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After suggesting that its new Mondeo import would be an upmarket, niche entry, Ford Australia has dropped a pricing bombshell. The all-new Belgium-built midsizer will arrive in showrooms this month priced in the thick of the medium car segment.

Ford dealers were given verbal confirmation of the pricing of the four-level Mondeo range earlier this week. And it kicks off at a super-competitive $29,990 for the Mondeo 2.3-litre LX auto sedan. An LX cruise pack featuring cruise control and alloys adds just $1500.

The new range follows a similar model sequence to the Fiesta and Focus and is therefore badged and equipped quite differently to the European models.

The sportier, better-equipped Mondeo Zetec sells for just $34,990.

The Australian Mondeo LX and Zetec models share the same powerful 2.3-litre four-cylinder Duratec petrol engine. They will be offered only as automatics (the box is believed to be a new six-speeder) and indications are that the range will be sedan only at least initially.

A Mondeo TDCi turbodiesel, also with six-speed auto only, at $37,990 will bring affordable diesel motoring to Australian families. This new Mondeo 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel shares its Duratorq engine and transmission with the Peugeot 407 at a saving of $7000 over the cheapest 407 automatic diesel.

The range-topper is the unique-to-Australia Mondeo XR5 Turbo which will come as a six-speed manual only, at an enticing $41,990. It features the five-cylinder turbocharged Volvo-developed engine introduced locally in the Focus XR5 Turbo.

This leaves the Mondeo XR5 hero model priced only $2000 more than the smaller VW Jetta performance model and at least $3000 under the comparable Passat.

In fact, Ford's pricing policy throughout the range appears to be divide and conquer.

At entry level, the $29,990 Mondeo LX auto will be shopped against the Subaru Liberty 2.0R at $33,990, the Honda Accord Euro at $35,990 and Mazda6 Sports sedan at $31,990.

While the Mondeo concedes to the Liberty's AWD, it brings up-to-the-minute European styling, a half-size larger cabin, superior dynamics and a choice of frugal and powerful petrol and diesel engines.

The next Mazda6 already revealed overseas (more here) will be of a similar size to the Mondeo.

Ford has also priced the Mondeo virtually line ball with the base local $29,500 Toyota Camry benchmark which the Mondeo should all but match in cabin size. Yet early overseas reports suggest that the new Mondeo, which shares its control-blade rear suspension design with the Falcon and Focus, has a more solid and sophisticated feel on the road that should suit Australian driving requirements.

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