Ford Mondeo

So here it is – our overall champion of 2007... the Number One car in the UK. The new Mondeo is the most crucial model for some time from Britain’s biggest car maker. And we are delighted to report it proves conclusively that the family car’s obituary, written with the rise of the compact executive sector, is premature.

With its third-generation model, Ford has come bursting back, injecting vitality and desirability into what had become a stagnant breed. Glitzy and brimming with self-confidence, it’s not as brave as the Iosis concept from which it drew inspiration, but it’s crisply styled yet practical and eye-catching, without being ostentatious.

And don’t forget that building a car in this class is one of the most challenging tasks in the entire motoring industry. Make a coupé look good and you have a hit on your hands, but here the brief is far more complex. The Mondeo has to be all things to all men. A commuting hack one minute, a family hauler the next, able to cut it in the company car park and the multi-storey, plus on every road from traffic-choked urban streets to remote rural routes.

The Mondeo delivers effortlessly, performing with aplomb
everywhere. It steers beautifully, rides with a composure and smoothness that’s absent from even the best German executives, handles tautly and has a great range of engines. It’s also vast inside, rivals VW’s Passat for quality, is clearly laid out and with its great refinement and comfort levels takes the sting out of everyday driving. Its sheer adaptability, and all-round excellence, have won it this award. The Ford Mondeo represents a new breed of family car.