Click to enlarge
The Ford Mondeo is now officially here in Malaysia, a CBU import directly from its production center in the land of fine chocolates, Belgium. There is only one model variant available for RM178,888 (OTR with insurance) and the following are the specifications:
- 2.3 litre Duratec HE 161 PS at 6,500rpm, 208Nm at 4,200rpm
- 6-speed automatic with manual shift control
- 7 airbags including driver knee airbag
- 8-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat
- 5-Star Euro NCAP crash test rating
- Steering wheel audio and cruise control
- Ford EasyFuel – capless refuelling system
- ABS brakes with EBD
- Two ISOFIX mount points for the rear seats
- 60:40 foldable rear seats to extend boot space
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 3 year or 100,000km warranty
Click to enlarge
The Mondeo has a nice black interior with silver accents and red backlighting. The interior looks decidedly ‘younger’ than most of its rivals, it makes no attempt to drown you with wood or anything.
Note that in some of the photos after the jump you’ll see a big colour LCD in the instrumentation panel. Our Malaysian spec has a regular red and white multi-info LCD. The head-unit is an integrated 6-CD unit from Sony with MP3 capabilities. The gear lever uses the “proper” push to downshift and pull to upshift configuration for the manual shift controls.
The construction of the body also uses a technique called laser hotwire brazing, which Ford claims is a ‘first in segment’ application. This allows for a cleaner and seam-free method of joining the side and roof panels together. You can see the result in the photo above. There is no big gap between the area where the roof joins the side. Look at most cars and you’ll see a hollow channel there with rubber or plastic trim covering it.
Click to enlarge
This picture shows two things – first, the EasyFill fuel filler which does not require a fuel cap, first introduced in the production Ford GT. The filler fits snugly around the nozzle to prevent fumes from escaping while the car is being refilled, and since there is no fuel cap it eliminates the problem of drivers driving off without putting the cap back on.
The other thing is the fuel label – the Duratec HE engine in this Mondeo can take RON95. The engine’s torque output of 208Nm is on the low side for a modern engine – I would expect at least 220Nm from a 2.3 litre engine these days. The Duratec HE engine is similiar to the one in the Escape but does not have variable valve timing, but has a variable intake manifold.
Nevertheless, many European mags are raving about this new Mondeo and some are even saying it beats the E90 when it comes to its drive. I am very very curious to find out if this is really the case. But in general European Ford cars have a reputation of great handling and drive feel as with the Focus that is already sold here. Ford plans to sell between 200 to 300 Mondeos a year in Malaysia.
Speaking of the Focus, a turbodiesel Focus TDCi with PowerShift twin clutch is due on our local shores in 2010. The Thai market already has this car. Also in store for us is the Ford S-Max and the Ford Fiesta – Ford seems to be really on a roll now, shifting its focus from a predominantly truck brand into a passenger car brand.
Look after the jump for more shots of the Mondeo.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
Nice but expensive..
Hi Paul,
Is there something wrong with this "“proper” push to downshift and pull to downshift configuration"
Thanks.
Wah, Belgium. But how come not from the US? The models are better than the ones who modeled for the Forte in Pavilion. Is this the similar model as shown in the movie James Bond: Casino Royale?
No fake wood and beige interior. I like!
sorry, hope you guys can be patient while i upload the rest of the photos. you know lah… streamyx.
Most European Fords are not sold in the US (they get their own American Fords like the Taurus) so they are not built there.
The design is very nice. Looks like a sport car! I hope to get it!
A beautiful car from Ford!!
Nice but not many will be seen on the road.
Unless the GLC's and Govt sector adopt it as their top management, senior official car…….
mahalnyeee……lebih mahal dr Camry…
wow… got girls. the car, er…. not so hot
Comparing this car to it's immediate competitor in the same class eg: S60, Passat, Peugeot 407, Accord or Camry, I think the price tag is quite reasonable. Looking at new models and variety of cars introduced by the 'less' well kown brands always excite me….at least it will give the boring automotive scenery in this country some spices. Bring it on VW, Peugeot, Ford, Mazda etc etc…..
Hmm ..nice car .. i'm sure it won several Europe awards on merits …wait for 2 yrs and see the price drop before considering this haha
2.3 engine with that kind of power/torque? Ford must be joking.
drove once here in australia and what I can tell is it delivers what Ford promise…. agile, composed yet comfortable especially for a long journey.
lol camry /accord 2.4 anytime la dude ,
hmm,really nice specs.it better looking than camry/accord.but i'd rather get the Mazda6(sporty) or just add a few $$ to get the Alfa Romeo 159(more luxurious.seen one on the road and am speechless.for it's price,it's a very good bargain!!)
