It's probably fair to say that Ford don't have quite as much as they would have liked riding on this current Mondeo. Had the market sector where the Mondeo campaigns been in the rudest of health, Ford probably wouldn't need to be hawking parts of its business around to the highest bidders but the Blue Oval is dealing with some tough trading conditions the best way it knows how - through bold and innovative product development. Certainly, the latest Mondeo clearly demonstrates that Ford hasn't bottled it when it comes to putting its money where its mouth is.

The third generation Mondeo was on sale for six years and although it did extremely well for Ford, its marketplace has in recent times been drying up quite severely. Back in 2000 when this car first appeared, sales for this segment were a healthy 339,000 cars per year. By 2005, it had shrunk to 270,000 models and projections for the next few years show the curve bottoming out but nevertheless still heading downhill. Small 4x4s and compact MPVs as well as premium small cars and compact executive models have all tempted drivers out of the traditional middleweight and Ford have had to think long and hard about how to woo these customers back.

When I first saw this Mondeo, I was struck with an intense feeling of deja vu. The reason was quite simple. I'd driven to work that day in a Ford S-MAX MPV and the Mondeo's interior, its detailing, its exterior proportioning and most of its mechanicals are shared with that vehicle. Anybody who's driven an S-MAX will attest to the fact that this is no bad thing.

"Ford took some risks with this car. It's paid off.."

Getting down to Mondeo specifics, prices start at around £16,000 for the entry-level Edge 1.6-litre 110PS five-door and rise to £27,045 for the 2.5T 220PS Titanium X Sport estate. On average the latest Mondeo is priced £300 below the outgoing equivalent models. That's despite the fact that it benefits from £700 worth of added equipment across the range including things like Ford's Electronic Stability Program (ESP), a Thatcham Category 1 Alarm, ISOFIX child-seat fixings, steering wheel controls for the key vehicles technologies, a driver's knee airbag, 'follow me home' lighting and a feature unique to Ford - Easyfuel. This prevents drivers putting petrol into a diesel powered car or vice-versa. It is estimated this accidental mis-fueling affects over 150,000 UK drivers every year.

As you'd expect, all the usual features are in place. Even the basic Edge variant gets air-conditioning, cruise control, a leather steering wheel, a CD stereo with an MP3 connection socket, seven air-bags, ABS with Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), power front windows, remote central locking, a quick clear heated front windscreen, plus power and heated door mirrors.

Zetec trim is what most buyers will opt for, recognizable by 16-inch alloys and front foglights. Prices range from £17,395 for the 1.6-litre 125PS saloon and hatchback variants to £20,795 for the 2.0-litre TDCi 130PS estate. The most popular derivative is expected to be a Zetec five-door 140PS TDCi diesel which is priced at £19,545. Next up are Ghia and Titanium trims, both priced from £19,145 for the 2.0-litre 145PS saloon to £22,895 for the 2.5 220PS estate. With the Ghia, you get larger alloys, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers, power fold door mirrors, a Sony stereo with six CD in-dash auto-changer. The Titanium gives you a more luxurious feel with brushed metal interior trim, a different wheel design and sports front seats. At the top of the range, the Titanium X series aims to emphasise modern technology with a 'contemporary' interior further and costs from £21,645 for the 2.0i five-door to £25,545 for the 2.2 TDCi estate. At the top of the range, there's the Titanium X Sport models (priced from £26,895) offer everything but the kitchen sink in terms of equipment.

There's a big degree of carry-over of engines with the entry-level powerplant being the 1.6-litre petrol Duratec engine and the range-topper being the 2.5-litre turbocharged 222bhp unit that's seen in vehicles like the S-MAX and the Focus ST. Diesel engine provision is decent as well, with the 1.8-litre Duratorq TDCi unit marking the first point of entry, an engine which also comes in the eco-friendly ECOnetic variant of this car, a model which puts out emissions of just 139g/km. This 1.8 TDCi engine and the well-proven 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi unit mop up a big percentage of Mondeo sales. A 2.2-litre TDCi unit sits at the top of the range.

Take a seat inside the car and you'll notice high quality surfaces, materials and finishes. As with the outside, dynamic lines and styling curves are again evident, plus the low profile instrument panel provides very generous cabin space for front seat occupants. The flow-through centre console allows the gear shifter to be located high and within easy ergonomic reach of the driver.

The design team has also paid great attention to interior detailing, and examples of this include new generation infotainment systems, plus the next generation of Ford's Human Machine Interface (HMI). This easy to use system features the same steering-wheel toggle switches seen on new Galaxy and S-MAX, but introduces the availability of a large central LCD screen with full colour graphics situated between the main analogue instruments in front of the driver. Rear seat headroom and legroom have also come in for scrutiny by the Mondeo development team and these have been maximized for occupant comfort and safety.

The Mondeo has a very tough target to aim at, with all manner of different vehicles now nipping in to grab a mouthful of the medium range pie. As a result, Ford had to step out and take some risks with the design of this car. They have - and it's paid off.

TOP 5 MONDEO DEALS

The results below show the top MONDEO deals on buyacar

	Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Titanium 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £322	Saving £5,269	Price £17,071
	Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Titanium 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £304	Saving £4,963	Price £16,127
	Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Titanium X 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £365	Saving £5,882	Price £18,958
	Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £303	Saving £4,963	Price £16,127
	Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Ghia 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £305	Saving £4,963	Price £16,127

typical 11.89% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000