Ford has dropped its strongest hint yet that it may use the popular 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine on the new Mondeo when it arrives in the UK in 2013.
The engine made its debut in the Focus and has totalled around 30% of all current generation Focus sales to date and this week a Ford spokesman revealed to Parkers that it was testing the turbocharged engine in the Mondeo.
Although the power output is unconfirmed we expect that the new Mondeo will have two versions of the 1.0 litre engine and it could be offered in single and twin-turbo forms. With an expected power range from around 120bhp to 170bhp the Mondeo is likely to have enough pulling power to satisfy most company car drivers.
A simplification of the new Mondeo range is also on the cards with Ford set to drop two diesel engines (the 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre TDCi in due course) and limit its diesel offering to a new 1.5-litre engine developed in partnership with PSA Peugeot-Citroën.
This diesel engine is available in the Ford B-Max and has a claimed average of 68.9mpg in the Fiesta sized MPV while it emits 109g/km of C02 emissions. We expect similar figures from the 1.5-litre when it arrives on the next-generation Mondeo.
Ford is following the downsizing trend to lower emissions and improve fuel economy across its range of vehicles. This downsizing trend is not new. Fiat was the first maker to downsize on a large scale with its range of three-cylinder TwinAir engines. These can be seen in the Fiat 500 and more recently in the Fiat Punto.
