Ford Australia confirms 2015 Ford Mondeo line-up for Australia saying it’ll be better equipped and safer than Australia’s best-selling car, the Toyota Camry.

FORD HAS confirmed the 2015 Ford Mondeo will arrive in Australia with six models (hatch/notchback and wagon), boasting “standard features not available on Toyota Camry, including new technologies and safety features”.

Ford still hasn’t finalised its local engine line-up, or released pricing, but it has said the 2015 Mondeo will be available in Ambiente, Trend and Titanium model grades. Taking a shot at Toyota Camry Hybrid (5.2L/100km), Ford claims it will offer a diesel engine that’s more fuel efficient, meaning we’ll definitely see a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel in the line-up. Other engines on offer overseas in the 2015 Mondeo, include a 1.0-litre, 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engines.

Here’s what Ford Australia said: “Customers will have a choice of new fuel-efficient EcoBoost petrol and turbo-diesel engines. Mated to Ford’s latest-generation PowerShift six-speed transmission that is stronger, more efficient and quieter in operation, the new Mondeo Hatch Duratorq diesel is set to offer better economy than Camry Hybrid with no compromise on performance”.

Beyond fuel efficiency, the 2015 Ford Mondeo will also debut Ford’s world-first inflatable rear seatbelts – standard across the range. Other safety features include, MyKey which allows owners to program a spare key for younger drivings, controlling speed, audio volume and even disabling the system if the driver and passengers aren’t wearing seatbelts – MyKey is already available on Fiesta and Fiesta ST. The 2015 Mondeo will also, following the launch later this month of the last-ever Falcon and Territory, get Ford’s Sync2 connectivity system with voice control and Emergency Assist.

Standard safety features include:

• MyKey, which allows parents to set limits and guidelines for young drivers, making the roads a safer place for all motorists.
  Emergency Assistance, which activates in the event of an accident where an airbag is deployed or the emergency fuel pump shut off is triggered and will attempt to connect with emergency operators and inform them of the accident and provide the GPS location coordinates of the vehicle when paired with a mobile phone.
• SYNC2 with voice control tuned for the Australian accent allows for easier access to audio, navigation, climate control and connected devices including smart phones to allow the driver to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
• 8-inch Hi-Resolution Colour Touch Screen provides an easy point of entry to manage the vehicle’s climate, phone, navigation and infotainment controls. Split into four coloured quadrants, the 8” screen makes it easy for drivers to quickly and intuitively access the system they wish to adjust through large, easy to access buttons on SYNC2.
• Inflatable Rear Seatbelts – a Ford Australia first – are designed to operate like conventional seat belts, which in an event of a crash deploy over an occupant’s torso and shoulder in 40 milliseconds.
• Electronic Park Brake makes it effortless to apply the park brake through the simple touch of a button.
• Hill Launch Assist activates when you take your foot off the brake to put it on the accelerator, the system holds the brake pressure for up to three seconds, giving you time to press the accelerator and pull away without rolling back.
• Paddle Shifters offer a sporty and intuitive alternative to change gears on Mondeo’s dual-clutch PowerShift transmission
• Driver Impairment Monitor, which observes driver behaviour and fatigue. Using a forward facing camera to monitor the vehicle’s position in the lane and calculate a vigilance level for the driver, an audible chime will sound to alert the driver to stop and take a rest.

Cost optional safety features include:

• Lane Keeping Aid + Assist can alert the driver if they drift out of their lane by vibrating the steering wheel and will direct them back into their lane by automatically applying steering torque unless, of course, their indicator is on.
• Adaptive Cruise Control can sense if traffic is slowing and automatically slows to maintain a pre-determined distance from the car in front. When the traffic clears, it goes back to the driver’s pre-set speed.
• Forward Collision Warning sounds an audible alert when it senses a reduction in traffic speed ahead and, if the possibility of a collision is detected, audible and visual warnings are activated to alert the driver.
• Enhanced Active Park Assist takes the stress out of parking by not only finding a spot that’s just the right fit, but also by steering into parallel and perpendicular parking spaces itself.
• Active City Stop can help avoid or mitigate rear end collisions at speeds up to 30 km/h.

Ford claims the 2015 Mondeo will be more refined than its competitors with noise reductions of around 3 decibels in the rear and 2 decibels in the front have been achieved with integral link rear suspension and additional sound deadening material, while wind noise is reduced by 8 per cent to levels previously only experienced in the premium segment. That said, anything below 3 decibels is rated as being ‘barely perceptible’.

The 2015 Ford Mondeo is the brand’s first model to be built on Ford’s global CD-platform and sees the debut of Ford’s new integral link rear suspension which it claims improves refinement and handling. The body structure of new Mondeo is 10% stiffer than its predecessor with a higher proportion of lightweight but strong steel, it also sees electric power assist steering employed for the first time on Mondeo and an “optimised” ABS system allegedly improves stopping distances from 100km/h by one metre.