James Bond drove this car for a while in Casino Royale….
this car has the wagon type and use as a service car in Brunei Shell. indeed a very nice, powerful, quiet and comfy ride. and it is very cheap here! less than $40k.. around RM90k
would totally buy this car esp the TDCi version if it wasn't so premium in the pricing, being CBU i wonder how tropicalized the car would be in term of things like door rubbers and sealings
kenapa malaysian market tak dapat projector headlamp…? nie reflector headlamp ford mondeo nie halogen ker hid?
we are getting the same like Singapores, the Trend version. and singapore has a Ghia spec too!
over priced
Best Bond car ever:) Is Ford going to bring in the Ford Fiesta/Verve as well? I hope they do!
any1 here know when the Ford Kuga available here…
very muscular SUV…but for me Ford Kuga 2.0 Diesel is really attractive…any idea????
nice BUT the price tag NOT worth it at all….
there are bwtter option like MAZDA 6
nice car.. and nice girls.. hehe.. sorry guys, u do the comment things on the car and i'll do the rest for the girls.. jk.. i'd rather say it's just ok.. but 7 airbags, whoa.. including one for driver's knees… so REMEMBER:
ford mondeo 2.3= RM 178,888
driver's knees= priceless….
there's always something you can buy, but the rest, leave to airbags..
not that expensive….good pricing
Dissapointed:
1) Outdated power
2) No VSC/TRC?
3) Got rear air cond vent or not?
Like:
1) 7 air bags
Great price. Belgium made car for thai made car price. Come on people o blind, this is what we call real deal, not our father or grandfathers toyota and honda that is made in thailand.
Good Luck Ford. You need it !
208 nm max torque- kinda low for a 2.3L engine, but i bet the spread would be pretty wide…
laser welding?? my little Polo also have ma..
this car so nice… but sickened with the price..
the aircon vent is very cartoon leh…. for a bad resell value car, i think it is overpriced. at that price i get plenty of other choices
Phew, those 2 girls… does it come one package with the car?
to jkucing, i think we might have the rear air vents. As i know the Ghia spec comes with extra pillar vents too.
some more this car driven by james bond, don play play
sure is nice, but still does not look like a 179k car…
Waooo, look at the Speedo Meter.. Looks like Persona/Gen2….
The only diff is, the small icons at diff box only… aikhsss….
Love my Persona so much.. mucksss
good on exterior, dark leather seat
bad design on dashboard (worse than myvi IMHO but better than Gen2 or Persona), material looks cheap
if not because of the dashboard, i would have it
understated. but i like!
Where's the rear aircond vents? Looks like the cheaper Focus has it.
Drove the combi(wagon) version from Swiebodzine to Frankfurt ~700KM in 5hours +.
TDI bi-turbo engine, 6 speed H-manual gearbox.
3 big guys inside with luggage.
Excellent ride at high speeds, lane change feels composed & solid.
Firm suspension only good for German roads. On Polish roads? Miserable.
Sounds a bit loud at 200km/h on autobahn though. 220km/h was unbearable. Comfy at 150-170km/h.
Does it comes with additional safety features such as ESC, TC, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation System, HBS, and etc
Ford needs to check their facts on the laser-welded roof being the 1st in class, especially when it is also available on cars in lower-segments.
All the best Ford and please sack your Malaysian product planners.
No TCS for a D-segment RM170k+ car? No ESP. No HIDs and not even projector lens?
Really good car. Same size as the 5series. Superb handling. It will put a smile on your face. Same as 3series/maybe better. 2.3L slightly thirsty – go for the diesel if available.
i don't work for FORD.
Paul Tan said,
November 30, 2009 @ 6:46 pm
sorry, hope you guys can be patient while i upload the rest of the photos. you know lah… streamyx.
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Paul,
Try PacketOne/P1 lah hehe…
Ok back to topic. I really like this car's spec:
* 6-speed automatic with manual shift control
* 7 airbags including driver knee airbag
* 8-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat
* 5-Star Euro NCAP crash test rating
* Steering wheel audio and cruise control
* Ford EasyFuel – capless refuelling system
* ABS brakes with EBD
* Two ISOFIX mount points for the rear seats
* 60:40 foldable rear seats to extend boot space
* Front and rear parking sensors
Remember those days when Ford in Malaysia was all trucks, trucks, trucks and vans only ? Then Ford Concessionaires introduced the Telstar. That was way back in the mid 90s'. That car was probably the only sedan that made people looked at Ford differently and not just commercial vehicles. I had a Telstar then. Driven it for seven years. Now that Ford is doing a come back, I would have thought that they would position the car in between the Accords and Camrys to do a market penetration strategy that would ensure a llong product life cycle. Look at Naza, they position the 407 below the Japs so that it would have market acceptance and then like a frog in the boling water, move up the price levels in the long term. Of course, being CBU had some say in the pricing as well. Let's see what happens next….
