Testing: Ford’s bold new Mondeo

	Improved safety equipment includes knee airbags and a tyre pressure monitoring system, and the car will also gain a host of innovative features, such as adaptive cruise control.

The heat is Mon! As our exclusive pictures show, we are getting closer and closer to knowing how the fabulous new Ford Mondeo is going to look Ä… even though bosses at the company are still trying to cover things up while testing.

These are the very latest shots of the replacement for Ford’s best-selling family car. Development of the hatchback is nearly complete as the company prepares to give it a world debut at the Paris Motor Show in September Ä… and thanks to our eagle-eyed photographer, we can even bring you a glimpse of the new model’s interior.

Look closely and you can see that the cabin borrows some of the styling cues which have debuted on the firm’s new S-MAX people carrier. With neat chrome-ringed air vents and a soft-feel facia, the next-generation Mondeo will undoubtedly represent a step upmarket for the range, and is set to challenge the Volkswagen Passat in terms of fit and finish. The Ford will be larger than the machine it replaces, with increased passenger space.

Improved safety equipment includes knee airbags and a tyre pressure monitoring system, and the car will also gain a host of innovative features, such as adaptive cruise control.

As well as these enhancements to the interior’s quality and standard kit tally, the Ford will attract buyers with its handsome styling. At the front, the sleek nose boasts bold grilles, rakish headlights and lower foglights, while at the rear, the tail-lamps are derived from those seen on the S-MAX.

A sweeping profile with a rising tail should help the new Mondeo become one of the most distinctive cars in the family class. And backing up those looks will be driver-focused road manners, with sharp steering and firm yet compliant suspension.

As with the sporty people carrier, the Mondeo will benefit from Ford’s advanced active suspension system, with dampers which can be adjusted by the driver via a switch on the centre console.

Under the bonnet, buyers are likely to be offered a choice of three turbo-diesels in 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2-litre tune. Petrol fans will be able to take their pick from 1.8 and 2.0-litre units, while a top-of-the-range variant will feature the 2.5-litre 225bhp five-cylinder turbo motor from the Focus ST.

However, rumours suggest Volvo’s new 3.2-litre in-line six-cylinder could also appear, along with the 2.7 twin-turbodiesel co-developed by Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroen. Most models will get six-speed gearboxes as standard.

On sale in early 2007, the Mondeo is likely to come as a hatch and estate only, with prices from around £16,000.