Ford Mondeo goes high-tech

The new-generation Ford Mondeo promises to take the medium car segment by storm, championing ultra-efficient turbo-petrol and diesel engines, inflatable rear seat belts, dual-clutch gearboxes and more when it arrives in Australia early in 2015.

Although pricing and engine specifications are still unclear, Ford has today confirmed two body styles (wagon and hatch) will be offered in three trim levels – Ambiente, Trend and top-shelf Titanium – for the new-generation Mondeo.

The Mondeo launched in right-hand drive recently in the UK but has been available in the USA as the Ford Fusion since 2012, when it premiered at that year's Detroit motor show.

Expected to take over family car duties for the Blue Oval brand beyond 2016 once the Falcon FG X ceases production, Ford Australia will equip all Mondeo cars with inflatable rear seat belts as standard, a first for the company and a non-premium vehicle. They work like regular seat belts but can inflate in 40 milliseconds, reducing ribcage strain and possible injury during impacts.

Mondeo promises to outdo its rivals in terms of standard equipment, which we can confirm will include a driver impairment monitor that detects and warns if the driver is becoming fatigued, along with Ford's MyKey system that can lock certain cars functions and limit its speed, which is being pitched at parents whose children may drive the vehicle.

All Ford Mondeos will gain the SYNC2 infotainment system (which includes voice control tailored to Aussie accents). The SYNC2 system also includes satellite navigation, an 8-inch touch screen, along with in-depth smart phone integration.

Ford's Emergency Assistance program will be standard equipment, using Bluetooth paired phones to call emergency operators if the airbags go off. A push-button electronic park brake and a Getrag dual-clutch automatic 'PowerShift' transmission featuring steering wheel paddle shifters are also standard.

Some of the optional technology confirmed for Australian Mondeo models includes lane keeping aid which can detect if the car leaves its lane and then steers it back on course. Radar-based adaptive cruise control can automatically accelerate and brake the car while autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection will be available, able to slam on the brakes at speeds below 30km/h if it detects an imminent collision.

The Mondeo can can also map out and then steer itself into parallel and reverse parks, handy for tight spots.

Ford has not yet announced which engines will be offered with Mondeos coming to Australia, but the days of six- and eight-cylinder engines enjoyed by the Falcon are well and truly over.

The car-maker has confirmed both turbo-petrol and petrol models will be offered, and there's a smorgasbord of options, starting with the Fiesta's tiny 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. More likely petrol options for the Australian market are 1.5- and 2.0-litre EcoBoost engines, as are 1.6- and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel mills.

The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is likely to be the sole turbo-diesel offering and has three output levels, 110kW, 132kW and 154kW. Ford asserts it will offer a Mondeo that consumes less fuel than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, which is rated at 5.2L/100km.

"The new Mondeo Hatch Duratorq diesel is set to offer better economy than Camry Hybrid with no compromise on performance," reads the Ford press statement.

Eight colours will be available to Australian buyers: Magnetic, Ruby Red, Blazer Blue, White Platinum Tri-Coat, Frozen White, Deep Impact Blue, Moondust Silver and Panther Black. The metallic brown colour pictured is the Mondeo Vignale luxury model, which is not yet confirmed for the local market.

Ford Australia states that "pricing and engine specifications will be announced closer to launch" in early 2015. The Ford Mondeo currently retails for between $31,490 and $48,490 and is the third most popular medium car in Australia with 2722 sales thus far in 2014.

The Mazda6 has netted 5035 customers, and the Toyota Camry has sold 17,689 units for the year so far, although around 80 per cent of Camry sales are to businesses/fleets.