Ford Mondeo secrets revealed

Ford Australia's new-generation Mondeo will arrive early next year with a range of advanced features and three frugal engines including a hybrid-beating diesel.

A pair of 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder EcoBoost engines will be offered, worth 149kW and 177kW respectively, and the range-topping 2.0-litre EcoBoost will be reserved for mid- and top-grade models.

However, it's the optional 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that leads the fuel efficiency race, pumping out a healthy 132kW/400Nm but using fuel at a rate of just 5.1L/100km in the hatch – less than the Toyota Camry Hybrid (5.2L/100km). Diesel-powered wagon variants are slightly thirstier at 5.3L/100km.

All models are front-wheel drive, with power finding its way to the wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which also contributes to the Mondeo's low fuel consumption results. The pair of EcoBoost petrol engines consumes 8.2 and 8.5L/100km respectively for the 149kW and 177kW versions.

Set to become Ford Australia's largest passenger car when the Falcon is axed in two years, the new Mondeo will be offered in three trim levels – Ambiente, Trend, Titanium – and in two body types (hatch and wagon).

As previously reported, the Mondeo will benefit from a range of class-leading safety technology, including inflatable seatbelts for rear-seat passengers, which will be standard across the range.

Like the upgraded Falcon and Territory released this month, all Mondeo models will come standard with Ford's latest SYNC2 infotainment system with 8.0-inch touch-screen, Emergency Assistance, digital radio, smartphone integration and fine-tuned voice recognition specifically tailored to understand Australian accents.

Unlike Ford's homegrown models, the Mondeo will also come with an electric park brake and steering wheel gearshift paddles.

It will also be offered with a range of automatic driver aids that can accelerate, brake and even steer the car without any driver intervention. Like Holden's Commodore, the flagship Mondeo will also be able to park itself.

Standard on the mid-range Trend is autonomous emergency braking (Active City Stop), which will apply the brakes at speeds of up to 40km/h to "mitigate" collisions, and radar-based adaptive cruise control that will accelerate and brake the car.

Advanced driver aids limited only to the top-spec Titanium include an active lane-keeping assistant that will warn drivers if they wander from their lane and even steer the car back into its lane, plus blind-spot monitoring and adaptive LED headlights.

The mid-size car will be offered in eight exterior colours: Magnetic, Ruby Red, Blazer Blue, White Platinum Tri-Coat, Frozen White, Deep Impact Blue, Moondust Silver and Panther Black.

Right-hand drive versions of the Mondeo went on sale recently in the UK, however, the vehicle has been selling in the US since 2012, when it premiered at that year's Detroit motor show as the Ford Fusion.

Although Ford has confirmed the model range and equipment levels, it's still yet to put a pricetag on the new mid-sizer, which will rival vehicles such as Toyota's locally-built (until 2017) Camry, the Mazda6 and Honda Accord, all of which start at just over $30,000.

Standard features for the Mondeo model range is as follows:

Ambiente
16-inch alloy wheels
Projector headlights
Daytime running lights
Fog lights
Front/rear parking sensors
LED tail-lights
Rear privacy glass
Active grille shutters (diesel only)
Powered, heated mirrors
Follow-me-home lighting
Hill Launch Assist
Load-levelling suspension (Ambiente and Trend wagon models only)
Electric park brake
Cruise control with speed limiter
Dual-zone climate-control
Leather-clad steering wheel and gear shifter
Paddle shifters
Auto open/close windows
Cloth seat trim
60/40-split folding rear seat
Driver's lumbar adjustment
SYNC2 with Emergency Assistance
High-resolution 8.0-inch colour touch-screen
Bluetooth with audio streaming
Voice control for phone, music, climate and navigation
Satellite-navigation with ‘One Shot’ destination entry via voice
DAB+ digital radio
USB, RCA, SD inputs
Inflatable rear seatbelts
Ford MyKey
Power child locks
Beltminder with driver display – all seats
Driver and front passenger airbags
Thorax and curtain airbags
Driver's knee airbag
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
Electronic brake-force distribution (EBD)
Traction control system (TCS)
Emergency brake assist (EBA)
Dynamic stability control (DSC)

Trend adds:
17-inch alloy wheels
Dual exhaust outlets
Puddle lamps
Auto-fold exterior mirrors
Keyless entry
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Push-button start
10-way power-adjustable front seats
Driver's seat memory
Heated front seats
Power front lumbar adjustment
Auto headlights
Auto high-beam
Rain-sensing wipers
Partial leather seat trim
Reversing camera
Adaptive cruise control
Active City Stop

Titanium adds:
LED DRLs
18-inch alloy wheels
Bodykit – front/side skirts
Powered tailgate (wagon)
Adaptive suspension
Adaptive LED headlights
Dynamic headlight levelling
Fixed panoramic roof (hatch)
Powered panoramic roof (wagon)
Driver's electrochromatic mirror
Sports seats
Full leather seat trim
Heated rear seats
Multi-colour ambient lighting
Scuff plates
Power reach/rake-adjustable steering wheel
Aluminium pedal covers
Blind spot detection
Enhanced Active Park Assist
Lane Keeping Aid + Assist (LKA)
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
Driver Impairment Monitor (DIM)