Ford already introduced the Mondeo on the European market but still tried to fight in the executive segment with its aging Scorpio, in two shapes: a sedan and a station wagon.
While in the U.S., the blue-oval brand managed to develop good, affordable vehicles on the European side of the pond, it couldn't keep up with other brands. It was the last rear-wheel-drive station wagon sold by Ford in Europe and fought mainly against GM's Opel/Vauxhall Omega. But both of them were on their final stint before their parents shut them down for good.
The Scorpio Wagon showed the same front fascia as the sedan, with an undecided shape of the headlights. They looked rounded triangular-shaped and flanked the smiling grille. But it was more of a grin than a smile, and its chromed surrounding didn't make things better. Behind the B-pillars, the carmaker extended the roof to the back of the vehicle. It even used the same rear doors to cut costs, leading to raked-forward rear side windows and tailgate.
Inside, the Scorpio featured an upgraded interior with a dashboard centered around the driver. Its center stack featured the climate control units above the radio cassette player. Ford placed the elegant, round, analog clock in a position where the driver couldn't see it most of the time due to the steering wheel. It was a roomy vehicle, with plenty of room for four passengers, but the old platform with a tall transmission tunnel made it unusable for a third person unless it was a toddler in a child seat. On the plus side, the folding bench increased the trunk size.
Under the hood, Ford installed a choice of diesel and gasoline engines. They were either slow or inadequate on fuel efficiency. The turbo-diesel version was reasonable in terms of fuel efficiency and performance.