What’s the new Ford Mondeo XR5 Turbo like to drive? Answer: Delightfully swift and technologically advanced.

Hitting the road between Canberra and Sydney established the new Ford Mondeo to be a responsive, agile and very modern vehicle to drive. I like the coast road through Wollongong, and then heading inland through Moss Vale when I’m driving from Sydney to Canberra. There is plenty of good stretches along the way to test the XR5 out in the handling department.

First of all the brakes: Stopping power is exceptionally good. It is an important safety feature after all, and the Ford Mondeo XR5 Turbo can be reigned in very quickly from 120 km/h to a standstill in very short distances. The car boasts the latest in Anti-lock Braking Systems. Also present is the Electronic Brakeforce Distribution system – which I’ve heard it said improves loss of control by 70% in cars equipped with such a feature. Thus, the composure of the car under hard braking is phenomenal, and the driver’s confidence in the XR5’s ability to stop quickly under full composure takes a nice boost. Feeling very well balanced under swift cornering, the Mondeo, like a croc, doesn’t want to let go! And, as the XR5 has Dynamic Stability Control and Traction Control, you can experience sensational handling ability.
The sport suspension ride quality is exceptionally good for a car that raises the sports flag for the Mondeo range.

Power from the performance-bred 2.5 litre Duratec 5-cylinder turbo petrol engine is nothing short of thrilling. And as the 162 kW, 320 Nm engine is linked to a six-speed manual transmission, speed was gained rapidly with a smile from ear to ear – and time and time again. It was that addictive!

Inside, the Mondeo XR5 Turbo is quiet and comfortable. The seats offer plenty of cushioning, while their overall design features fantastic support. Feeling the seat material, which boasts dark Aclantara or Napoli perforated leather with red stitching, is a pleasure in itself. Visually resplendent, the seats in leather and the chrome against dark trim detailing captures the eye and is superbly Smart. Capturing my attention on entering the cabin, were the racy alloy sports pedals. Any occupant will be more that impressed with the all new Ford Mondeo XR5 Turbo interior. Luxuries were a plenty on the trip to Canberra. I discovered the front seats could be heated – though I didn’t require the feature. However, the dual zone climate control kept the cabin nice and cool while the sun beat down outside. I was able to make clear and fast phone calls through the impressive Bluetooth Hands free mobile. And, a nice touch from Ford, and one of the best on the market, was a simple Voice Control system that managed onboard functions very ably. With performance being very sparkling under the bonnet, I found that the adaptive cruise control function was a must. With the power down and fully down-to-business the premium Sony sound system with a six-disc in-dash CD player with 8-speakers offered amazing sound – so good in fact that Schiller has never sounded better. The Ford Mondeo XR5 Turbo comes standard with a USB music port and MP3 Compatibility. Of course, the Human Machine Interface (HMI) with premium colour cluster display looked the part for all to see in the suave dash design.

All Mondeos have the highly sought after five-star safety result from ANCAP tests. So you can expect the best. A state-of-the-art airbag system comprising of driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, a Forward Collision Warning system, and Bi-Xenon headlights with cornering lamps to take the Ford Mondeo XR5 Turbo to the top of the class.

Real head-turning ability, made the drive fun too. The car looks great in Moondust silver – although there are many exterior colours to choose from. Sexy 18-inch alloy wheels kept onlookers mesmerized, as they were complemented so well with the XR5 sports body styling kit that included a trendy rear spoiler and sharp looking front fog lamps.

The current model series includes the:

• Ford Mondeo XR5 Turbo Hatch

For any more information on the Ford XR5 Turbo, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!) we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Ford dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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