Ford gives Mondeo a discreet facelift

Ford is giving the Mondeo a facelift, but there is significant moves afoot under the bonnet. While there are 1,500 changes on the new version of the popular fleet car, the big news is the introduction of Ford's first direct-injection petrol engine, a 1.8-litre 130bhp Duratec SCi. Those latter letters stand for Smart Charge Injection, which offers improved economy, lower emissions and less noise than the standard 1.8-litre unit.

With the Mondeo at mid-point in its life cycle, the blue oval marque is keen to avoid any signs of mid-life madness that drives some of its owners to grab for a bottle of hair dye and a Hawaiian shirt. The Mondeo is being allowed to age with grace and the subtle exterior changes include extra chrome on the grille, trapezoid foglights and larger mirrors.

The SCi engine is similar to Audi's FSI technology or a common-rail diesel system, injecting fuel straight into the combustion chamber. Ford claims an improvement in fuel economy of 6-8 per cent, with a target of up to 39.2 mpg for the combined cycle.

It will be mated with the six-speed gearbox first used in the TDCi Mondeo earlier this year. This six-speed transmission will also be introduced in the new version of the powerhouse ST220, the 113bhp 2-litre TCDi, and the 2.5-litre V6. In other changes, Ford's 5-speed Durashift 5-tronic automatic now comes with steering wheel button shifting.