- P11D Value, £33,210
- 5-door, 5-seat Estate
- Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
- Power/torque: 190ps/173Nm
- Economy/CO2: 47.4mpg/113g/km
- Performance: 0-62/mph, 9.2 secs/116mph
What is it?
It’s the petrol-electric version of Ford’s big-selling Mondeo and the brand’s answer to the likes of the Volkswagen Passat GTE, Lexus IS 300h and Toyota Prius.
And, in Vignale trim, Ford upscale spec, there’s lots of equipment inside the car.
It comes in saloon and estate body styles and the only obvious difference you’ll notice is the redesigned instrument cluster which includes a readout to show you how much power you are either using or regenerating.
The batteries work with the 2.0-litre petrol engine to produce a combined 190hp although it doesn’t feel as light on its feet as you might expect.
There are two versions of the Mondeo Hybrid Estate, the Titanium (£29,430) and Vignale (£32,850), both with upscale trim
Why would you want to drive a Mondeo Vignale Hybrid Estate?
- Lots of nice goodies
- Plenty of room for five adults
- Great driving position with plenty of seat adjustment
- Fuel consumption – average of 47.4mpg on test
- Smooth ride
- Five star safety rating
- Lots of safety systems that are optional on lesser Mondeos
What might put you off a Mondeo Hybrid Vignale?
- Cargo space, battery takes up a lot of room in the back
- Emissions are over 100g/km and fuel consumption mean the hybrid is not much better than a diesel
- There are probably more efficient hybrids out there
Verdict on the Ford Mondeo Hybrid Vignale
For such a large estate car, the first thing that hits you is the massive bulge in the cargo area.
This is where Ford has put the battery, rather giving away the fact that the hybrid is something of an afterthought on the Mondeo rather than being designed in from the start.
It does cut the boot volume down and has a significant impact on the load height.
The plus side, however, from a business user point of view the benefit-in-kind taxation is lower, although hybrids no longer get free access to the London congestion charge area.
It’s a different story in the passenger compartment there is as much room as only Mondeo. It will comfortably take five adults.
Instrumentation, again, is like a regular Mondeo and in Vignale form it comes with top specification. The only real change to to instrument cluster is the battery state indicator.
How does it drive as a hybrid?
The Mondeo skips between the electric motors and petrol engine seamlessly, while the CVT automatic transmission feels good and allows the car to glide around comfortably and quietly.
Although the battery and electric motor are in the boot, the rear wheels aren’t driven. Like the 2.0-litre petrol, the electric motor drives the fronts, with a power-split automatic transmission switching between the petrol engine, electric motor.
The battery gets its charge from surplus energy during braking or cruising, or you can engage the L gear setting – intended chiefly for controlling your speed in tricky downhill conditions –it’s not plug-in.
The Hybrid Estate has good cornering ability and ride quality, giving it an edge in those departments over ever-increasingly popular SUVs.
It feels smooth and light both on motorway and in town.
Ford has really set this hybrid up for comfort rather than speed so don’t expect any great shakes in terms of acceleration. The upside, however, is decent fuel economy for a big, heavy petrol car.
The battery will help you get of the line quietly if not quickly while it the cruise the petrol engine sometimes opts out briefly, and eases back in when required.
Overall, the Mondeo these days is a well sorted car but the hybrid estate has too many battles to fight. There are better hybrids out there while it is increasingly difficult to fight the popularity tide of SUVs.