I like it overall. But was waiting for the Fiesta to come here. Any news?
I wonder is the reseller looking to challenge the market…price it at RM145K to challenge the Camry/Accord of 2.0, and it will be instant success.
At 180K, Camry/Accord 2.4 is cheaper, on top of that, spend additional 10K+ you can get a pre-reg BMW…
I like all the spec anyhow, but the brand is just not there yet.
Better late than never , ive seen a couple of them in ukraine, its a really2 good looking car, it was voted car of the year (few years ago though) by Topgear and 5th gear …., well, if you want something different ofr the money…
I would say its 'prius's' money ….cuz you can save petrol with that.. but for style sake, this is the 1 to go…
It looks its best in black
but u get sony audio system….sony leh…don play play
Its everywhere in China.. 2.3 liter selling @ RMB179,800.. about RM89,445 .. thanks to G… keke.. nice car..
executive / sports sedan, however not that fancy the butt, looks like saab 95, honda civic, even a bit like early days proton wira 'dragonfly / fly eyes' look butt, don't know isit sharing platform with mazda 6 onot??
ah alza close so bash sini. lori pun cukup besar beli lah bus not exora. 87 percent is female in p2? and you said femal dunno anything about car , so they have spoilt th egear box lor , bodoh
Should have brought in the diesel version as that would make it more unique and excellent fuel mileage buster.
Ford rep here need more solid commitment which is not visible so far.
although a S40 may not be of the same class as this mondeo, i think i will still take the S40 over. or perhaps the Mazda 6.
How come no ESP and TC for a car of this price?
From the pics, no rear air cond vent also..
And what's the sound system or speakers it uses? how many speakers?
The parking sensors only produces beeping sound or is there some display like merc and even the kia forte?
i find the design a bit old…altho i know its a 2006 model…like camry accord mazda 6 still look awesome…
i find the interior kinda plain…if im going to get a non japanese car in this category…ill take the 407 to this…
but then this car is a cbu, meaning it won't fall into pieces like your toyota camry after 5 years
ugly as hell…
ugly as hell
I was driven around in this car for a week back in July and I must say I loved it. From the first time I looked at it I was impressed. The drive was also good – went over potholes and uneven roads well. The dash plastics also felt good, nice and soft. The only thing is that I couldn't drive it. Soon.
somehow this Ford is one of the worse i've seen in years and just not my cup of tea. with additional 15grand, i'll certainly consider for alfa 159 w/o thinking twice..
not sure how many Ford is planning to sell in a year; 50 units perhaps? i highly doubt so!
Guys,…. It has 5 star NCAP ratings…. 7 airbags…. its safe… how many airbags does your Camry and Accord have?
s-max is coming to town???? i hope it's the titanium version!
This design will lose ground to Accord and Camry. Gen 2 rims?, boring side profile, outdated headlight desgin etc. I think wagon suit better for this styling.
300 units per year?Camry sold 1000++ units a month.
Nice amoi. hen piaoliang.
Honestly, I don't see this car making any impact on the market, especially between Accord and Camry. It's overpriced and since Ford did not offer other variants, it needs to establish value to their cars. Value here means what can the car do to differentiate it from competitors and at the very beginning, they offer premium price for it. Not a good move, take a lesson from mitsubishi lancer and price it lower. It's a nice car by the way, would like to take a black colored mondeo. Hehe..
the car…nothing special..but the girls..YES.. sooo hot
next time they should use man and not girl to promote the car..hehe
Ford value for money? rarely see Ford card on the road, except Ford Ranger..
rare doesnt mean not value for money…
less Focus, because everyone is driving either a Civic, Mazda3 or Lancer, or the potato Altis…
less Ranger, because those who like the car-handling car-styling kind of pickup trucks will go for the sissy Triton, or the good for nothing Hilux…
less Escape and Everest, because people (most average Malaysians) buying car dont look at specs, just outlooks, or just "my neighbour/uncle/aunty drive what, i also dirve what" kind of mentality…
back to the real topic, this Mondeo certainly looks good, afterall its a Ford…
to head Hunter:
the Lancer is NOT priced low actually, u see its main competitor, the Civic is a bit more expensive because of its more refined interior, and of course the proven VTEC engine…
but Lancer is a good car, if u put aside the interior quality…
jean said,
December 1, 2009 @ 12:26 am
Its everywhere in China.. 2.3 liter selling @ RMB179,800.. about RM89,445 .. thanks to G… keke.. nice car..
