GOODWOOD, U.K. – Ford unveils its latest sports version of the Ford Mondeo as it extends the ST sports trim to the volume-selling family hatchback.
As befits the new car’s sporting posturing, it is unveiled at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the south of England, the world’s largest automotive fair.
The Mondeo ST-Line, available in 5-door hatchback or station wagon versions, features Ford Performance-inspired styling that includes a honeycomb design for the upper and lower front grilles in high-gloss black, LED daytime running lamps with light tube styling, rectangular fog lamps, front bumper lip spoiler and sculptured body color side-skirts.
The Ford Performance influence also shows in the rear bumper with high-gloss black diffuser insert, silver tailpipe surrounds, a black beltline beneath the windows and ST-Line exterior badging on the front fenders.
Also featured are a choice of special 18-in. alloy wheels with bright machined surface or 19-in. alloy wheels in metallic gray, sport seats with red stitching, a perforated leather ST-style steering wheel, black interior-door appliques, sports shift knob for manual transmissions, alloy operating pedals and ST-Line scuff plates.
There’s a standard rear roof spoiler for the station wagon and an optional rear roof spoiler for the 5-door hatchback.
The Mondeo ST-Line offers two high-power diesel-engine derivatives, a 150-hp 2.0L TDCi claiming carbon-dioxide emissions of 112 g/km and average fuel economy of 65.7 mpg (3.6 L/100 km) and a 180-hp 2.0L TDCi achieving CO2 emissions of 117 g/km and 62.8 mpg (3.7 L/100 km).
Both engines are available with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission that comes with steering wheel paddle shifters. An all-wheel-drive model is an option.
Other ST models in the Ford range include the compact hatchback Focus ST-Line and the supermini Fiesta ST-Line as well as the fiery Fiesta ST200.
Ford says its ST-Line is aimed at consumers who want the visual impact of dynamic sports styling within a practical everyday transport package.
“The new Mondeo ST-Line is our sportiest Mondeo since we introduced the Mondeo ST220 model in 2002,” says Roelant de Waard, vice president-marketing, sales and service, Ford of Europe.
“Mondeo ST-Line adds another dimension to the broad Mondeo lineup that offers options from the fuel-efficient Mondeo ECOnetic and Mondeo Hybrid models, to the exclusive and upscale Mondeo Vignale.”
He adds, “This year we expect to sell 40,000 performance cars in Europe, a 50% increase compared with 2015, which in turn saw performance-car sales rise by 61% compared with 2014.”
