Mondeo ‘ST’ is here

By James Foxall

14th May 2008

Here are the official pictures of the car that Ford said it would never build. We predicted a Mondeo ST would make production in 2006, and here it is – in all but name.

This muscular addition to the Mondeo range is the Titanium X Sport, which bears a striking similarity to the one-off ST featured in the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale.

The model has 18-inch alloys, deeper body-coloured side skirts and a brushed aluminium surround on the lower honeycomb grille to deliver a much sportier look than standard variants. At the rear, a racy-looking ‘diffuser’ frames the chrome tailpipes.

Inside, there’s slinky red stitching on the gearlever gaiter, plus alloy pedals, a leather-clad steering wheel and leather/Alcantara trim on the seats. Bi-xenon headlights and sports suspension have also been fitted.

Five-door and estate versions are on sale from £25,355 with a choice of 2.2 diesel or 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engines. At 173bhp, the oil-burner is expected to be in greater demand. It produces 35bhp more than the 2.0 TDCi, yet returns 45.6mpg and covers 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds.