a 27-inch touchscreen offering voice recognition, artificial intelligence technology, and over-the-air updates.
It’s also unclear what sits under the bonnet – though the ‘EcoBoost 245’ badge pictured on the boot lid suggests flagship variants share the Evos wagon’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, developing 175kW and 376Nm, and mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
A less potent 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder engine could also be offered, though details of this are yet to be confirmed. The ‘C2’ platform the new Mondeo is believed to ride on can support hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
The 2022 Ford Mondeo will go on sale in China later this year, with production and sales to occur through Ford’s joint venture with local company Changan.
As reported, there are no plans for an Australian launch. The fourth-generation Ford Mondeo was discontinued in Australia in mid-2020, with European production to end in March 2022.
The post 2022 Ford Mondeo revealed for China, ruled out for Australia appeared first on Drive.