Ford Mondeo Flexifuel is eco friendly option

Hugh Maguire While manufacturers such as Toyota have chosen to explore hybrid technology, and with great success, Ford has chosen the bio-fuel route. In Sweden 80% of Ford Focus models sold are bio-fuel and initiatives to introduce them elsewhere in Europe are on-going. In Sweden the government has encouraged the use of low emission cars with an excise exemption on the fuel, as well as lower company car tax and even free parking in many cities. So what"s this all about? Basically the Ford Mondeo FFV can run on both unleaded and bio-ethanol. Bio-ethanol is manufactured from whey, a milk derivative, from the Carbery Group. I spent some 700km behind the wheel of this car and frankly you can"t tell it is running on anything different to petrol. With availability of bio-ethanol growing countrywide, motorists will be able to drive a environmentally clean vehicle running on a fuel produced in Ireland, while enjoying some financial benefits as well. Where bio-fuel is unavailable you put unleaded in the same tank through the same filler point. The car looks and drives just like any other Mondeo with absolutely no loss in performance. EU targets require us to have bio-fuels accounting for 5.75% of fuel consumption by 2010, by 2020 that target will be 20%: so a look at a bio-fuel car such as the Mondeo FFV is topical. The Titanium spec car on test had lovely alloy wheels, a special mesh-type front grille, and attractive chrome detailing. All in all, it looks rather classy. There is no doubt that the new Mondeo has a real presence on the road. The cabin is huge and beautifully kitted out. Standard equipment on all new Mondeos includes: next generation of Ford"s advanced Human Machine Interface (HMI) with on-board computer, tinted glass; a pollen filter; power heated body coloured mirrors, front electric windows, rear power point; a Ford 6000 (next generation) series Radio CD player with A/V input socket (MP3) and remote audio steering wheel controls, a heated windscreen, air conditioning and the aforementioned host of safety features. The higher specification Titanium gives the interior a contemporary feel with titanium-effect trim, half leather seats, leather trimmed steering wheel and gear shift, and other items such as heated seats, a six-stack in-dash CD (MP3 compatible), electric height adjustment for the seats, power windows, and the other items previously mentioned. I could go on about all the standard kit as the list is extensive. Everything feels so well put together, even down to the smallest detail such as the glovebox lid, which opens slowly and gracefully with the aid of dampers. Though the Aux socket for your iPod is in the glovebox, which I found a bit awkward. Somewhere in the centre box would be better and easier to access. Driving The driving position is perfect, though it is hard to judge the corners of the car as they are not visible. Reversing takes a bit of judgement too, as the tail is hard to see, but you soon adjust to that and the standard park assist on this model is a great help. Other features that give the car a more upmarket feel are the chrome-style centre console and similar steering wheel buttons as well as the nigh time ambient lighting... all very classy indeed. Accommodation is vast with ample room for five adults and a boot you could get lost in! The Mondeo FFV is powered by Ford"s 2.0 litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which develops some 146 PS and is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Overall performance is good but I would opt for the better torque offered by the excellent 2.0 TDCi. That said, this is a smooth and willing power unit and over my week-long test it burned 8.8litres per 100km of unleaded. The Mondeo FFV Titanium has electronically adjustable suspension, which at the touch of a button can set the car to ride in Comfort, Normal or Sport modes. As you can guess, Comfort gives a soft ride while Sport is pretty firm. The system works well and gives the car three differing personalities in the ride department. In general the suspension simply soaks up all road imperfections with ease. Handling is equally impressive. The new car is stable in all road conditions and you really would have to drive in the extreme to unsettle it. That said, should you encounter the unexpected, the standard ESP (electronic stability program) endeavours to keep the car on the road. This is a tremendous safety feature and Ford must be commended for fitting it as standard in all new Mondeo models. Verdict The least expensive Mondeo FFV, the 2.0 litre LX model costs €28,815. So is it worth buying the FFV over the normal option. I suppose that depends on your own point of view on environmental issues. It is cleaner when running on bio-ethanol and of course that is a renewable fuel source. I think I would opt for the low emission 2.0 TDCi as it offers better all-round performance with greater range between fill-ups and in Titanium specification costs just €450 more (at €37,430) than the FFV. I could wax lyrical about many other aspects of this car that I like, such as the reassuring thud from the doors as you close them, to the soft illumination of the controls, but I will sum the Mondeo up thus. It feels just about right in all areas; it is big, safe, comfortable, and extremely refined. It delivers everything you could want form a mid-range family car. It feels a cut above its rivals.