===================================
Yes china car is cheaps.. but remember you need to fork out thickly Gov tax… and yet you need to pump fuel of ~RM3.5/liter..
ANyhow, its still far cheaper than Msia price.. undoubtedly due to crazy tax structure..
6 speed auto gearbox with manual control? Wow! Blew Camry and Accord away. Even Mazda 6 also no fight.
For less than RM 200k, you get a feature normally found on cars costing more than RM 250k.
Camry is plain boring… too long in the market with almost no updates apart from FL. Accord is overstaying also… either they give more features like better gearbox or sunroof, both brands will lose out eventually.
I'm more interested in the turbo diesel Focus with twin clutch next year… yummy!
what???? TDCi with PowerShift Focus coming soon??? i am drooling.
at that price . top a few k to get an alfa, or spend less to get a camry/accord…
ford must be joking ..
this car is the answer for p1 basher……..u ppl may buy this one…..full specs with all safety u need. Huahaha..
was driven around by a colleague in Europe for few times… its a heavy car, with super heavy doors i must say… lolz…
anyway, that car is the high spec one with adaptive cruise control and built-in GPS navigation/bluetooth… the adaptive cruise control was awesome… i heard its only available for the Passat and Mondeo in that price range…
tricycle said,
November 30, 2009 @ 10:15 pm
good on exterior, dark leather seat
bad design on dashboard (worse than myvi IMHO but better than Gen2 or Persona), material looks cheap
if not because of the dashboard, i would have it
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You must be joking. Worse than Myvi?! Myvi has good dashboard? P2 fanboy are you.
no comment.
Sorry Ford fans,
But as a feature freak and as someone that been awaiting for the Mondeo launch. I was pretty dissapointed with the specs. You get most of these feature in Nasim's 407:- 7 airbags, 5 star Euroncap, front and rear parking, 2 isofix, the only, plus they have gps, and tons of others goodies. Where else the Camry 2.4V have a more powerful engine and start stop button. The Mazda 6 is more sportier looking.
Plus its overpriced…
Nice car and surely better than honda accord and camry but the second hand value will be an issue unles ur willing to keep it for almost forever. The aircond vent is a joke… does not match up with the rest of the car…
Totally agreed with Chaos. MOndeo is overpriced tooo much. crazy Sime Darby ripping us off
IMHO Ford has got the pricing totally wrong, even if its nicely spec'd. At the end of the day, its just a Mondoe for god's sake!! These things are like Wajas in the UK, they're everywhere!! A really-really common man's car, refered to as the 'Mondeo Man' there i.e. the common Brit…
Hi all
I too am a bit disappointed with the lack of technology found in this car. I am wondering, how does technology affect pricing? What goes into the final pricing of the car?
Nice design and good safety features, but for the price here there are many options to choose from. Resale value and depreciation will be a serious issue to consider before purchasing this car.
Not worth it all. very low spec and expensive if compare with singapore, taiwan version!
Ford Focus TDCi?!?!? with Powershift 6 speed gearbox?!? Could this be true? Paul! tell us what else you know.. . This is BIG news! Forget the Mondeo, I'm not that old yet. I want a compact car that's fun to drive.
Perhaps Ford should've looked at the long term sustainability here by offering better value, although the pricing of a Euro CBU isn't very far off from competitors (Asean Accord 2.4 is about RM175k).
But gone are the days where the roads were full of Escorts, TX3s & TX5s.
Something is wrong with this car.
Interior looks cheap for the price being sold, wheres the SatNav? A car this size should have it. A very tiny lcd display in the middle, just ruins it for the car. A Mazda 3's interior looks much meticulous than this. Exterior looks good.
For such a price, it should have projection lamps with bi xenon, not the normal crappy reflector halogens.
Ford oh Ford….Singaporeans get all the nice version, we get the lame ones. Pffft.
paul any news about exora launch at thailand?
exora for taxi ? heard the engine is different…
this car is for people with brains. not uncles.
This is the one of the very good if not the best handling car atm. Those who know abt handling would argee with me!
BUT SO EXPENSIVE…. HAAAAAAIH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
handsome car…pitiful old engine. Even mazda 6 have stopped using them.
if it is expensive now, then wait for the pre-reg or better buy it within 2-3yrs time before warranty runs out… it should a bargain after the 1st owner is hit by the hefty depreciation of a Ford… you know lah Malaysia, if it ain't Japanese (or a Merc), then the 2nd hand value is next to nothing…
Only problem Ford owners tend to keep their cars for a very, very reasonably long time.
