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Being a kiwi in New Zealand, I'm fortunate to own a 2002 Ford Mondeo ST. Featuring a 170hp 2.5L Duratec-VE, Traction Control, ESP and EBA.
I don't think the Mondeo will be the best-selling car - but it certainly is the best-selling car in its class (it dominates the 2.0 to 2.5L category).
It has also won 5 NZ Car of the Year awards in 2001 too.
It's certainly a big step up from the previous generation Mondeo (also sold as the Contour in the US). It's a larger car, the styling is decidely Germanic (when I initially got it most folk thought it was an Audi), the interior styling is a major improvement and the overall impression is that the car could be sold for a lot more than its list price.
The handling is definitely a class leader.
The only thing it may lack over the Taurus is a bit of room - in direct comparisons (sedan vs sedan) it is a couple of inches narrower for shoulder room, has slightly more headroom, about the same for legroom and basically shares the same wheelbase.
At the end of the day, it may cannabalise Taurus sales (which is something Ford can't afford) - or it could be positioned to take on the European competitors...
As a guide, it represents excellent value for money (as a European car). The flagship V6 ST goes for NZ $46,700 which is about USD19,150, the midspec 2.0L ZETEC Model goes for about NZ 39,600 or about USD16,236 and the volume sedan goes for Nz 36,800 or about USD 15,088.
For comparison's sake, the VW Passat 2.3V5 Sedan sells for $55,490 or USD $22,750 !!! The only other vehicle that comes close for price and origin is the Holden (Opel) Vectra which is similarly priced but is now a 6 year old design (due for update Q4 '02)
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