51-482: The Lancia Thesis (Type 841) is a full-size car produced by Italian automaker Lancia between 2001 and 2009. It was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines ranging between 2.0 and 3.2 litres in both straight-5 or V6 configurations. The design was based on the Lancia Diàlogos concept car unveiled in 1998. The production car premiered at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show and its interior
102-628: A growing trend towards crossover SUVs over saloons and estates, Ford announced in March 2021 that it will discontinue the production of the Mondeo in Europe and Argentina with no direct successor. Production of the Mondeo ended in Europe in March 2022. The first-generation Mondeo was introduced in November 1992, with sales beginning in March 1993. Intended as a world car , the first-generation Mondeo
153-481: A lower cost. Into the 1970s, the same vehicles could transport up to six occupants comfortably (or eight in a station wagon), at the expense of high fuel consumption. The sales of full-size vehicles in the United States declined after the early 1970s fuel crisis. In response to the 1978 implementation of CAFE , American manufacturers implemented downsizing to improve fuel economy, with full-size vehicles as
204-567: A mid-cycle facelifted Mk IV Mondeo was introduced with some changes, such as the new EcoBoost engines and LED daytime running lights. The front and rear of the car had minor changes, the biggest being the new design theme dubbed as the Kinetic Design. The interior was improved, with a use of better materials. The fourth-generation Mondeo was unveiled by Ford at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit , Michigan. Due to
255-652: A rarer four-wheel drive version available on the Mk I car only. Despite being billed as a world car, the only external items the Mondeo shared initially with the Contour built in Kansas City Assembly in Claycomo, Missouri , and Cuautitlán Assembly were the windscreen, front windows, front mirrors and door handles. Three body styles were available, which are saloon, liftback, and estate. The mid-cycle facelift
306-658: A top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph). Full-size car Full-size car —also known as large car —is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars . It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as the executive car , while in Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment . The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on
357-428: Is a tight ship." He added: "The Thesis' ride is just terrific. It swallows big lumps, whatever your speed. Yet there's no heaving in distress; the adjustable dampers keep body motion in check. They're even better when the stress is lateral; considering the pillowy straight-line character, cornering roll is amazingly well-controlled." The main criticism was the steering, which was considered by Horrell to be too light, and
408-641: Is handcrafted in reinforced fiberglass. The Mondeo is so far the most successful car in the category, with three championship titles in the TRV6 class and two championship titles in the Top Race series (formerly Top Race Junior). The winning drivers in the TRV6 class were Omar Martínez (2006), José María López (2009), and Guido Falaschi (Copa América 2010) with the Mondeo II (based on the MkIII Mondeo), and in
459-529: Is truly rich and walks the right side of that line in Italian style dividing the perfectly proportioned minimalism from their bling-bling rap-star Versace vulgarity." A notable feature of the interior was the use of high-quality, lightly varnished wood trim and cast magnesium for the centre console. Horrell wrote: "I can't tell you how much more satisfying it is to use a cupholder or ashtray that glides out of solid metal than some clacky plastic lid." After describing
510-600: The CDW27 platform . Following the standard setting interior of the Volkswagen Passat (B5) in 1996, Ford paid a great deal of attention to the second generation Mondeo's interior and was the first major American manufacturer to react to the new standard set by Volkswagen. Ford abandoned its New Edge design theme for the second generation, opting to take the Prodigy concept car as a design reference. Ford dispensed with
561-478: The Chevrolet Corvair , Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant ), the "full-size car" designation came into wider use. In the 1960s, the term was applied to the traditional car lines of lower-price brands, including Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth. As a relative term, full-size cars were marketed by the same brands offering compact cars, with entry-level cars for buyers seeking the roominess of a luxury car at
SECTION 10
#1732773287623612-670: The Chrysler LH cars (Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, Chrysler Concorde/New Yorker/LHS). The same year, the Buick Roadmaster was introduced, becoming the first rear-wheel drive GM model line adopted outside of Chevrolet and Cadillac since 1985; the Chevrolet Impala was returned for the 1994 model year. The 1989 Lexus LS400 luxury sedan was the first Japanese full-size car sold in North America. Following
663-583: The Dodge Monaco ). Developed by AMC before its acquisition by Chrysler, the Premier was a version of the front-wheel drive Renault 25 adapted for North America. The Saab 9000 took a special position at the end of the 1980s, as for a long time it was the only imported car to be classified as a "large car" by the EPA. From the 1980s to the 1990s, the market share of full-size cars began to decline; along with
