Until now Ford has been installing its 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine in small cars, but the company is pushing the boundaries by announcing that the EcoBoost will be available as one of the engine options for their redesigned 2013 Mondeo family car.
It’s easy to feel sorry for the Mondeo. It’s like one of those kids who keep coming home with top grades, yet their parents regard them as a great disappointment. Though the Mondeo sells well and often comes home with prizes for best car in its class, it does have something of a reputation as a boring car that’s more at home doing the supermarket run than the rally circuit. This is probably one reason why Ford has completely redesigned it five times since it was introduced in 1993.
The latest generation was introduced at the 2012 North American International Auto Show with Ford pulling out the stops to put in a bit of excitement and make people forget that at the end of the day the Mondeo is still a family car. Now Ford is going under the bonnet and replacing the line’s old V6 3.0-liter engine with three new ones led by Ford’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
Voted the 2012 “International Engine of the Year,” the EcoBoost is a family of direct injection petrol engines developed by Ford to deliver the same power as larger engines, yet with 20 percent better mileage. The three-cylinder direct injection turbocharged 1.0-liter engine has independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT), an offset camshaft and comes in two versions - the 99 bhp (74 kW) and the 123 bhp (92 kw).
Also available in two versions, the 2013 Mondeo comes as a four door and a five door, which has been developed for the European market. Few performance stats have been released, though Ford says that the Mondeo will have the best mileage in its class. However, such a small engine as the EcoBoost seems to us to be a bit anemic for a car that is likely to weigh in the vicinity of 3,300 pounds (1,500 kg) going by the current model specs.
Aside from the EcoBoost, there will be a petrol Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) with a 2.0-litre petrol engine backed by a 35 kW lithium-ion battery and there’s a diesel all-wheel drive that Ford says provides “superior traction, performance and handling.”
Ford puts a great deal of emphasis on styling with the new Mondeo, saying that its sports coupe profile provides “visual lightness.” The lines are more angular than previous versions with a sharper crease along the side breaking the lines and providing a bit of visual flair. Up front, there’s a trapezoidal grille like something stolen off an Aston Martin and a power-dome bonnet provides some accents. In addition, the Mondeo now has automatic LED headlamps that turn with the steering and adapt beam projection to vehicle speed. The only real sour note is that the five-door version looks overheavy and bit ungainly from certain angles.
The interior of the Mondeo is dominated by soft-touch materials and premium finishes. Gadgets include the voice-activated SYNC with with MyFord Touch and an eight-inch color touchscreen plus the ability to act as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to five devices. For safety, the Mondeo is the first European Ford to have inflatable rear seat belts that expand on impact.
No retail price has yet been announced.
Source: Ford
