Finally, the new Mondeo is here

Welcome - after a wait of almost three years - to the latest Ford Mondeo. The fourth generation of the Blue Oval's big family car first bared its squinting face at the Detroit motor show in 2012, when we were told America would get to buy it first (it's badged the Fusion over there), with European sales following in 2013.

They didn't. But, after being pushed back a couple of times, UK sales will actually start towards the end of this year. Why the delay? A troublesome car market and financial worries for Ford of Europe, that's why. But the Mondeo's here at last, so what's the score?

In an age of convertible-roofed SUVs and the like, the Mondeo is refreshingly traditional in its approach. There will be a five-door hatch, four-door saloon and an estate, just like the original Mondeo, which launched in 1993. There's still a firm emphasis on fun driving dynamics, too, something at which Ford's humble repmobile has always excelled.

This is one of the areas to gain a host of fancy new technology to bring the Mondeo name bang up to date, though. Among the systems promising to boost the handling are torque vectoring, helping pitch the car into corners, and the amusingly named ‘Active Nibble Compensation', which helps keep the steering wheel free of wander on the motorway (as opposed, sadly, to being a constantly refreshed dashboard buffet).

A selection of 2.0-litre diesel engines range from 148bhp to 207bhp, while happily Ford has kept faith with petrol power too, with four turbocharged Ecoboost options available. They comprise the 123bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost that proves so fruity in the Fiesta, plus 148bhp 1.5-litre and 200bhp/237bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder units.

There'll be a petrol-electric hybrid, too, which will be available at launch and dips below the magical 99g/km CO2 emissions mark that currently yields a free pass for both UK road tax and the London congestion charge.

Other technology of note includes self parking, crash avoidance, active grille shutters (benefitting efficiency), heated and cooled massaging seats and Ford's MyKey technology, which allows the spare key to nanny the (typically younger) driver it's bequeathed to, inhibiting phone calls, limiting the top speed and preventing the stability control from deactivation.

It's been two years since the Mondeo's European debut. Will it prove to be worth the long, long wait? We'll let you know soon.