It takes something very special to impress the Top Gear team but the crew were unanimous in their decision to name Ford’s Mondeo as their 2007 Family Car of the Year.

Presenting the accolade at Top Gear's annual awards, they said: “The Ford Mondeo is the only car that we could all agree on, including the Stig.

“The Mondeo is a fantastic car. It’s practical, has a good choice of engines, very comfy and great to drive, so it’s a worthy winner of the 2007 Top Gear Family Car award.”

Roelant de Waard, managing director, Ford of Britain, collected the trophy from Jeremy Clarkson at an awards dinner in London. "And we don't need to hear anything from you," said Jeremy as the Mondeo is a great car that speaks for itself!".

With sales figures exceeding expectations, customers share their enthusiasm for this new model with the Top Gear team. In a segment of falling fortunes, Mondeo sales are up nine per cent against the previous model with the high-spec Titanium specification proving more popular than predicted.

Providing customers with a massive choice of engine/trim/bodystyle combinations, Mondeo is retaining its strong position in the fleet market while appealing to a growing number of private buyers. Registrations to those spending their own cash, as opposed to their companies', are up by more than 20 per cent.

An exceptional driving experience, class-leading interior space and an array of optional high-tech features, such as adaptive cruise control, adaptive front lights and touch-screen navigation system, are just some of the reasons behind Mondeo’s critical and commercial acclaim.