Mondeo to cease and be reborn as an Outbacky thing

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Mainstream sedans are dead and are not coming back.

There will be some hold outs in developing markets who still associate sedans with luxury but that in itself will be short lived.

Sedans may have a niche role in upper luxury or high performance, but days of a family car being a sedan are coming to a close

I grew up with 3 brothers...

I can vaguely remember when our family car was a beetle, 4 kids across the back seats without seatbelts. My enduring memory is Dad's XR wagon, and holidays where I'd be in the back with the luggage.
I can also remember, when transporting a dozen Scouts meant using somebody's Ute, not to mention 10 of us in the back of a PV on school camp. (Mind you one guy was lying on top of others, and I was mostly hanging over the tailgate!)

A different time.

It's no surprise that SUVs, with seating for 7 or 8, have replaced the family sedan and wagon.

[Sprintey]

I fit 9 friends across my bench seats in HJ Kinga sedan coming back from nightclubs back in the day, cops pulled us over for the yellow sticker attempt.

*nearly* got away with it all until the fellow lying across the floor in the rear started yelling out "Oink! Oink! I smell bacon! I smell bacon!"

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Also Remember that the Mondeo platform is still derived from a shared platform, and must be getting long in the tooth. Back when, that platform (and its derivatives) was shared between Ford, Jaguar, Volvo, and even Land Rover. Plus, going back, it itself was derived from the Mazda platform.
There's only so long you an keep flogging that horse, before you need to develop something new, and predictably the newer platforms are designed around crossovers.

No. That was the previous generation.

The current generation is based on the new Ford CD4 platform, while the previous generation had the old Ford EUCD platform which was shared with Volvo and JLR.

[naddis01]

Surely not?


https://www.caradvice.com.au/821689/...n-2021-report/

New Ford Mondeo to debut in 2021 with leaf springs at the rear - report

Derek Fung
CONTRIBUTOR
52
An online parts document has seemingly confirmed the next-generation Mondeo will be unveiled late next year.

1 SHARE
Despite declining interest in its market segment, the Ford Mondeo name looks as though it will live to fight on.

A parts tooling catalogue spotted by Autocar on Ford's European website shows a specialist tool designed to remove the rear leaf spring from a “2022 model year Mondeo CD542”.

The leaf spring design would, presumably, allow for improved hybrid or plug-in hybrid battery packaging. Currently hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Fusion/Mondeo sacrifice large amounts of luggage space in order to accommodate their drivetrain batteries.

According to the catalogue, the new Mondeo will launch in Europe during the third quarter of 2021. CD542 was the model code originally given to the successor of the Ford Fusion sedan in North America.

A direct replacement for the Fusion is no longer on the cards because Ford's North American arm will soon only sell SUVs, crossovers and pickup trucks, in addition to the Mustang sports car.


Last year spy photos emerged of an engineering mule with taller-than-usual suspension, a wagon body, and disfigured panels largely borrowed from a Focus.

Those photos give credence to rumours Ford is planning to use the Mondeo name for a Subaru Outback-style wagon based on a stretched and widened version of the platform employed by the latest Focus and Escape.

[X-AHH]

I own the first MD Mondeo imported by Ford Australia six months before they became available to buy. It was used as a static display and for training sales staff and technicians etc.

Whatever this thing is, I hope it looks as good!

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by roddy1960

I've given up caring now...I've also come to realize that cars are on the way out and so is petrol power . We , us , are the last generation or so of driving bigger capacity fossil fuel powered sedans/ hatches, utes , station wagons etc .

It's already been said thousands of times but Crossovers and SUV's are it now for the masses. That's what the car companies have told us we must drive now and where R&D predominantly head along with the push to hybrid or electrify a lot more stuff. I guess that all big capacity engined 'trucks' as in the USA will eventually head down that path too.. It's called evolution I think . That's the reality of it all like it or lump it .

Won't be long before some kid asks his dad in a museum . "What's that ". "It's a sedan car son with an old fashioned petrol engine in it . Your grandad had one when he was a young bloke . Haven't seen one for years" ...

Going by my car park at work it's happening a bit now . Out of about 60 of us there would be way more than half on any given day driving bricks on wheels.. I like my cars so it'll be a while before I get gaga over a powered brick .

I don't think the car makers wanted us to drive SUV's, the masses dictated to the car manufacturers what they preferred.
This is what killed our falcons & commodores and our own car industry which failed to adapt to changing times.


Cheers

[jstanovic]

X2. Falcons and commodores were there to buy, nobody wanted them.

[jpd80]

LOL at leaf springs... are they making it on a Ranger frame?

[XR Martin]

Might be transverse leafs, like the corvette was.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by jpd80

LOL at leaf springs... are they making it on a Ranger frame?

Talk about a massive step backwards, though I guess with the weight of a battery bank over them it'll take out that rough ride they're known for unloaded.

The Corvette use of leaf springs is interesting:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_spring

[Mr Brooksy]

I have one fatal work for Ford and it's trucks and SUV plan... China.

They want big extra long sedans with tiny motors (or multiple sizes per sedan) or sedan version of hatchbacks, not stupid pickup trucks and SUVs.

The only SUV I saw on a regular basis was the Porsche Cayenne. Otherwise it was long wheel base Audi's, BMW's, Mercs, Buicks, Toyota's, Honda's or for the families who couldn't afford a new long wheel base, it was a Corolla sedan, Focus sedan out hatch, Jazz hatch...

Basically the Chinese want their cars to look premium and have no need whatsoever for hauling lots of stuff everywhere like us westerners. They shop 3 times a day, take great amounts of public transport, don't pull trailers, don't use pickups for trade as workers are provided "accommodation" on site... And walk way more than we do, etc.

