Ford Mondeo: ‘Where is Mondeo Man when you need him?’

Ford Mondeo
Price £26,395
0-62mph 9.2 seconds
Top speed 116mph
MPG 67.3
CO2 99g/km

When Tony Blair introduced us to “Mondeo Man” at the Labour party conference in October 1996, the country was riding the wave of optimism that finally led to New Labour’s election win the following year. Mondeo Man had followed smartly in the footsteps of Essex Man, who himself had done so much to ringfence Thatcher’s popularity. As today’s politicians thrash about, failing to connect with us, their parties and even themselves, maybe it’s time for Ford to step back into the limelight…

More than 25 years since its launch, the brand still represents so many of the virtues Blair first identified: it’s no-nonsense, hard working, stoic, durable and, for the army of sales managers who use it to shuttle up and down Britain, it probably is the backbone of the country. But at the wheel, today, you’ll find Mondeo Person – we are at least more gender-enlightened in these dark days.

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Though Mondeo is forever entwined in our minds with middle England, it is in fact a car with a global reach. Ford introduced it in 1993 as its second “world car” (the Escort was the first) and it was intended to consolidate several existing model lines. The Mondeo name comes from the Latin mundus, meaning “world”.

It has been phenomenally successful and has sold in the millions. And why wouldn’t it? It’s spacious, handsome, it drives extremely well, it’s comfortable enough to sit in all day, the estate version is massive, it’s technically sophisticated, amazingly economical, reliable, safe (it gets a full five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests) and affordable (surely the foundation stone that underpins its long-lived success).

If all that isn’t enough to tempt you, Mondeo has now introduced a hybrid version. It looks identical to the regular model. Step inside and you’ll be hard pressed to spot any difference at all. But under the polished exterior you’ll find two electric engines and a 2-litre petrol unit. The car switches automatically and seamlessly between the various engines, depending on what you ask the car do to. It is so smooth you will never sense the moment of transition between petrol and electric and back again. It is also supremely quiet, almost alarmingly so. You pay up to £5,000 more for the hybrid, but the uplift from reduced fuel and emissions will flatter both your wallet and your eco-conscience.

Are there any buts? Well, of course: one minor and one more serious. The first is the crappy instrument cluster. It’s been redesigned and the speedometer now takes centre stage. But the display is still confusing and difficult to engage with (like our politicians). Other than mirrors, the dash is the one thing a driver is guaranteed to look at, so why make it irritating? The second “but” is more general. Saloons are in a perilous state. Sales are falling as we embrace the more boorish SUV. They are large, inflexible, intransigent… truly a vehicle for our times. What we need is a return to kinder, more respectful ways. We need to send out an urgent SOS – Save Our Saloons!

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166