714-612: The FIA World Touring Car Cup in both 1993 and 1994 driving a Mondeo. Ford ran a factory-sponsored team, called Ford Team Mondeo, for eight seasons. Andy Rouse Engineering ran the cars from 1993 to 1995, when West Surrey Racing ran the works team from 1996 to 1998, with Prodrive taking over beginning 1999. In 2000, the team expanded from two cars to three when drivers Alain Menu and Anthony Reid were joined by 1998 series champion Rickard Rydell , recruited from
765-755: The H and C platforms . Only station wagons, the Chevrolet Caprice , and the Cadillac Brougham remained. Initially developed to replace the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, the 1986 Ford Taurus was produced alongside it as the Ford mid-size model line. After largely abandoning the full-size segment for compact cars and minivans, Chrysler gained reentry into the full-size segment in 1988 with the Eagle Premier (also produced as
816-572: The Maserati Spyder . It is the first Lancia automobile with radar adaptive cruise control , which was made by Bosch. Describing the driving quality, Horrell wrote: "You can tell it's a heavy car, but there's no distress in letting this [test car with the V6 engine] build up a gentle sweat. Its autobox is attentive and smooth. The engine, though quieter than in any Alfa, is all you hear because road and wind noise have been quashed. Ditto rattles. This
867-926: The Telstar in Asia and Australia, and the Tempo/Mercury Topaz in North America). The Mondeo nameplate is derived from the Latin word mundus , meaning "world". For its first two generations, the Mondeo was produced using the CDW27 platform, with the third-generation model shifting to the EUCD platform. The fourth-generation models use the CD4 platform, and the fifth-generation use the C2 platform. Due to declining sales and
918-517: The eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata , is classified by the EPA as full-size despite being marketed as a mid-size model. In 2018, the three highest-selling cars in the full-size sedan category in the United States were the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Impala, and Chrysler 300. The large car segment has been declining in the United States accounting for 3.6% of new vehicle sales in 2021, down from 6.6% in 2016. The models in this category included
969-456: The 1920s to the 1950s, most manufacturers produced model lines in a single size, growing in size with each model redesign. While the length and wheelbase varied between model lines, width was a relatively constant dimension, as the American federal government required the addition of clearance lights on a width past 80 inches. In 1960, following the introduction of compact cars (such as
1020-558: The 1950s, and have become increasingly common since the downsizing of full-sized cars in the 1980s. The lineage of mass-produced full-size American cars begins with the 1908 Ford Model T . In 1923, General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Superior , becoming the first vehicle to adopt a common chassis (the A-body ) for several brands. Compared to the cars of the 21st century, these vehicles are small in length and width. From
1071-496: The 1996 model year, GM ended production of large rear-wheel drive sedans. By 2000, with the sole exception of the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car, full-size cars had abandoned rear-wheel drive and body-on-frame construction. Instead of model lineage, the EPA "large car" definition of over 120 interior cubic feet was widely used. Initially developed for the midsize Oldsmobile Aurora ,
SECTION 20
#17327732876231122-615: The Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima, and Toyota Avalon. They have been discontinued after the 2023 or 2024 model years. The trend in the large car market segment in United States is toward the SUV. Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car ", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra ,
1173-818: The Five Hundred was renamed the Taurus. After the 2011 model year, Ford ended production of the Panther platform, shifting to the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS; in 2017, the latter was replaced by the Lincoln Continental . In 2011, General Motors ended production of the G-body for several chassis (with Cadillac later shifting its largest sedans to rear-wheel drive). In 2012, the Tesla Model S became
1224-744: The GM G-body chassis was expanded into the full-size segment for Cadillac in 2000 (for the Deville, later the DTS) and adapted by Buick (the Lucerne) in 2006. For the 2005 model year, Chrysler replaced the LH cars with the LX cars (returning to rear-wheel drive). The same year, Ford introduced the Five Hundred, its first front-wheel drive full-size car (the first American full-size car offered with all-wheel drive); in 2008,
1275-485: The Mondeo is now a popular and relatively easy car to race. The Zetec engines are converted to run off a carb set up and the Mondeo bodyshell is fairly tough, but they are proving rather rigid, with many drivers getting injured in high-speed impacts. Mondeos are proving more popular than the Sierra and Mk III Granada. In Argentina, the Mondeo is one of several cars to compete in the local Top Race racing category; its body
1326-538: The Stola company's 85th anniversary. The car is equipped with a beige leather interior and electrically adjustable rear seats. The car also has a minibar with a refrigerator , a multimedia system with GPS navigation, internet access, fax machine, and a DVD player. With a 230 PS (169 kW; 227 hp) V6 engine and all these extra features, the converted car weighs 2,030 kg (4,475 lb), and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.2 seconds, with
