Two new hybrid versions of the soon to be announced Mondeo will make up part of the line up. A regular hybrid and a plug in that will be called Energi. The Energi version is hoped to have emissions of less than 50g/km CO2 which undercuts emission requirements in Europe for several years to come. As a company car, the benefit in kind advantages of such emissions and its economy of over 80mpg are going to make the new Mondeo a strong contender. As a high mileage lease vehicle, figures like these will put it head and shoulders above the alternatives.
First tests of the standard Hybrid have reported real life use consumption of better than 65mpg and emissions of less than 98g/km CO2. Yet, the combination of a strong 2.0 petrol motor and the electric drive give the Mondeo a sporty feel in a well sorted chassis. The Energi is a heavier car as it has a larger battery to allow for a 20 mile range on battery only following a plug in charge. As emissions are an average of mixed basket use, the 50g figure is a fair representation.
Expect the new Mondeo at the end of 2014 with launches during the year. This is as much as a year behind schedule, due to factory disputes and production being moved.
Other additions to the engine range will be a 1.5 litre ecoboost petrol with two litre performance. We expect the 1.5 to have better economy and lower CO2 figures than the engines it will replace. Ford have not committed to whether the 1.0 Ecoboost engines will be used. In a Focus of similar mass, the engine is strong but marketing remains an issue.
One confirmed diesel has caught the eye already, a four-wheel drive with a dual clutch six speed auto. To commit to a model of this spec so early in a launch is unusual.