The original non-common rail turbo diesel engine fitted to the current mark of Mondeo just didn't cut the mustard. It was a result of poor long-term planning that Ford, then lagging well behind in diesels, managed to get its new-model launches out of sync with the availability of top-class engines.Now that the TDCi series has arrived, the situation has improved out of all recognition. Even with the recent price reduction, forget the less efficient older engine, which still survives in the range, and go for the latest design.The TDCi Mondeo is a strong performer, with a 0-62mph time just under 10.0 seconds, and formidable low to mid-range torque. A maximum of 243lb/ft available from 1800rpm allows for brisk overtaking and real attack on the hills.But there's praiseworthy economy too. Although the Mondeo is a big, roomy car, it can beat 60mpg on the extra urban cycle and get close to 48mpg on the combined test.All the time I had it, I never saw the "distance covered" plus "distance to empty tank" figures add up to less than 600 miles. Most of my driving was on non-motorway roads, a CARkeys colleague who did some faster runs didn't get such good consumption, and I know there's a 12.8-gallon tank, but the economy seems pretty good to me. On a real-life autoroute or autobahn cruise, I'd expect to get around 55mpg overall.The Mondeo offers very good rear cabin space. There's plenty of legroom and headroom, and no trouble about a rear passenger's knees bumping up against the back of the front seat, which is of soft material in any case.Luggage space is generous in both four-door and five-door models, which in the usual Ford way are on the market at the same price.Although the test car had Ghia badges, the interior presentation seemed more like Zetec style. The four steering wheel spokes are mostly in a metal-effect material, which also appears on the door handles. There are chrome-rimmed instruments, more items of metal trim here and there, a metal-topped gear lever which somehow doesn't quite hit the spot, and Ford's currently favoured shiny central console.To me - okay, perhaps not up with the present fashion - the whole thing screamed out for something, somewhere, in the way of wood veneer.At its standard price, the Ghia is well equipped. Front, side and side curtain airbags are provided. So are front foglamps, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and - new for 2002 - brake assist. The heated front windscreen is a useful bad-weather feature, and the Ghia specification includes air conditioning with automatic temperature control which, on the test car, had the non-standard attitude of sometimes doing entirely its own thing.A trip computer is included in the basic price, as are duplicated radio controls on the steering column. Extra-cost items on the test car included a nicely-mapped navigation system and Ford's full-whack telematics, as well as high-intensity headlamps, park distance sensor, electrically operated sunroof and (a bit grudging, this, perhaps) metallic paint. All that brought the price up to a fairly spectacular £23,345.On the road, the Mondeo TDCi may not be absolutely the quietest of turbo diesels all the way through its range, but once it settles into its cruising gait the noise levels are properly restrained. And you can't deny its combination of strong performance with admirable economy.Second opinion: Medium-sized turbo diesels are so generally good these days that the Mondeo's performance/economy combination is far from being unique. But it's a nice car to live with, and I especially like the fact that the various electronic features are not so in-your-face as they are in some rivals. The optional navigation system, for example, is a no-nonsense affair, simple to use and not too flashy. The downside is that the interior, though comfortable, is not interesting to look at, a definite minus point for Ford at the moment. Having had to replenish the supply of diesel at one point I can report that the promise of a 600-mile range evaporates as the tank empties, but the fact that I managed 535 miles before refuelling still put a smile on my face. David Finlay.
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