The all-new fifth-generation Ford Mondeo has been revealed as a sleek executive saloon, exclusively for the Chinese market.
Following a series of leaked images last year which outed the car's final styling, Ford has officially revealed its reinvented Volkswagen Passat rival at its China Design Centre in Shanghai, presenting it as a showcase of Ford's new design language for the region.
The Mondeo has been on sale in China since 2002, nearly a decade after it launched in Europe. Reinventing the model was "a privilege and a challenge for our team," said head designer Maurizio Tocco.
"We wanted to respect and acknowledge the history which had come before us while elevating the customers’ experience to the next level," he continued. "The starting point of the design is always the customer and looking for innovative ways to incorporate what they need and want into the design."
The new Mondeo is the first model to be designed according to the new 'Progressive Energy in Strength' philosophy, which is said to blend elements of Ford's 'rich heritage' and 'icon designs' with the preferences of its Chinese buyers. The three defining characteristics of the new ethos are "commanding, agile and responsive".
Set to begin deliveries in China during the second quarter of 2022, the new four-door saloon will be produced in a joint venture between Ford and Chinese firm Changan in Chongqing. While European sales of the new Mondeo have been ruled out by Ford, suggestions are it could be sold in the US as a replacement for the Fusion, although details on where North American models would be sourced is yet to be confirmed by Ford.
The new Mondeo draws heavily on its recently launched Chinese-market sibling model, the Evos crossover, for design inspiration.
Key design elements include an octagonal-shaped grille, slim LED headlights connected by a light band within the leading edge of the bonnet, separate daytime running lights and an A-shaped graphic for the air duct within the lower part of the front bumper.
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I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If your the sort of person who foams at the mouth with bile and spittle as you pound away at your keyboard on car magazine comments boards you won't like it - because you don't like anything. If your a normal sane rational human being like what I am then it looks pretty good