1377-769: The TR Junior category, the championship was won by Gonzalo Perlo in 2008 and Humberto Krujoski in 2010. In 2009, the Mondeo III (based on the MkIV Mondeo) bodystyle was approved and presented as an option within the category; however, the Mondeo II bodywork is still being used. Similarly, in the United States, the Fusion/Mondeo Mk 5 bodywork began use for the sixth-generation body in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starting in 2013, replacing
1428-582: The beginning of 2009, only 16,000 units were built. The Thesis was replaced in 2011 by a new flagship sedan, based on the Chrysler 300 , rebranded in continental Europe as the Lancia Thema . A 60 centimetres (24 in) stretched limousine version prototype was shown at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show having a length 5.49 m (216 in). Made by Stola , it was named as the Stola S85 to celebrate
1479-512: The car was a good product in the wrong market segment. In this view, it would have been better to offer a vehicle in the Ford Mondeo price range rather than the more conservative sector contested by the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. The Thesis is equipped with 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic Comfortronic, which is available for all but 2.0 models. The interior was trimmed with leather or
1530-539: The car was intended to compete with the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class . Due to this reason, it had more luxurious features and technological advancements. In order to attract buyers, the Thesis was priced to be 15% cheaper than the competition. In the view of motoring writer Paul Horrell of the United Kingdom's magazine Car , the shape was "controversial, but certainly regenerates an authentic Italian alternative to
1581-574: The combined passenger and cargo volume, large cars (full-size cars) are defined as having an interior volume index of more than 120 cu ft (3.4 m ) for sedan models, or 160 cu ft (4.5 m ) for station wagons. From the introduction of the Ford Flathead V8 in the 1930s until the 1980s, most North American full-size cars were powered by V8 engines . However, V6 engines and straight-six engines have also been available on American full-size cars, especially until
Lancia Thesis - Misplaced Pages Continue
1632-586: The disbanded Volvo team. The team dominated the season of 2000 , finishing 1–2–3 (Menu–Reid–Rydell) in the drivers' standings and winning the manufacturers' championship by 104 points. A complete overhaul of the BTCC following the season of 2000 had the Super Touring regulations scrapped as the series moved towards less expensive, but slower race cars. Ford withdrew from BTCC competition prior to 2001. The touring cars, after their withdrawal, went on sale to
1683-648: The engraved glassware of the instruments, which were notable for what he called their needles "floating at depth", Horrell concluded that "it felt expensive". Lancia invested heavily in the Thesis. Unlike its predecessor, the Kappa , which shared its platform with the Alfa Romeo 166 , the Thesis was designed with its own chassis. In the words of Horrell, the car was fitted with a "complicated multi-arm aluminium-intensive suspension at both ends, augmented by Mannesmann Sachs ' Skyhook ' adaptive dampers", which were used on
1734-513: The first fully electric full-size car sold in North America. For the 2013 model year, the Chevrolet Impala became the final American-market full-size sedan sold with a front bench seat . By the mid-2010s, full-size cars began seeing a steep decline in sales in North America, with SUVs replacing much of the full-size segment. At the end of the decade, demand for sedans (of all sizes) shifted towards vehicles of other layouts, reducing or shuttering production of sedans entirely. In 2018, Ford announced
1785-400: The first model lines to see major change. While General Motors and Ford would reduce the exterior footprint of their full-size lines to that of their intermediates, AMC withdrew its Ambassador and Matador full-size lines (to concentrate on production of mid-size vehicles). To save production costs, Chrysler repackaged its intermediates using the erstwhile full-size names, moving on to exiting
1836-511: The increased use of mid-size cars, vans, and SUVs grew in use as family vehicles. Between 1960 and 1994, the market share of full-size cars declined from 65 to only 8.3 percent. From 1990 until 1992, both GM and Ford redesigned its full-size car lines for the first time since the late 1970s. For the 1992 model year, Chrysler introduced a new front-wheel drive full-size car line, replacing the Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco with
1887-617: The merge of both models, the vehicle is sold as the Fusion in the Americas. With a design team based in Detroit for the planning and global launch phase, the new model takes many styling cues from the previous generation Ford Mondeo, and previous generation American Ford Fusion. Like the newest redesigns of the Focus and Fiesta before it, the new Mondeo is set on a global platform shared with
1938-646: The model would not be marketed in Europe and North America. It is marketed in the Middle East as the Ford Taurus . The Mondeo competed in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) between 1993 and 2000. The cars, prepared by former series champion Andy Rouse , did not enter the 1993 season until the eighth round, at Pembrey , in Wales. Rouse and Paul Radisich were the drivers in the Mondeo's first season. Radisich went on to win
1989-533: The now-identical Fusion sold in North America. The range does not include five- or six-cylinder engines, and on launch had a complete range of Ford EcoBoost engines . Ford ceased production of the Mondeo at their Valencia Plant in March 2022 as Mondeo sales dwindled with buyers preferring crossovers and SUVs . The fifth-generation Mondeo saloon was released in China in January 2022. Ford confirmed that
