I've always thought the Mondeo rather staid.

I need a practical car, but I like something with a bit of class.

I've tended to prefer a hatchback model, too.

With this MK4 version, I wondered whether such pre-conceptions much be in for a change after a spell behind the wheel of the Mondeo in popular 2.0 EcoBlue 150 form.

Even before I turned on the engine I felt cosseted.

The adjustable lumbar supports on the front seats are, in my view, a masterpiece of design.

They hug you in - and if you've been sitting at a PC all day, as I often do, you'll soon feel the tension in your back ease away.

Yes, it would suit me very well indeed - and not just because it's comfortable to sit in.

Despite my ill-founded prejudice against the range, I have to admit that this modernday Mondeo, even in standard form, offers a good all-round family package.

Classy too.

Put this fourth generation design one up alongside its predecessor and this looks a much costlier, more sophisticated thing, with its more prominent Aston Martin-style trapezoidal front grille and sweeping power dome bonnet.

It's a handsome thing It's roomy inside too, with a sensible boot.

It's also easy to get childseats in and out of the back seat too thanks to the wide rear doors.

When I first took a seat in the car, I immediately noticed the high quality surfaces, materials and finishes.

As with the outside, dynamic lines and styling curves are again evident, plus the low profile instrument panel provides very generous cabin space for front seat occupants.

The dashboard is clear and the major controls for the electronics systems largely intuitive. The dashboard is laid out well enough and looks good.

Flicking the switches and checking the quality of fit and finish, I was surprised to find how close the cabin now is to that you'd find in a BMW or an Audi.

And it has all of the same gadgets, niceties and safety standards.

Not that the MK4 Mondeo looks big from the outside or feels it behind the wheel.

Despite the spacious interior, this model shrinks around you, much like an Audi A4 or a BMW 3 Series.

I particularly liked the feature that dominates the centre of the dash, the 8-inch SYNC3 colour touchscreen, which plays its part in reducing button clutter and giving the cabin a cleaner, smarter feel.

This set-up's divided into four colour-coded sectors that allow you to control audio, sat nav, 'phone and climate control functions via touchscreen buttons.

Heating and ventilation is also covered off by switchgear below the screen, which is just as well since the display buttons can be a little slow and fiddly to use.

Instead of stabbing away at these, it's better to try and master the system's impressive voice-activated functionality that allows you to issue simple 'one shot' commands, like 'play song' to play a track from a CD, 'where am I?' to find out where you are or even 'I'm hungry' to bring up a list of local restaurants from the system's built-in Michelin Guide.

Directions can then be activated from the split-screen navigation display. Rear seat headroom and legroom have also come in for scrutiny by the Mondeo development team and these have been maximized for occupant comfort and safety.

Our Road Test Editor is 6'4" and he was easily able to fit comfortably in the back seat behind a front seat virtually all the way back on its runner.