Along with its four-door equivalent, the hatchback version of the Mondeo Zetec-S is more or less the top of the range. At £19,095, it is eclipsed in price only by the estate, which costs £1000 more. It is also pretty much the quickest, with a 139mph top speed and a 0-62 time of 8.3 seconds (Ford's figures suggest that the four-door is marginally quicker in the sprint).This, then, is as near as makes no difference the hottest Mondeo around, and it undoubtedly looks the part. The red paintwork of the test car enhanced that effect, of course, but even without that the smart alloy wheels and the poised-for-action stance make it look pretty rapid even when it's standing still. In the car park admiration sweepstake, it scores highly.The performance is certainly there, and you can cover the ground at a handsome pace. Yet for some reason the Zetec-S doesn't feel quite as quick as it actually is, even though the 2.5-litre V6 engine produces 170bhp, which should be enough for almost anyone. Perhaps the monstrously torquey turbo diesels which seem to be coming on the market in endless waves are making petrol-fuelled cars have to work harder before they seem really quick.Or maybe it's the fact that the Mondeo's clutch and throttle pedals have long travels, in which nothing much happens for the first few inches. This makes gear-changing a necessarily time-consuming process and is easily enough to quell any ambition towards sporty driving.If this were a 1980s Ford I'd be tempted to think that the engineers had simply shoved a large engine under the bonnet and hoped for the best. But for the last decade or so - more specifically, since the first-generation Mondeo was launched - Ford hasn't worked that way. (Well, it did with the Cougar, but let that pass.) We have to assume that the Zetec-S has always been intended as a cruiser and not a sports car. Higher-performance Mondeos will be with us in due course, and those will be the sports models. This one is intended for a gentler lifestyle, despite what the styling cues may suggest.You want more examples? There are four of them, and they control the wheels. I mentioned that the Zetec-S has a purposeful stance - so it does, but the effect is partly caused by an unusually high ride height. There's quite a lot of space between the tyres and the wheel arches, which the car somehow gets away with without losing its sporty image.At the same time, it's very evident the first time you venture out of town that the suspension knocks the edges off the handling. Grip levels are very good thanks to the excellent tyres, but the considerable ride height (or rather the extra roll and weight transfer that it causes) make the car smudgier through corners than you might expect. Drop the car by an inch and you the balance would be greatly improved as the capabilities of the chassis caught up with those of the engine.I covered 900 miles in just under two weeks, all of them comfortably. Liked the car, didn't miss it when it was handed over, wouldn't mind at all if it came back. It's a stylish cruiser, but not inspiring. If you want a Mondeo that's fun to drive, you're going to have to wait a bit longer.Second opinion: Certainly a fine-looking car, and I still think the Mondeo styling is quite long-term, in that it concentrates on line and doesn't have any fussy details which might date, although I'm not wild about the rear lights. I thought the test car covered the ground quickly and smoothly, although the above is fair comment about the suspension and pedal travel. And yes, we probably are getting too used to the mid-range woomph of a modern turbo diesel, while forgetting the joys of high revs and the sound of a good-going petrol V6. Pretty impressive interior presentation. The metallic-effect trim here and there suits the Zetec-S, and I'm a sucker for elliptical clocks (think Maserati), but one thing this car doesn't have which a sports saloon definitely needs is a left foot rest. Ross Finlay.