What's this all about?

Ford is using a large (probably touch-screen-equipped) crowbar to fill the new Mondeo full of techy goodies as a way of getting buyers interested in a big four-door with a blue oval badge. Mondeo sales have been, over the past decade, annihilated by the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, but Ford is betting that cramming the new Mondeo full of juicy, high-end options is a good way to lure those German-obsessed customers back.

What kind of tech are we talking about here?

Touch screen? Oh yes, but that's not the headline. Voice control? Yup, that too and apparently the new SYNC2 system can understand casually spoken commands (we'll frankly believe that when we hear it...). How about a new pre-collision assist system that uses a front-mounted camera that compares what it sees with a database of pedestrian and road-furniture 'shapes' in order to better detect someone about to step off the kerb in front of you? There will also be a new range-topping bi-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine that will produce a robust 210hp and a whopping 450Nm of torque, which will also be available with four-wheel drive. Something to give the BMW 320d a bit of a headache, there.

This is still a Mondeo, right?

It sure is, but Ford is really ramping up the tech count. That collision assistant works at speeds of up to 25mph and can automatically throw on full braking force if it detects you're about to hit something. There will also be a clever auto-parking system that can deal with getting into and out of 'nose-in' parking spaces as well as parallel parking. All the engines get stop-start, brake energy recuperation and an active radiator grille to improve their CO₂ and fuel economy ratings. In fact, the 1.6 diesel ECOnetic model emits emissions of just 94g/km. This is, we would remind you, from a car larger and more spacious than most student flats.

It'll still be good to drive though, won't it?

We suspect so. The Mondeo has long since been the best driving big family car and Ford appears to have worked hard to keep things that way. The list of tech added in to the chassis and steering systems includes Torque Vectoring Control, Pull-Drift Compensation, Active Nibble Compensation, Continuous Control Damping and Torque Steer Compensation. We've no idea what any of those mean but they sound important and helpful. Hopefully some people with actual spanners and oily fingers have also worked on the chassis. We assume they have.

"We've tuned the all-new Mondeo specifically to meet the needs of European drivers and continue the class-leading driving dynamics delivered with every Mondeo generation," said Geert van Noyen, vehicle dynamics manager, Ford of Europe. "We went through five designs just for the rear suspensions bushes - with each taking two months - before we were satisfied, and also placed a lot of emphasis on tuning steering to deliver a smooth and fluid feel for a class-leading driving experience."

Will it all work though?

It's hard to say. The big saloon market has shrunk dramatically, but it's still the fourth largest in Europe, so Ford has some sales to play for and it's just possible that, with the glut of German premium saloons now on our roads, and the Mondeo's new-found techy nature, Ford might be able to turn the tide somewhat.

When can I have one?

Soon. Very very soon. In fact you can order a new Mondeo now for delivery in November.