2040-410: The po-faced approach" of the competition. He added: "Look at that extravagant front end, like a row of chrome-decorated sand dunes. The whole form is plump and carries telling details of bi-xenon headlights and multi-LED blades of tail-lamp – a comfortably fed and well-jewelled car like the folk who'll drive it." Regarding the interior, Horrell went on to say: "The effect is redoubled within. The cabin
2091-523: The public and are now in the hands of other drivers. Two of the 2000 series Mondeos have been spotted in the BRSCC series of LMA Euro saloons; drivers known to own them at present are Bernard Hogarth and Alvin Powell. The Mk I and Mk II Mondeo have followed many other previous Ford models into the world of banger racing in the United Kingdom, and with plenty of older cars being available for very little money,
Lancia Thesis - Misplaced Pages Continue
2142-584: The rounded American style interior of the first generation, and developed a more sober 'Germanic' design. Saloon, liftback, and estate body styles were available. This Mondeo came to Mexico, replacing the North American built Ford Contour , and was sold from 2001 to 2007, when the Ford Fusion replaced it. The second generation Mondeo was never sold in Australia , as Ford Australia argued that
2193-469: The sales of all Ford-branded passenger cars (except for the Mustang ) would end in North America by 2022. General Motors announced the closure of several manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada, with the production of the Chevrolet Impala and Buick LaCrosse ending in 2020. As of 2022, full-size cars from Asian manufacturers include the Lexus LS , Genesis G80 / G90 , Nissan Maxima , and Toyota Avalon . Another car from an Asian manufacturer,
2244-535: The segment in 1981. During the 1980s, manufacturers further reduced the exterior footprint of several model lines from the full-size segment into the mid-size class to comply with more stringent CAFE standards. With the 1982 model year, Chrysler exited the full-size segment entirely, with the mid-size Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury serving as its largest sedan lines. Following the 1985 model year, General Motors replaced most of its full-size rear-wheel-drive model lines with smaller front-wheel drive sedans on
2295-428: The segment of the market was in decline. The third-generation Mondeo was introduced in late 2006. Based on the EUCD platform developed with Volvo , the platform was the same as that used in the new large MPVs Galaxy and S-MAX . Its design theme was first shown as the Ford Iosis concept at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show , which gave an indication to the look of the Mk IV Mondeo. The new car, in estate bodystyle,
2346-480: The slight tendency to understeer leading to intrusion of the ESP system. In conclusion, Horrell summed up the Thesis as being "far more accurate and even agile than it has any right to be." Horrell's view was that the Thesis was a dignified expression of Lancia's brand values. He added: "Imagine a Rover 95 and you would be spookily close. It's a scary thought: two brands that refuse to be youthful or sporty, two brands that have underperformed." Other suggestions were that
2397-410: The suede-like Alcantara material long favoured by Lancia. The verdict of Car stated: "If Lancia can be turned around this is the car for the job." Despite its very comprehensive equipment level and the improved fit and finish, sales remained well behind its predecessor, quite far behind the competition due to reasons such as its odd looks and front-wheel drive layout. When the model was discontinued at
2448-555: Was displayed for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show that same year. Sales started in June 2002 in Italy, with export markets following shortly after. The earliest prototype of the Thesis, called Giubileo , was used in the Great Jubilee , presented to Pope John Paul II , bearing the production version's design yet modified as a landaulet . Lancia's chief designer's remarks on the design were: "People will be looking for excuses not to buy this car. So, we wanted to be damn sure we didn't give them anything to hook onto." To that end,
2499-421: Was launched in October 1996 leaving only the doors, the roof, and the rear quarter panels on the estate the same as the original model. The extensive redesign in 1996 was known as the Mondeo Mk II. The second-generation Mondeo was introduced in October 2000. This Mondeo was considerably larger than its predecessor, while the basic chassis and suspension design was carried over from the previous generation along with
2550-432: Was pre-launched in 'concept' form at the Paris Motor Show in September 2006. As with the previous model, the Mk IV Mondeo was not marketed in the United States or Canada because Ford sold the same-class Fusion , which was launched in 2005. The 2007 Mondeo marked the return to the Australian market after a six-year absence, due to a resurgence in popularity of medium-sized cars in the last few years. In September 2010,
2601-429: Was significant as its design and marketing were shared between Ford USA in Dearborn and Ford of Europe. It replaced the Ford Sierra in Europe, the Ford Telstar in a large portion of Asia and other markets, while it is also sold as the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique in North America to replace the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz . Unlike the Sierra, the Mondeo is front-wheel drive in its most common form, with
SECTION 50
#1732773287623#622377