But that's ok, Ford with a very weak market share and even worse reputation in China knows best.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Talk about a massive step backwards, though I guess with the weight of a battery bank over them it'll take out that rough ride they're known for unloaded.

The Corvette use of leaf springs is interesting:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_spring

XC90 uses transverse rear leaf too according to that article.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Mr Brooksy

I have one fatal work for Ford and it's trucks and SUV plan... China.

They want big extra long sedans with tiny motors (or multiple sizes per sedan) or sedan version of hatchbacks, not stupid pickup trucks and SUVs.

The only SUV I saw on a regular basis was the Porsche Cayenne. Otherwise it was long wheel base Audi's, BMW's, Mercs, Buicks, Toyota's, Honda's or for the families who couldn't afford a new long wheel base, it was a Corolla sedan, Focus sedan out hatch, Jazz hatch...

Basically the Chinese want their cars to look premium and have no need whatsoever for hauling lots of stuff everywhere like us westerners. They shop 3 times a day, take great amounts of public transport, don't pull trailers, don't use pickups for trade as workers are provided "accommodation" on site... And walk way more than we do, etc.

But that's ok, Ford with a very weak market share and even worse reputation in China knows best.

Hell yeah I like these Chinese people, I like LWB sedans too

[CyberWasp]

I still disagree with the market not wanting large sedans.
It was more of a case of the manufactures not building large sedans that people want.
Falcon & Chrysler 300 were long in the tooth and needed a new platform.
Oz Commodore would have went alright with update and new tech.
Only company giving it a go is Kia with the Stinger but I think they missed the mark with styling and no V8 option.
Would love to see what Ford Oz could sketch up using the CD6 Platform.
Maybe Ford & Holden Oz should have spent their time trying to import into China instead of the USA, for the reasons listed in the above posts.

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

I still disagree with the market not wanting large sedans.
It was more of a case of the manufactures not building large sedans that people want.
Falcon & Chrysler 300 were long in the tooth and needed a new platform.
Oz Commodore would have went alright with update and new tech.
Only company giving it a go is Kia with the Stinger but I think they missed the mark with styling and no V8 option.
Would love to see what Ford Oz could sketch up using the CD6 Platform.
Maybe Ford & Holden Oz should have spent their time trying to import into China instead of the USA, for the reasons listed in the above posts.

They had been on the decline for years. Even the VF didn't sell that well compared to previous models and that was kitted out.

Sedans just dont serve a purpose now for the regular joe. The basic shape of them is poor use of space.

[roKWiz]

I wonder why we all have this sudden need to carry everything with us.

I see 4 X 4's with every conceivable accessory loaded upon the roof including tyres, jerry cans and awnings on three sides and this is just for the commuter to work.
Is there an apocalyptic event coming no one has told me about.

[jpd80]

Conversely, all the utes I see carry at most a shopping bag
maybe a jet ski or a tinny on the weekends

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

I wonder why we all have this sudden need to carry everything with us.

I see 4 X 4's with every conceivable accessory loaded upon the roof including tyres, jerry cans and awnings on three sides and this is just for the commuter to work.
Is there an apocalyptic event coming no one has told me about.

This is why I like owning the Jimny. Everyone else has every damn accessory you could ever need so all I need to do is throw in a tent, a chair, clothes, food and alcohol and I'm ready to go away from a week.
Everyone else wants to use/demo/show off all there expensive equipment so I'm fine with that.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Ben73

. Everyone else has every damn accessory you could ever need .

I practically live on the road 10 month of the year and don't feel the need to carry all that crap.
A raised Ford station wagon would probably be a good general purpose crossover I reckon.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Mr Brooksy

I have one fatal work for Ford and it's trucks and SUV plan... China.

They want big extra long sedans with tiny motors (or multiple sizes per sedan) or sedan version of hatchbacks, not stupid pickup trucks and SUVs.

The only SUV I saw on a regular basis was the Porsche Cayenne. Otherwise it was long wheel base Audi's, BMW's, Mercs, Buicks, Toyota's, Honda's or for the families who couldn't afford a new long wheel base, it was a Corolla sedan, Focus sedan out hatch, Jazz hatch...

Basically the Chinese want their cars to look premium and have no need whatsoever for hauling lots of stuff everywhere like us westerners. They shop 3 times a day, take great amounts of public transport, don't pull trailers, don't use pickups for trade as workers are provided "accommodation" on site... And walk way more than we do, etc.

But that's ok, Ford with a very weak market share and even worse reputation in China knows best.

Ford have those LWB sedans, the Taurus and Escort, just for the Chinese market.

Recently upgraded too. They will keep selling them with updates as long as there are buyers.

Don't misinterpret ford's decision to focus on suv's, as it applies to the US market mostly. There is still ka, fiesta, focus etc that will continue on in Europe. Ford China has recently been moved out from Ford Asia Pacific and is now it's own seperate entity, which allows them to focus on exactly what they need specifically for their market.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Ford have those LWB sedans, the Taurus and Escort, just for the Chinese market.

Recently upgraded too. They will keep selling them with updates as long as there are buyers.

Don't misinterpret ford's decision to focus on suv's, as it applies to the US market mostly. There is still ka, fiesta, focus etc that will continue on in Europe. Ford China has recently been moved out from Ford Asia Pacific and is now it's own seperate entity, which allows them to focus on exactly what they need specifically for their market.

Yeah and the reason for that is China is stinking up the books with red ink, they thought it could be hidden by FAP but the elephant is far too big for the napkin.