Australians can now option new visual upgrades for 2017 Mondeo, while revised equipment levels across the range bring fresh wheels designs for improved road holding and visual appeal
With a five-star ANCAP safety rating, the Mondeo offers leading technology including inflatable rear-seat air-bags as standard, as well as a choice of EcoBoost or diesel engines that offer drivability, power yet improved fuel efficiency
Mondeo resonated with more Australians in 2016, achieving a year-on-year sales increase of 43 percent with the introduction of SYNC® 31 , adding to the advanced suite of Driver Assist Technology2 that includes Autonomous Emergency Braking
Ford’s 2017 $450 million R&D investment in Australia includes the high-tech Asia Pacific Product Development Centre in Melbourne as part of a $50 million capital investment to advance R&D facilities through a new virtual reality engineering facility that speeds development, improves efficiency of next-gen vehicles for Australia and global markets.
MELBOURNE, April 18, 2017 – The 2017 Ford Mondeo has been given a sharp new look with visual updates joining the Driver Assistance Technology and SYNC® 3 that saw more Australians choose the Mondeo in 2016 year-on-year.
“The Mondeo is crucial to our line-up, and continues to receive praise from media and customers alike for its design, innovative features and safety,” said Ford Australia President and CEO, Graeme Whickman. “The changes for 2017 give consumers even greater choice and style for what’s a technologically advanced package, with EcoBoost engines, smart diesel as well as SYNC® 3technology.”
Mondeo sports a lower profile
Most prominent will be the flagship Titanium’s bold new 19-inch alloy wheels. Replacing the current 18-inch alloys, the fresh five-spoke design will see lower-profile 235/40 Continental tyres to give the Mondeo a more aggressive athletic look to heighten its already strong visual appeal.
“An increase in wheel size provides Mondeo a sure-footed dynamic stance that matches the chassis’ outstanding road-holding,” said Todd Willing, Ford Asia-Pacific Design Director. “The new wheels not only help the visual balance of Mondeo, but work in conjunction with the body’s elegant lines for a premium yet sporty appearance. It’s a slick combination.”
The Mondeo Trend also receives its own bold new five-spoke alloy, tuned to compliment the Mondeo’s highly praised dynamics. These fresh alloys are 18-inches in diameter, replacing the Mondeo Trend’s previous 17-inch versions, and are fitted with a lower profile tyre measuring 235/45 on 8.0-inch wide wheels.
Buyers of the Mondeo Ambiente aren’t left out of the Mondeo makeover, with the Ambiente hatch now fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels as standard, to match the Ambiente wagon. Previously, the Ambiente hatch used 16-inch alloy wheels, an inch smaller in diameter than the Ambiente wagon, and with the upgrade for the hatch comes with the benefit of a 20mm-wider tyre, measuring 235mm, for a greater overall footprint. “This means that the Ambiente hatch hits that sweet-spot of being even better looking, yet with a wider tread area, sees an increase in road-holding for improved safety and drivability. It’s win-win,” said Willing.
Colour my world: Mondeo’s new hue
The 2017 Ford Mondeo also brings consumers a new colour choice, Metalicious. Bolstering the bold new alloy wheel combinations, the expansion of the Mondeo’s colour palette underlines the premium design language that envelops the craftsmanship and practicality for Australian consumers.
“The new shade, ‘Metalicious,’ is a warm tinted clear-coat silver with a high degree of colour flip and sophistication that accentuates the beautiful forms of Mondeo,” said Willing. It brings the array of Mondeo colours available to consumers to nine, providing a strong spectrum from athletic to elegant, flattering the Mondeo’s lines while matching individual lifestyles and tastes of Australian consumers.
Faster SYNC® 3 understands the Australian accent
SYNC® 3 is standard across the 2017 Ford Mondeo range. “Our customers are connected outside their vehicles, and Ford SYNC® 3 will help them stay better connected while continuing to drive with their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road,” said Graeme Whickman. “Our leading local R&D investment also helps us stay better connected to Australian consumer needs, including SYNC® 3’s voice-recognition technology that understands Australian accents.”
SYNC® 3– Ford’s communications and entertainment system – features faster performance, conversational voice recognition with Australian accent-specific calibration, intuitive smart-phone-like touch-screen and easier-to-understand graphical interface.
SYNC®3 highlights:
- New ‘Home’ screen with clearer layout and large icons for quicker access to functions including audio system, compatible smart-phone (including compatible apps) and satellite-navigation.
- New 8.0-inch touch-screen with capacitive touch technology allows ‘pinch and swipe’ capability on select features (similar to a smart-phone or tablet).
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration includes ability to access Apple Siri and Google Now
- Compatible apps include Spotify, Pandora and Google Maps
- More customisable and easier-to-navigate settings and user preferences.
Mondeo: growing in appeal, growing in sales More Australians identified with the current generation Mondeo in 2016 than before, enabling the best sales result since its introduction. The greater refinement and craftsmanship, combined with cutting-edge technologies, saw a year-on-year increase of more than 47 percent. In 2017, the Mondeo continues to appeal to Australians, with its 9.3 percent VFACTS segment share greater than that of rivals including the Volkswagen Passat and Subaru Liberty.
Available in five-door hatch and wagon body styles, Mondeo features advanced EPAS, integral link rear suspension as well as Ford’s innovative inflatable rear seatbelts. It was the first Ford to offer adaptive LED headlights, which have since expanded to other vehicles in the line-up. For Mondeo, full-LED headlamps combine with Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System to enhance the driver’s view of surroundings.
With a focus on technology, safety, craftsmanship and design, the 2017 Ford Mondeo uses sophisticated materials and production techniques to deliver greater strength and improved safety with reduced weight and enhanced sustainability.
An industry-first application of hydro-formed High Strength Steel is used to produce the A-pillars, B-pillars, and roof rails. A magnesium inner tailgate structure for the four- and five-door models delivers a weight-saving of approximately 40 percent compared to a traditional steel equivalent.
The Mondeo body structure features 61 percent high strength steel. Bake-hardened steel is used in the roof structure to reduce weight by a further 0.5kg. Further structural developments include:
- An anti-roll bar uniquely designed to limit transmission travel in a frontal impact, minimising steering rack movement
- Sill rocker panels made of martensitic boron steel for improved side impact protection
- Bumper crash cans optimised for energy absorption and harmonised with chassis rail characteristics
- A flanged front cowl design that allows for flex under impact to increase energy absorption
- An integrated rear under-body wheel-arch-to-rail connector that increases torsional stiffness by up to 25 percent compared with a traditional design
Mondeo: the beginning of a beautiful friendship
Drivers of the 2017 Ford Mondeo also benefit from Ford’s Dealership of the Future experience, which now includes more than 75-percent of the 189-strong Australia wide dealership partners. This allows consumers a streamlined, no-fuss experience, with access to tools such as iPad-based shopping on-line service scheduling apps, to make the process easier and more transparent.
In addition, Mondeo owners can enjoy the peace-of-mind of Ford’s Service Price Promise for scheduled servicing costs, as well as the convenience of Ford’s Loan Car program.
2017 Ford Mondeo given a more premium look
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