THE first all-new Ford Mondeos have been delivered to start the manufacturer's biggest-ever fleet demonstrator programme, with 400 Mondeos on the road by the end of this year and 1,200 by early 2001.

The majority of demonstrators will be booked by key fleets for one-week appraisals and fleet operations director Mike Wear said: 'We are so confident in the new Mondeo package that we want to give as many fleets as possible an early opportunity to try the car.

'When fleet managers look at its class-leading cost of ownership and many technical advances alongside superb driving dynamics, style and comfort, we expect new Mondeo to be the choice of many more fleets.'

The car was launched at October's British International Motor Show in Birmingham and around 1,000 models have been bought to-date.