Lifestyle: Motoring – Ford Mondeo; Volkswagen Passat; Vauxhall Corsa

THE growth of the people carrier had many of the doom mongers in the motor industry sounding the death knell for the traditional family hatchback but the sector remains one of the most keenly contested segments in the entire new car market.

Almost every manufacturer worth their salt has a premium product in the sector but one name has dominated the market for almost two decades – Ford Mondeo.
If ever proof were needed of the car’s dominance in the sector, it was surely underlined when Tony Blair famously singled out ‘Mondeo Man’ as the most important demographic for New Labour.

Fierce rival Vauxhall has taken successive tilts at Ford’s crown, first with the Vectra and latterly with the Insignia and while the latest model is good, it’s still not quite good enough for thousands of happy motorists to swap the blue oval for the griffin.

Of course Vauxhall’s case was famously hindered firstly from Jeremy Clarkson’s dismal attitude to the Vectra and then in the ultimate snub, new 007 Daniel Craig is seen behind the wheel of the new Mondeo in his first outing as the famous superspy, Casino Royale, instantly rendering Insignia to the ranks of also-rans.
Vauxhall, along with many of the other manufacturers will therefore be keeping a close eye on Ford’s latest Mondeo incarnation.

The new model, with prices starting from £20,795, features new suspension and steering which Ford says enhances refinement and driving dynamics. It also claims to have the most diverse Mondeo powertrain line-up ever, including the first ever Mondeo hybrid electric vehicle.

Advanced Mondeo technology includes the debut of Ford’s Pedestrian Detection and adaptive LED headlights, enhanced Active Park Assist with Perpendicular Parking, and Active City Stop. Further technology highlights include powered tailgate, SYNC 2 connectivity and an industry-first Inflatable Rear Seatbelt.

As in keeping with previous incarnations, the latest Mondeo will be available in the UK in five-door and four-door (hybrid only) bodystyles, plus as an estate developed specifically for Europe.

“The all-new Mondeo is a significant new chapter for one of Europe’s best-known vehicles with a history dating back more than 20 years,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe.

“Mondeo will make high specification and premium features accessible to even more drivers – including our industry-first Inflatable Rear Seatbelt and Ford’s first LED headlights in Europe.”

Making the inaccessible accessible has long been Ford’s byword as it strives to improve the appeal of the model against such executive rivals as the Mercedes C Class or the BMW 3 Series.

Realistically, the only rival to the Mondeo in its price bracket remains Volkswagen’s Passat, which is also striving to improve its image in the eyes of executive buyers.

The new Mondeo is the first model for Europe to be built on Ford’s new global CD-segment platform. The manufacturer is hoping for great things from the car as it debuts Ford’s new integral link rear suspension for improved refinement with the aim of delivering a more dynamic performance than ever before.

Engineering experts from Ford of Europe led the global development of the new Mondeo chassis to help ensure continued best-in-class driving dynamics.

“With a body structure that’s 10% stiffer than the previous generation Mondeo and handling-enhancing technology that includes Torque Vectoring Control, this is the most responsive and versatile Mondeo yet,” said Ulrich Koesters, vehicle line director, Ford of Europe.

All-new Mondeo petrol engine options will include the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre EcoBoost from launch, with Ford’s fuel-efficient and surprisingly powerful 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine – that was named International Engine of the Year for an unprecedented third time in a row – joining the line-up in early 2015.

ECOnetic Technology models will be available, powered by 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines with anticipated CO2 emissions of 94g/km and 107g/km. Separate all-wheel drive variants join the line-up early next year.

The four-door Mondeo Hybrid combines a specially-developed 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and 1.4kWh lithium-ion battery to provide optimised fuel economy and low CO2 emissions. The hybrid is the first hybrid electric vehicle that Ford will manufacture in Europe, delivering anticipated CO2emissions of 99g/km.

The car also features Ford’s new Pedestrian Detection technology, which could help reduce the severity of accidents or even help drivers avoid them all together. Pedestrian Detection can identify people in the road ahead, or who could cross the vehicle’s path, and automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings. The system processes information collected from a windscreen-mounted camera, and radar located in the bumper. It checks it against a database of ‘pedestrian shapes’ to distinguish people from typical roadside scenery and objects.

The system is part of the Adaptive Cruise package that also introduces Active Braking, which can autonomously apply up to full braking force to help the driver mitigate or avoid many types of rear-end collision.

Ford’s adaptive LED headlamp technology, which combines full-LED headlamps offering daylight-mimicking light clarity with Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System, is also being made available. The latter adjusts the headlight beam angle and intensity to match driving environment.

