1996 FORD Mondeo Hatchback 1.8L TD 5MT FWD (90 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Just two years after introducing the Mondeo lineup, Ford refreshed the entire range and fixed most of the problems encountered with the 1994 model-year.

Ford switched from its European mid-size sedan from the RWD platform to the FWD platform with the Mondeo. It was a completely new car, designed from scratch. That led to some mistakes in the design and engineering process, which were revealed after the car’s launch. Soon, the blue-oval brand came with a facelift that changed 1400 parts of the car.

Apart from the door panels and the roof, everything else was changed on the bodywork. Even if the windows looked the same, they were not quite exactly the same. At the front, the bigger headlights solved the problem with the lighting since the non-facelifted version just barely lit the road ahead. Due to that, the hood had to be changed, and the grille featured the oval-shaped style. For the hatchback version, a sloped tailgate with a wide rear window made the car looks like a fastback, and the corner-mounted taillights followed the body shape.

The interior was tightened-up to cancel the rattles and squeaks that accompanied every road with a non-facelifted Mondeo. The designers installed a pair of cup-holders at the bottom of the center stack by removing the ashtray. For the hatchback, the rear bench featured a split-folding seatback to increase the luggage area.

Under the hood, the car featured a choice of engine, both diesel, and gasoline. A 1.6-liter powered the entry-level while the full version was a 2.5-liter V6. The standard transmission for the entire range was a 5-speed manual, and a 4-speed automatic was available for selected engines.