FORD MONDEO VIGNALE AWD

The grafter: Worked its way up from the shop floor and looking to establish itself at the top table

LOOKS

The current generation Mondeo is handsome enough and a purposeful-looking presence on our roads. The problem the Vignale has is that, externally, there’s not a lot to distinguish it from runof-the-mill variants. Sure, there is an exclusive paint job, some extra chrome and a hexagonal grille mesh, but you’d have to be an anorak or a motoring journalist to notice those.

COMFORT/INTERIOR

The interior is where Ford have spent a lot of extra effort. The dash – laid out the same as in the standard model – is covered in tuxedo-stitched leather, as is every other conceivable surface. The 10-way adjustable quilted leather seats are supremely comfortable. The cabin is whisper quiet thanks to acoustic glass, improved engine insulation and noisecancelling technology.

DRIVING

The Vignale was the only one of our pretenders that arrived with all-wheel drive and the car was accordingly sure-footed. Our test car was equipped with the sports suspension pack, further improving handling. The semi-automatic dual-clutch gearbox handled normal driving well, but was easily confused in start-stop traffic.

PRICE

£33,660