The new Mondeo will also feature an advanced version of Active Park Assist featuring Perpendicular Parking, which enables drivers to detect suitably-sized parallel parking spaces and reverse hands-free into spaces parallel to the road and side-to-side with other cars.Active Park Assist on the new Ford Mondeo

This advanced parking feature will be supported by both Park-Out Assist, which helps drivers to exit parallel parking spaces; and Side Parking Aid, which delivers an on-screen visual representation and audible warning of obstacles to the sides of the vehicles, as well as to the front and rear.

Ford’s industry-first Inflatable Rear Seatbelt technology will make its European debut on the new Mondeo. In the event of an accident, the belt rapidly expands to disperse crash forces across a body area five times greater than that achieved by a conventional seatbelt.

Mondeo also will enhance comfort and convenience for drivers with features including first-in-class power-adjustable, memory-equipped steering column, power tailgate and heated steering wheel.

Ford’s SYNC 2 connectivity system with advanced voice control and an 8-inch colour touchscreen will enable drivers to operate phone, entertainment, climate and navigation systems using simple conversational language. For example, drivers can even bring up a list of local restaurants by using the command: “I’m hungry”.

Ramping up the connectivity of the car is a ploy Ford is using in common with most other manufacturers. Showing that drivers can step seamlessly from their office or home into another connected environment is rapidly becoming a pre-requisite for the industry.

Inside, Mondeo drivers are greeted by a digital analogue instrument cluster, while a sleek, wrap-around centre console design is intended to deliver a sporty, cockpit-like feel.

So, has the bar been raised to a new level? It would appear so.

VW raises the bar with new Passat

The new Volkswagen PassatVOLKSWAGEN dealers in the UK will begin taking orders for the eighth generation Passat saloon and estate models from Tuesday (October 7), ahead of the first UK deliveries of the new model in January.

Prices start from £22,215 (OTR) for the entry-level saloon, rising to £35,505 for the high performance R-Line 2.0 BiTDI SCR 240 PS seven-speed DSG (try fitting that on your boot lid!)

In keeping with VW’s aim of challenging the likes of BMW and Mercedes, the new Passat includes a host of new technologies, comfort and convenience features together with sleek new design and efficient engines.

Although the new car has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor and more interior space, it is up to 85 kg lighter, while EU6-compliant, more efficient engines should mean fuel savings and carbon dioxide emissions reductions of up to 14%.

Only diesel engines will be offered in the UK at launch, ranging in power from a 1.6-litre 120 PS, through two 2.0-litre units with 150 or 190 PS, to a range-topping 2.0-litre bi-turbo with 240 PS, DSG gearbox and 4MOTION four-wheel drive.  A plug-in hybrid GTE version with a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and electric motor will follow in October 2015.

At launch, five trim levels will be offered: S, SE, SE Business, GT and R-Line.  All will offer a high level of standard features with highlights including Post-Collision Braking System and mis-fuelling prevention on all; Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Crash system, Driver Profile Selection, Ergo Comfort seats and front and rear parking sensors on SE and above; and Discover Navigation on the SE Business which is aimed at fleet drivers.  Luxurious heated Alcantara seats, three-zone climate control and 18-inch wheels are standard on GT, while the range-topping R-Line adds a host of bespoke design features.
 
A frugal BlueMotion with a 1.6-litre engine returning 78 mpg and just 95 g/km of CO2 will join the range in June 2015, while an Alltrack version of the Estate is due in July.

So, if you’re in the market for a new large family hatchback/saloon, maybe the market just got a little more interesting.

Vauxhall warns of steering fault on ADAM and Corsa

JUST as its rivals are upping their game, the last thing Vauxhall needed was bad publicity but sadly for the company, that’s exactly what it’s got.

The company is advising customers of any ADAM and Corsa/Corsavan models registered since May 2014 that around 3,000 of these vehicles have been manufactured with a steering system part that does not meet Vauxhall’s specification.

In a stark warning – highlighted in bold in press releases – the company states: “As a precaution, these vehicles should not be driven prior to inspection”.  

The company said it put the safety and convenience of its customers first and as this condition concerns their safety, it was taking immediate action.

I should think so too.

Owners are being told they can find out if their vehicle is affected by going to the Vauxhall website homepage (www.vauxhall.co.uk) and clicking on the ‘Safety Check for ADAM and Corsa’ button for further information.

Alternatively they can call the Vauxhall Customer Assistance Centre for advice on 0800 026 0034 between 9am and 5.30pm.

Vauxhall said it had become aware of the problem during routine quality control at the vehicle’s manufacturing plant.

“The company is not aware of any accident or injury related to this condition,” it said.

Drive safely.

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