Some of the motoring press are starting to report that the Ford Mondeo won’t be replaced in a like-for-like fashion when production of the current model ends around 2021. Instead, it’ll make way for what is being described as a medium-rise utility vehicle that will also supersede the S-Max and Galaxy.
Ford medium-sized saloons and hatches have tended to represent the stereotypical image of the company car in the UK across more than five decades – from five versions of the Cortina to the Sierra to three iterations of the Mondeo. However, the market has changed dramatically in recent years and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. That some manufacturers think that perhaps there is no longer a place for such cars is a strong indication of how things have developed.
Essentially, the preferences of drivers have atomised into many different directions. Many now see a saloon or hatch as unappealing next to an SUV while those who do want a traditional three-box vehicle tend to prefer premium badges. The Mondeo and its forebears, excellent cars in many respects, have moved from being the default choice to just one among many.
What does this say among the company car market? At once something obvious, that tastes have changed over time but also something more fundamental, that we are moving ever further away from a one-size-fits-all-approach. Our recent Arval Mobility Observatory researched underlined how few businesses are willing to give up their company car but what that vehicle looks like, how it is powered, how it is financed, how it is used and whether it forms part of a mobility strategy are all open to constructive debate more than ever in 2019.
The potential end of the road for the Mondeo might be a sad goodbye to one particular model but it’s also a sign of an exciting market that is perhaps more dynamic than ever before.
Shaun Sadlier is head of consultancy at Arval