Mondeo Sunset

For those wondering when it would become obvious that sport utility vehicles are a truly global menace, the suspense ended when Ford announced that it was discontinuing a once-popular sedan to concentrate more on monster wagons.

And no, I'm not talking about the Taurus or the Fusion in North America, the discontinuations of which you already know about.  I'm talking about the Mondeo sedan in Europe.

The Mondeo, which has lasted five generations (the latest and last one having been sold in North America as the Fusion), was once to Europeans, particularly Britons, what the Toyota Camry has been to Americans - the gold standard of family sedans.  But rising SUV sales and the grater popularity of the Kuga SUV in Europe (we know it as the Escape) have ended even the Mondeo's long run, with 2022 as its final model year.

Unlike the non-Mustang Ford lineup in the New World, Ford of Europe's offerings won't be entirely devoid of regular cars - the Focus and the Fiesta remain available there - but that may very well change in the very near future as monster wagons now account for 40 percent of Ford sales in the Old Country.  Ford is moving to an all-electric lineup in Europe by 2030, and I presume North American models (expect pickup trucks, of course) will also be predominantly if not completely electric, but who cares when the vehicles themselves will still be cumbersome, bulky, high-perched wagons with little aerodynamic styling and no joie de vivre in their handling characteristics?  Even the most boring family sedan is more pleasurable to drive than a "sport" utility vehicle.

That, of course, means nothing to Ford and its customers, both here and abroad, who continue to make life on the road more unbearable for those of us who cling to our small, zippy runabouts.