Poor 2nd hand values = low sales volume = uncertain spare parts availability.
P1 Proton
P2 Perodua
P3 Naza
P4 Sime Hyundai
P5, Sime Ford
sigh, flat chested Chinese chicks and boring looking car. Yawn….
I'll get an Alfa anytime for that kinda price. RM188,888 for 159. ANYTIME.
sick&tired said,
December 1, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
sigh, flat chested Chinese chicks and boring looking car. Yawn….
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A$$hole of the year…..
sick&tired said,
December 1, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
sigh, flat chested Chinese chicks and boring looking car. Yawn….
————–
whats wrong with flat chested girls? u sexist? if u comment on us girls. here's a comment for you, guys with small penis like you are losers.
Seems Mr J Clarkson really rates this car – u need to drive the car too b4 you can judge it.
I was expecting better specs for this price. No doubt they will not place their price lower than accord/camry but at least must be justified….
No HID, ESP, sun roof, rear A/C vent etc……
Mazda 6 (2.5) has more features than mondeo. They should have brought in full specs with that price (hopefully will attract people more from accord/camry)
Arararara… Mazda 3 MPS, u're actually a girl? Anyway, flat chested girls are attractive. Ask any otaku.
Hmmm…… it's not THAT overpriced compared to Camry n Accord if the equipments are to be factored in. Plus, this is CBU from Europe, that really contributed to its high price.
If I'm being pedantic, yes, it should come with projector lens with bi-xenon, n it should have ESP.
Just visited Ford Msia's website. Disappointed they didn't put full spec list… n they put a lot of photos of mondeo with projector lens.
To those number freaks, just go n test drive the car… it's handling is so awsm u'll forget that it is just a few hp shy of accord/camry.
GeramHati said,
December 1, 2009 @ 12:32 am
ah alza close so bash sini. lori pun cukup besar beli lah bus not exora. 87 percent is female in p2? and you said femal dunno anything about car , so they have spoilt th egear box lor , bodoh
Apa lah Geram Hati. Nak komen pasal P1 & P2 pi le masuk forum yang sepatutnya. ada kah patut nk komen pasal P1 & P2 masuk forum Ford Mondeo.Tengah syok baca forum ni tetiba je ada komen yg tak masuk akai langsung. Bro ..be profesional kay..
When is the 6th Gen Fiesta launch in our local market….
Keeping the value aside….what is the pro and cons vs Accord & Camry
Pro : 6 Speed auto
: Fully CBU
: Handling.
Cons : Resale value
: No variable timing.
: No HID
: Reliability questionable?.
: No Stability control
: Price.
Well we have to wait for real world review from local mag to see how good is it.
good car..reasonable price for cbu from belgium….but i think spare parts is very expensive…resale value.confirm booommm..
AC said,
December 1, 2009 @ 8:32 am
6 speed auto gearbox with manual control? Wow! Blew Camry and Accord away. Even Mazda 6 also no fight.
For less than RM 200k, you get a feature normally found on cars costing more than RM 250k.
Camry is plain boring… too long in the market with almost no updates apart from FL. Accord is overstaying also… either they give more features like better gearbox or sunroof, both brands will lose out eventually.
I’m more interested in the turbo diesel Focus with twin clutch next year… yummy!
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hmm… waiting waiting the turbo diesel Focus… twin clutch…
lol would u buy this or a alfa 159
malaysian is boring, others then accord/camry nothing else… you guys kills your choices..
Heard a few days back that there will not be any govt tax on cars assembled in Asean (excise duties got-la)…so expect Ford to bring in more cars and the Mondeo, although better than H.Accord and maybe T.Camry(?) should cost less than the ori asking price.
For 178k, we shd expect HID too…and maybe paddle shifters for the 6-speed gears..what was Ford thinking? Every petrolhead would like these toys like these in their cars…if not they will just buy a Perdana
You can't expect it to be cheap when it is imported from Belgium. So you can't compare the pricing with camry and accord. probably when Ford decideds to assemble in Philippines then u can expect a reduction of about 30K i believe. Then this will be one of the most reasonable executive car in the same segment.
if I can afford one..hmm..
very tough car on the road!
if I can afford this car!
I drove test the car recently. I tell you the road handling is superb. At 161Bhp is quite reasonable cos although model is 2.3, actual engine cap is 2261 cc. The interior is fantastic and the boot is more if I rmbr is close to 550 litres the largest in the that class perhaps! Price wise, why not, for something comparable to a BMW!
The price now is about 161k for new…