In pure evo terms the ST220 isn't up there with the RS Focus, but as a compromise I reckon it's superb. It's supple enough to be used as a family car just like any Mondeo but controlled tightly enough to be poised when attacking a decent road (minus wife and kids, of course). It's out of the same drawer as the original, dynamically well-sorted Fords, the Ka, Puma and Focus, with an unmistakable rightness about it that's apparent within a few hundred yards. It's a subtlety of damping, an overall cohesion that filters through the chassis and steering.

That said, the ST isn't crying out to be taken on track. Its creamy yet appealingly gruff noted 3-litre V6 weighs heavy on its front wheels and although the brakes have been scaled to take advantage of those 18in rims, they don't feel as if they'd survive a full-on five-lap assault. The Mondeo's orbit of ability is centred on road driving, where the grip is strong and traction good, the electronic wheelspin control being a well-judged aid rather than an annoying interference.

The only aspects of the ST that have so far irritated me are the seat belt warning chime, which pipes up even when you're reversing in a car park, and the air conditioning. Even when set to thermostat-controlled 'auto' mode, the system is unable to settle at the set temperature so that one minute it's blowing hot air, the next cold. I think there's a fault because the windows occasionally begin to mist up, too, suggesting the system isn't doing its job of extracting the moisture from incoming air.

Other than that, the top Mondeo is a top all-rounder with bags of character for a mid-range saloon and lots of kit for the sub-΂£22K asking price. The only person in the office who has so far been unforthcoming with an opinion on the ST220 is our MD, Harry, but then I know he finds it difficult to see past the badge. To him Project Capri is an enigma... hmm, yes, perhaps that wasn't such a good example to use.