Ahead of UK's National Allergy Week from May 21, independent testing confirms Ford's leading position on allergy friendly interiors.

Customers considering buying an all-new Ford Mondeo, the most technologically advanced car ever launched by Ford in Europe, now have one more reason to make it their vehicle of choice.

The new Ford Mondeo was awarded the German T???“V Rhineland group's "Allergy Tested Interior" seal of approval just prior to Britain's National Allergy Week, May 21-25.

Together with the Ford Focus, C-MAX, Galaxy and S-MAX, Ford now offers five vehicles t o the increasing number of consumers looking for allergy-friendly products. Ford vehicles are the first in the world that have passed the stringent T???“V standards. The new Mondeo goes on sale in June.

"We are very proud to receive this T???“V approval and consider it confirmation from a highly-respected organization of the high quality standards of our vehicles," said Dr Wolfgang Schneider, vice president, governmental and environmental affairs, Ford of Europe.

"W e regard it as our responsibility to offer our customers products that address the growing concerns about allergies. That's why w e aim to get as many as possible of our existing - and future - models certified to T???“V standards."

The T???“V certification assures that the car's interior materials were selected in order to minimise the allergy risk to the lowest possible level. The T???“V is an independent, authoritative German testing and assessment organisation that controls and certifies quality standards for industrial and consumer products.

An extensive series of scientifically verifiable tests was carried out on the new Mondeo. More than 100 of its materials and components were tested for harmful substances and allergy causing potential.

In addition, all components likely to have direct and prolonged skin contact such as the steering wheel and seat covers, floor mats and seat belts were dermatologically tested.

To achieve certification standards, Ford development engineers working on the interior specification of the new Mondeo decided to avoid using allergy-provoking materials such as latex, chrome and nickel.

Additionally, the vehicles are equipped with a high-performance pollen filter, which was also tested by the T???“V. The filter effectively prevents pollen ???‚¬??? a particular concern for allergy sufferers ???‚¬??? from entering the vehicle???‚¬?„?s interior.

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