We all know about the Mondeo, or at least recognise its presence on the road. But the Mondeo ‘Vignale’ may be a little alien to you – and if we were to mention words like ‘luxurious’ and ‘posh’ when talking about a Mondeo derivative, you may frown in confusion.

So what is Vignale all about? Essentially, Vignale, established as an Italian coachbuilder around 70 years ago, has built a reputation for itself over the years by working with manufacturers like Ferrari and building unique designs. Now, Ford and Vignale are working together to create premium Ford models carrying the ‘Vignale’ nameplate – kind of like how DS used to fly the luxury flag for Citroen.

Eloquently-clad, the Mondeo Vignale goes toe-to-toe with the likes of the Mercedes C-Class, Jaguar XE, Volkswagen Passat and BMW 3 Series. Not an easy task.

Performance

There’s not much choosing to do when it comes to performance as the only derivative available is a 2.0-litre diesel producing 178bhp. You do however have the option of either a six-speed manual or six-speed powershift automatic.

The Mondeo’s manual is great, but the powershift auto fits its cruiser personality much better. The auto does come at the price of more CO2 however.

With a 0-62mph sprint time of 8.3 seconds and 400Nm of torque, the Mondeo Vignale can move when it has to. If you feel the need for AWD, then this sprint time is extended to 9.5 seconds.

Ride and Handling

The suspension is slightly on the firm side but small lumps and bumps shouldn’t make it uncomfortable.

Just like the standard Mondeo, the Vignale handles pretty well. It’s nothing like the 3 Series when it comes to fun-factor, but its steering has enough feel to it to allow you to confidently change lanes on the motorway or weave through chicanes on your way to the supermarket. The suspension is slightly on the firm side but small lumps and bumps shouldn’t make it uncomfortable. If anything, its slightly stiffer ride makes it more universal when it comes to composure. There is an AWD model available, but we don’t feel that makes sense, unless you live in an area that gets frequent adverse weather that effects road conditions. The big deal with the Vignale though is its noise refinement. Even when cruising at 70mph on the motorway the cabin remains masked from the majority of road and wind noise, so much so that you can whisper to your passengers and still be heard at motorway speeds. The standard Mondeo is quiet anyway, but thanks to what Ford calls ‘Active Noise Control’, unwanted sound waves are inverted and cancelled out. We are not sure exactly how the wizardry works – but it clearly does the job.

Interior and Equipment

The Vignale range not only consists of the Mondeo, it also houses bespoke versions of the S-MAX, Kuga and Edge.

The interior is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of a luxury car. Not to worry though, the Vignale manages to deliver with plush leather, metals and gadgets. The dashboard is coated in high-quality leather that sits nicely alongside the soft, couch-like seats, which also brandish a unique hexagonal design. The drivers’ seat also gets a 10 way electrically-adjustable set-up with memory function, allowing you to hop in and out and get comfortable with ease. Standard kit includes Ford’s SYNC 2 system with an eight-inch touchscreen housing sat-nav, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, a Sony sound system and a reversing camera. Of course, along with its SYNC name comes voice control features that allow you to make calls and send texts without taking your eyes off the road. As part of the latest breed of new Fords, the Mondeo Vignale also gets a tech-savvy instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, giving you navigable readouts on everything from fuel economy to what radio station you are listening to. The rear seats offer tons of leg room that allow you to stretch out and get comfortable, chauffeur-style. Unfortunately, head room isn’t as generous and taller passengers may find their hair getting squashed. Boot wise, the Mondeo offers a rather flexible 541 litres with all the seats upright – that places it in-between the BMW 3 Series and Volkswagen Passat. Fold the rear seats down and you get 1,437 litres. You can opt for the estate body style which gives you an additional 168 litres with the seats down, although oddly the boot size with the seats up is reduced to 500 litres.

Cost

With its £30,000 plus price tag, you’ve got a very expensive Mondeo.

The standard Mondeo is very impressive when it comes to CO2 and average fuel economy, with the most frugal 1.5-litre 118bhp diesel boasting 94g/km and 78.5mpg respectively. However, the Vignale’s 2.0-litre diesel isn’t as impressive as you may think. Figures for the 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel range from 117g/km to 141g/km and a claimed average of 62.8mpg to 52.3mpg. Realistically, the likes of the 52.3mpg figure will most likely come out at around 40mpg. For this reason, the Vignale is rather thirsty. Combine that with its £30,000 plus price tag and you’ve got a very expensive Mondeo. You do get some luxury ownership perks thrown in though, with complimentary car washes, pick-up and drop off when your car requires servicing and you even get your own Vignale Relationship Manager for 24/7 on-call support.

Our Verdict

If you were to sit in, drive or be driven in the Mondeo Vignale, there is a strong possibility you would be won over by its charm. It’s got all the right trimmings, its fairly practical and it cruises like a champ. But when you are spending this much money on a car, most will find solace in investing in more renowned luxury car brands like Mercedes, Audi and BMW. Okay I’ll say it – German cars. Ford’s Vignale badge might just be a bit of a slow burner - and with some time to stretch its legs, it may very well find itself poaching some diehard fans of its luxury rivals.