Ford has essentially executed its traditional passenger car lineup globally. Except in China, where the mighty Mondeo is not only alive but thriving. For 2026, the Blue Oval is giving this large family fastback a significant refresh, which just debuted at the Guangzhou Auto Show. It’s a testament to the idea that some markets still want a Ford that isn’t a truck, SUV, or Mustang.
The latest Mondeo is a Changan Ford joint effort, designed and built locally, and this restyling addresses some of the car’s aesthetic missteps. We can all breathe a sigh of relief as the split headlights are gone, replaced by a single headlight cluster that actually manages to evoke a subtle Mustang vibe. Mercifully, they’ve also abandoned the distracting front LED light bar design.
Being a mid-cycle refresh, the fastback roofline and flush door handles remain, but Ford has added new 21-inch two-tone alloy wheels and new paint options like Crimson Red and Ocean Blue. Out back, the taillight shape is maintained, though the internal graphics are updated. Overall, the 2026 Mondeo is genuinely appealing.
It’s salt to the wound for US customers who lost the Fusion in 2020 and Europeans who said goodbye to their identical Mondeo in 2022. The official reason for these cuts? CEO Jim Farley wanted to exit the business of “boring cars” and focus on “iconic vehicles”.
Returning to the Chinese Mondeo, the interior is a technological spectacle. It retains its overwhelming, dash-spanning 27-inch 4K display, paired with a separate 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster under the same glass panel. New physical controls featuring rotary dials and buttons for quick access have their places below the central air vents, sparing drivers from endless menu-swiping frustration.
Under the hood, buyers choose between two turbo gasoline engines, a 1.5-liter with 193 HP or a 2.0-liter with 257 HP, or an increasingly popular hybrid setup good for a combined 284 HP. All versions send power to the front wheels, with gasoline models using an eight-speed automatic and the hybrid utilizing a CVT.
