T he Mondeo ST220 is one of the most underestimated fast Fords ever to exist. For the last 20 years or so, the crowds have been jumping up and down, ranting and raving over the new Focus and Fiesta models, and all the while the humble ’220 has been plodding along quietly in the background doing what it does best – offering an almost unrivalled combination of comfort, practicality and raw power.
Jeremy Clarkson once pointed out in an episode of Top Gear that Aston Martin sold more DB9s in 2005 than Ford did Mondeo ST220s. But that only tells half the story, because the few that Ford did sell all went to proper petrolheads who appreciated the package it offered. In fact, you could go as far as saying all real fast Ford fans have owned a Mondeo ST220 at some point.
The rev-happy 3.0-litre Duratec V6 pushes out an impressive 222bhp and 200lb.ft, which makes for an always entertaining drive. The handling is sublime for such a big car and is something other manufacturers still haven’t quite got their heads around.
While the subtle styling tweaks over the lesser-spec models aren’t as in your face as with some models but are appreciated by true petrolheads, going unnoticed by the
