Ford is really serious about once again producing cars meant for people who enjoy driving, and the newly launched Mondeo ST 220 is a cracker. Despite its model designation the car is not powered by a 2,2 litre engine; the numbers refer to the 220 horsepower output of the three litre V6 engine. In metric terms that equates to 166 kW, at 6 150 rpm, with a handy 280 Nm of torque at 4 500 rpm providing ample grunt at low revs.
Because this is a sports saloon the suspension has been lowered by 15mm front and rear, and a delicious six-speed Surashift transmission links the engine to a set of nifty 16 spoke18″ light alloy wheels shod with 225/40 R18 low-profile rubber. Styling of the ST 220 has been given a dose of steroids through the inclusion of front and rear skirts and a small rear spoiler, while sporty leather Recaro seats provide the level of support required during hectic driving.
The ST 220 comes with all the bells and whistles we’ve grown accustomed to, plus a couple extra for a car in this price range. Apart from the predictable aircon and electric windows there are also eight-way electrically adjustable heated seats, a six-CD in dash sound system with automatic volume control and satellite controls on the steering wheel, “puddle-lamps” on the mirrors, front headlamp washers, power mirrors, twin brushed stainless steel tailpipes, a multi-function trip computer, front and side airbags and front foot-well lighting. But what has really made the new Ford one of my favourite cars of the last couple of years was its spirited nature.
The V6 makes a delicious sound when worked hard, and the experience of riveting the gas pedal to the floorboards while playing tunes on the six-speed close ratio gearbox is just about as pure a driving experience as you can get in the sanitised 21st Century. There are a number of cars out there that are slightly quicker than the Ford, which takes 7,6 seconds to pass 100 km/hr on the way to its 250 km/hr top speed, but few of them are as much fun to drive. On the debit side there’s a fair degree of torque-steer when the car’s driven really hard through the gears, but that wasn’t enough to put me off the package. Handling is excellent, and ride is firm and sporting without being harsh. At the launch we gave the Ford some pretty serious stick through winding Western Province roads, and the car felt like it enjoyed the experience as much as we did.
At R286 035 the new Ford Mondeo ST 220 is a serious contender in the luxury sports segment of the market. There are some very good cars out there costing half as much again that offer similar levels of luxury but nowhere near as much fun. In my book the Mondeo ST 220 has already earned a place as a finalist in the 2004 Car of the Year competition, and I haven’t even seen what the opposition’s going to pull out of the hat yet.
The Ford Mondeo range now comes with a five year / 100 000 km maintenance plan – up from the three year / 60 000 km previously offered.