It's been a common rallying cry from Ford enthusiasts for years. "Bring over the Mondeo and it'll be a hit," they would say. Well, now their prayers are being answered, sort of.
According to a report in Automotive News, Ford has consolidated development of the next-generation Fusion and Mondeo models into one worldwide program.
Although the bulk of the engineering will occur in Dearborn, the team will include members from Europe and Asia to assure that the car can be sold in multiple markets with only slight changes. The car will be based on the Ford's EUCD platform, a mid-size front- and all-wheel drive architecture which underpins the current Mondeo. The next-geneation sedan is expected to debut in 2012.
greenpony says:
11:05 AM, 03/23/09
Didn't Ford try to bring the Mondeo here once before?
hondacura4 says:
11:44 AM, 03/23/09
Thats a nice looking car!
brn says:
12:18 PM, 03/23/09
greenpony, yes they did. It (Contour/Mystique) was a very good car. It didn't sell well because it was considered too small. People say they'll pay for a quality small car, but...
firstwagon says:
01:18 PM, 03/23/09
"People say they'll pay for a quality small car, but..."
The trouble with the Contour was that it was only small on the inside. It was the size of a mid size car but it's back seat was more like a sub compact.
It had the disadvantages of a small car without the advantages.
I think it's a great idea to bring over the Mondeo but am a bit concerned about "the bulk of the engineering will occur in Dearborn" will mean.
zoomzoomn says:
02:11 PM, 03/23/09
On one hand, what the hell! I own a 2003 Mazda 6 and we all cried foul when we were told that the new car was not going to be based on the Euro Mondeo. It a really impressive set of specs and was a real looker. Alas, no! The US market was to recieve a warmed over "new car" that is now too big. Oh well.
On the other hand, history has not generally treated Ford well when it comes to previous Americanized Euro models. Think Contour, Capri, Cougar, Focus, etc.. Those cars were simply junk early on. In some cases (Contour and Focus) they became acceptable a few years in. Add to that the fact that the warmed over stuff that we have been getting has been pretty heavily re-engineered, read: more bugs worked out of an older design.
brn says:
02:45 PM, 03/23/09
"It had the disadvantages of a small car without the advantages."
followed by
"I think it's a great idea to bring over the Mondeo"
They did! That was the point. The Contour was the Mondeo. Like it or not, it was also a quality car.
"the bulk of the engineering will occur in Dearborn"
Your narrow mindedness in this respect is insulting. Would you say the same thing if it were engineered in Canada?
firstwagon says:
03:09 PM, 03/23/09
I didn't say it wasn't a quality car, I said it was too small of the inside. My sister had one for years and it drove fine. I didn't fit in the back seat though. I do fit in the back seat of her much smaller 96 Civic though.
The reviews of the new Mondeo sound like it has a better designed interior space-wise.
"Your narrow mindedness in this respect is insulting. Would you say the same thing if it were engineered in Canada?"
Narrow minded? In the past most European cars that we get are softer, heavier and less fun to drive then the originals. I don't think it's insulting to be worried about the same thing happening again.
brn says:
04:07 PM, 03/23/09
fw, I might have to eat a little crow, but I hope you can understand how your comments may have been misconstrued.
albook says:
04:24 PM, 03/23/09
But wasnt the new Taurus developed from the underpinnings of the upcoming mondeo?
caroftheweek says:
07:13 PM, 03/23/09
Hooray! Our dreams are about to come true. Let's hope Ford sees the opportunity to separate itself further from the staid American blands.. er, brands, and give us something with a performance Edge to it! I can understand the engineering taking place in Dearborn for this car. The Fusion/Mondeo size is right in the sweet spot for American mass-appeal, whereas the Focus/Golf size class is more popular in Europe. As a newly-truly-global company, this seems to be a sensible way to allocate the D&D engineering.
@albook: The new Taurus is an update of the older Taurus/500 with huge improvements in appearance, interior materials and power. The original 500 was based on the Volvo S60 platform, and the new car continues to be a descendant of that chassis.
autoburetor says:
07:51 PM, 03/23/09
I drove a Mystique for 9 years with minimal problems out of it. It was a great, comfortable, and fairly fun to drive car. The EPA classified it as a compact, but it was likely a bit on the pricey side of other compacts at the time, and price-wise competed with vehicles with a bit more interior room -- especially in the back seat. Fortunately, I didn't use the back seat very often!
I believe it was on Car and Driver's Ten Best List for its first three years, as well as an Automobile Magazine "All Star" those same years. Our beloved Edmunds.com even named the 1999 Contour SVT the "Most Wanted sedan under $25,000".
If Ford learned from their marketing and R&D flaws from that car, then there should be nothing else for them to worry about in bringing a newly designed Mondeo to the NA market. I can only assume, since the first generation Mondeo (aka Contour/Mystique) was a relatively big hit for them elsewhere in the world, that the engineering design details in Dearborn will be to ensure that it will be as much of a success in the NA market this time around.
I think it's a good move toward a more single-global-marketplace-minded automobile company that will help the industry thrive again. What could be better than spending all of the design dollars only once and, with minimal changes, resulting in a vehicle that can be successful anywhere it's sold?!