Under Review : The Ford Mondeo

Unless you blinked and missed it, you may have seen this car in a James Bond flick, Casino Royale. It's Ford's Mondeo, evidently rental vehicle of choice for MI6's finest.

80% of outgoing sales were fleet/lease purchases so understandably the likes of Avis, Budget and significant fleet purchasers will be chomping at the bit for the car.

And why not too, the sleek and sporty new looks deliver a road presence the car once lacked. In either saloon, hatch or estate configuration it's certainly enough to give any car a run for its money.

Up front your gaze is drawn to the stylish headlights that bear similarities to Ford subsidiary brand Jaguar's upcoming XF, the look being completed with a contemporary trapezoidal lower grill. At 4844mm long (sedan) and 1500mm wide the new model is notably larger, which imparts a premium, large car like quality that could pose a risk to some Falcon models.

At entry-level, the saloon sits on fleet-friendly 16-inch steel wheels, while the higher spec Zetec receives alloys, fog lamps and an enhanced front grill.

Inside the build quality is the best on offer from the blue oval, again giving a premium perception to the occupants and there's been little skimping when it comes to levels of equipment.

Power adjustable seating is offered at base 2.0 liter saloon level, albeit without the electric height adjustment the Zetec spec receives, there are also handy creature comforts such as a trip computer, leather steering wheel with audio/cruise controls and tilt/reach adjustment and an i-Pod auxiliary plug. Safety features are class-leading with all models picking up front, side, driver's knee and curtain airbags and stability control. The Zetec sits in the middle of the pack and includes dual zone climate air, ebony cloth trim, map reading lamps front and rear in addition to the exterior styling enhancements.

The range-topping Zetec Sports pack adds to the Zetec's price but sets the vehicle out from the crowd with an aggressive body kit, 17-inch wheels and leather interior.

Regardless of the model, you'll remain comfortable on the long hauls, as seating is well bolstered and supportive, with plenty of leg and headroom, perfect for the sales rep or family alike.

A key feature in captivating the private sector is the cars dynamic handling characteristics, which has always stood head and shoulders above rivals, so the new version must be even better right? Well, sort of.

The suspension is stiffer, but you'd never know it, as the ride control over corrugations is excellent, setting the benchmark for the class.

Chassis rigidity is up 116% in Saloon, 130% in hatch and a massive 159% in estate formats, so after our initial launch drive we were surprised to find some of the legendary crispness has been blunted in the latest addition. Lighter steering and increased footprint appear the culprit here and the car does feel less nimble and engaging that it once did. In reality though this is a moot point, as it is still a class leader in handling.

We have the option of either a 107kW 2.0 liter petrol engine, available only in the saloon with a manual (5 speed) gearbox, all other variants are fitted with the 2.3 liter, 118kW petrol with a six-speed automatic. Both engines have a proven reliability record and are shared with Mazda's 3 and 6 ranges of vehicles.

Despite being the odd one out - available in only the base model saloon - the 2.0 manual is the pick of the bunch on the drivability front for your money. The 2.3 automatic would benefit from more low down torque, but overall provides a good combination of performance and economy with its smooth shifting six-speed automatic.

Some consolation comes when perusing the new ford Mondeo's pricelist, which sits perilously close to Ford's own Focus RRP's.

It's much more than a fleet hack this Mondeo, smart looks, excellent space, high build quality and confident driving dynamics bode well for private success. Here's hoping though, Ford can secure a license to thrill with both the diesel and 2.5 liter turbo petrol engines in the near future.

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Peugeot 4007 Under Review

With a wide product range covering the whole spectrum from small city runabouts, sporty coupes and convertibles through to luxury saloons and wagons, about the only thing missing from Peugeot's line-up has been the Kiwi favorite, an SUV.

Entering new territory can be something of a gamble, so going down a tried and tested track rather than re-inventing the wheel can have its benefits.

So the PSA (Peugeot / Citroen) Group has struck a deal with Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi for the use of their Outlander as a starting point for the new Peugeot 4007 and Citroen equivalent, the C-Crosser. Not a silly idea, seeing Mitsubishi has a long-standing reputation in the 4x4, SUV sector.

Peugeot is not the first Gallic carmaker to bring an SUV to market, and not the first one with Japanese connections. That honor goes to Renault who launched their SUV/Crossover Koleos back in 2008. However, Renault had a head start as they had existing links to Japanese manufacturer Nissan, from where they borrowed the X-Trail platform.

Different strokes.

But here's where Peugeot's approach differs from Renault's. Where Renault adopted a familiar shared platform arrangement on which to base their Koleos, Peugeot took the entire vehicle, added a good measure of French flair in the form of a controversially styled gaping mouth and new running gear, slapped a giant lion emblem on the front and "voila, it's a Peugeot!."

In fairness to Peugeot, although they've come very close to it, they've probably trodden just the right side of that fine line we call "badge engineering." HDi diesel power and an automatic 6 speed DCS (Dual Clutch System) transmission robbed from Mitsubishis latest Evo 10, being the major saving grace.

They've also made various other subtle exterior styling changes, re-tuned the suspension, re-worked the interior trim and added a leather steering wheel and dash trim. But there's no getting away from the fact that at the heart of the 4007 there lies a Mitsubishi.

Not that there's anything wrong with the Mitsubishi, and Peugeot's treatment has enhanced it. The Outlander has cried out for a diesel engine ever since its launch back in 2006, and diesel engines don't come much better than Peugeot's HDi.

In this case, the HDi is of 2.2 liter capacity and produces 115kW of power and 380Nm of torque, for which Peugeot quotes a combined fuel consumption figure of 7.3L/100km. A braked towing weight rating is quoted at 2,000kg

If the measure of success is customer demand, then Peugeot has a winner on its hands. Peugeot New Zealand Divisional Manager, Simon Rose has been overwhelmed with interest in the 4007. His forecasting predicted around 100 units in the first year. However, the 4007 hit our market with 75 units pre-sold, well above expectation.

"People who may never have considered us are now" says Rose. "We will be inviting every existing competitor SUV owner to have a look."

The 4007 is offered in New Zealand in three forms, an entry level five seat manual and two seven seat automatics, a Sport model and a full-house Luxury model.

Of the 75 sold so far, 70% of those are in the Luxury trim specification.

The entry level model gets climate control air-conditioning with refrigerated glove box, trip computer function, cruise control, CD player with MP3 function, automatic headlight function and front fog lights.

The Sports model up-sizes the 16" alloys to 18's and gets the impressive 6 speed DCS 'box, 6 stack CD player and Blue tooth. The Luxury model adds further refinement with leather interior, electric heated seats, Xenon headlights, rear parking assistance, tinted side and rear tailgate glass and chrome trim inside and out.

Safety features include the usual fare such as ABS and EBD, as well as ESP (Electronic Stability Control), ASR (Anti Skid Regulation) and 6 airbags. But with a 4 star Euro NCAP crash test rating, the 4007 falls one star short of the rest of the Peugeot range as well as many of its competitors that are now achieving 5 stars.

Pricing overlaps the $37,990 to $54,990 spread of the petrol-only Mitsubishi Outlander, starting at $49,990 for the entry level 5-speed manual 4007, $55,490 for the Sport and $59,990 for the Luxury model.

There's no doubt that having an SUV on offer will attract new customers into Peugeot showrooms The 4007 is a good fit for New Zealand's outdoor lifestyle, something that Peugeot is keen to cash in on.

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