Under Ford’s ‘One World’ philosophy, the Mondeo could make a comeback into the Nepalese market sometime next year. The luxury sedan was offered on sale in Nepal many years ago but failed to take off in the country. The model was deemed too ahead of its time. Now however, as the overall Nepalese economy has grown and the spending capacity of people has increased, Ford thinks it would be best to act now and foray into the executive sedan segment. As part of Ford making more of its vehicles the same globally, the European Mondeo will essentially, be the same model that goes by the name of Ford Fusion in the U.S market, barring few minor tweaks. The new generation of the Mondeo sedan that was recently shown, features a good mix of value, space and driving a pleasure. If Ford decides to get the Mondeo on the Nepalese shores, it will brought via the CKD route and will rival the likes of Volkswagen Jetta and the Toyota Corolla Altis.

The front of the Ford Mondeo Sedan houses a hexagonal grille with swept-back headlamps which lend it a sleek and sophisticated look. The aerodynamic design of this car is sure to have heads turning everywhere it will pass. The slim headlamps look beautiful with their curves and are quite striking. The bonnet has strong creases that add to the visual appeal. At the back too, the car looks quite attractive with its stylish tail-lamps. Dimensionally the car sports 4871 mm of length, 2121 mm of width and 1482 mm of height.

The car comes with plush interiors and enhanced comfort features. The cabin feels nice and rich with quality materials having been generously used to offer an uncluttered clean look. The leather upholstery on the seats and dash lends a sense of class to the cabin. The steering wheel and gear knob are also are wrapped in leather and looks nice. Seats are large and comfortable with sufficient support and the driver and passenger seats are electrically adjustable. There's adequate space for a family of five aided by an airy ambience. The colors in the cabin are also tasteful, lending both airiness and also inducing the luxury feel. The instrument cluster houses a nice high-resolution display which shows the required information. This boot to is large enough to gobble luggage for the weekend.

In terms of comfort and convenience features Mondeo Sedan is expected to offer automatic climate control, cruise control, 8-inch color inch touchscreen infotainment, GPS navigation, Ford’s SYNC and MyFord Touch technology, steering mounted controls, leather-wrapped steering wheel and knob, electrically adjustable driver seat, parking assist, electrically adjustable ORVMs, are just to name the few.

Under the hood, expect to see the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine that currently serves the EcoSport SUV in the Nepalese market. The diesel engine range could include, a 1.6-litre TDCi engine or a 1.5-litre unit that currently serves the Ford Fiesta in Nepal. The Mondeo Sedan is expected to return a mileage of 21-22 kmpl and 18-19 kmpl with 1.0 EcoBoost and 1.5 EcoBoost petrol engines while 2.0 TDCi diesel engine is expected to return a mileage of 16-17 kmpl.

Mondeo Sedan is equipped with multiple safety features to keep your ride safe, it offers Front & Side Airbags, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Traction Control, Electroic Stability Control, Dynamic Stability Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Start Assist, Remote Central Locking, seat belt reminder etc. Mondeo Sedan will surely attract the Nepalese buyers with its nice features, sporty stylish look, elegant interiors and sleek external design. The car will rival the likes of Honda Accord, Skoda Superb and Toyota Camry.

What is worth noticing is the fine balance between the ride and handling characteristics of this car. There is a good amount of torque right from the low end and the Mondeo Sedan potters around without much effort. The mid-range is peppy too. A well-weighted steering wheel adds to the enjoyment and it offers a fair amount of feedback as well. The car offers good straight-line stability at high speeds. The ride is compliant around town, coping well with the speed humps and potholes.

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