Ford Mondeo Wagon

What is it?
Ford Mondeo Wagon

What's special about it?
Although the all-new Ford Mondeo Wagon will not be sold in the United States, it's significant because, like Ford's super-successful Focus, it represents an alternative to North American vehicle philosophy (i.e. bigger is better).

Instead of concentrating on providing spacious expanses of steel, cloth and plastic, powered by large-bore American muscle and suspended on soft suspensions, the Mondeo Wagon embodies the European vehicle ideals of understated elegance, ergonomic comfort, sporty, efficient powertrains and precise, solid feel. The Mondeo Wagon, in fact, looks very similar to Volkswagen's Passat Wagon and the Audi A6 Avant, vehicles much admired in the U.S. for their quality of design and performance.

True to its looks, the Mondeo Wagon offers a tailored interior characterized by rich fabrics, high-quality soft-touch plastics, classic analog instrumentation and aluminum accents. The flagship engine is a 2.5-liter, 24-valve Ford Duratec V6 that provides 170 horsepower while meeting stringent European fuel economy standards. Four-wheel disc brakes, ABS, dual front airbags and side-impact air curtains in front and rear, air conditioning, power windows and remote keyless entry are standard.

Why should you care?
The discontinuation of the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique has created a hole in the midsized wagon segment between the Ford Focus and the Taurus. The Mondeo would fit in perfectly. According to David Reuter, public affairs manager for Ford of Europe, there is nothing (i.e. emissions, safety or other standards) to stop the Mondeo from being sold in North America. "You never know," he told Edmunds. "It could happen."

The fantastic success of the Focus in North America, a vehicle also developed in Europe, suggests the Mondeo may have similar success on our side of the pond. Its international popularity also supports this idea. Since the Mondeo was introduced in 1993, Ford has sold more than 2.5 million units in 60 markets around the world. Reuter suggested that if the Mondeo does make it to North America, it probably wouldn't be under the Ford banner. Perhaps there's more room in the Lincoln Mercury lineup, a dusty marque that needs some fresh blood. "You never know," he slyly repeated.
-- Neil Dunlop