Saving Ribs and Reaping Awe

In the news in the week past was Ford’s plan to install inflatable seatbelts for the backseats of the upcoming Mondeo. I thought: “what, they’re cooking up a new Mondeo?!”

And now I feel a bit ashamed. Ashamed that I was completely clueless about a new Mondeo coming up. I mean, it’s me, a car nutter in “heart and kidneys” (Dutch expression, thought I’d try to introduce it in the UK): how could I not know about a new Ford? I always know about anything any brand close to my heart is planning to take to market and Ford is definitely one of them.

So I searched around the web a bit more and found out that the Mondeo Mk. 5 was already presented in early January of this year, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Clearly it takes much inspiration from the Ford Evos concept car, which was first presented in Frankfurt last year – a car I thankfully didn’t manage to miss.

But never mind, back to the seatbelts. I’m no father to any kids (yet), but stuff like that would definitely thrust up any car through the rankings of my list of potential next rides. The principle is simple. In the event of a crash, the seatbelt inflates automatically, spreading the impact, caused by the crash dummy’s faster forward motion than that of the car, over a larger area of body. Result: fewer cracked ribs.

It’s the same principle that dictates that an elephant does less damage to the surface it walks on than a woman on ‘needle heels’, even if she’s skinny. (Could be a fun fact to share with your lady.)

Anyway, looking at those promo picks of the upcoming Mondeo, I don’t think I’d need the blow-up seatbelts to buy one. My sweet Lord, what a delicious looking car! Love the aggressive lights, gaping mouth and the industrial-looking lines on the hood. And then there’s that sexy bum with its elegant tailpipes!

Have to note one thing though: I guess now that they’ve sold Aston Martin they can safely and shamelessly Zerox their grill and headlights. Oh well, better well copied than badly drawn yourself. I just love this thing!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.