The Mondeo did sell here...it was called the Contour. The reason it didnt sell was because it was an awkward fit in fords lineup. the had a midsize taurus, a full size Crown Vic, anothe mid-size contour, a compact escort...Damn, how many passenger can you make? The contour was bigger than an escort, but smaller than a taurus. The price was also in between the two....buyers were split on what to buy, spend a little more for bigger tauru or save a little for the cheaper escort....p.s. I bought my 2000 Contour SVT in feb of '01....sticker was $23K no dealer EVER marks down an SVT product...I paid $19K OTD for it. Ordered from an SVT dealer in Georgia who went out of business.
FWIW the focus is fords best selling car in the world. The F-150 is the best selling truck and the focus is their hottest car. I highly doubt ford would risk goobing up heir hottest commodity.
p.s. Wait for the new focus RS and see what you think about th style then.