Ford Announces Powertrain Enhancements for its European Lineup, Adds Stop/Start Technology

At this week's 2011 Brussels Motor Show in Belgium, Ford announced a series of powertrain enhancements that include the addition of Stop/Start technology for its European market Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy models, together with the introduction of an all-new 1.6-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel engine.

“The introduction of the new small-displacement diesel engine and of the Ford Auto-Start-Stop system is another important step towards even more sustainable mobility”, said Rolf Deges, Chief Program Engineer for Ford of Europe. “All through Europe there is a growing demand for frugal, smaller displacement powertrains and new technologies, and we are more than happy to address this demand with our new entries”.

Replacing the 115HP 2.0-liter diesel, the new 1.6-liter motor comes with a standard Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) producing 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque between 1,750-2,000 rpm.

“With this torque performance, it's now possible to have such a small displacement diesel engine driving even large cars like the Ford Galaxy in a more than appropriate way – and at very low fuel consumption”, said Deges.

Equipped with the new four-pot oil-burner, the Galaxy MPV's combined fuel economy is 5.4 lt/100 km (43.5 US mpg), while the Mondeo needs just 4.9 lt/100 km (48 US mpg).

Ford said these figures are also achieved by adding standard Ford ECOnetic Technologies features to the range, including Smart Regenerative Charging, the Ford Eco Mode driver information system and an Active Grille Shutter system. All of these technologies come as standard equipment on the new 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine.

In addition, the 1.6 TDCi variant can be paired with the Ford Auto-Start-Stop system, further improving fuel economy by as much as 10 percent in city driving and reducing CO2 emissions.

To better cope with the increased number of engine starts, the system features an enhanced starter motor, capable of firing up the powerplant in just 0.3 seconds after the driver presses the accelerator or clutch pedal.

The Ford Auto-Start-Stop system is also available in conjunction with the turbocharged 1.6-liter Ecoboost petrol engine.

Last but not least, the small diesel was also chosen to motivate the new Ford Mondeo ECOnetic after it was specially calibrated and coupled to modified a six-speed manual gearbox with a longer final drive.

Featuring a Start-Stop system, the Mondeo ECOnetic returns 54.7 US mpg (or 4.3 lt/100 km) in the combined cycle. Other special features include a lowered suspension and low rolling resistant tires.

The last item on Ford’s list is the Durashift 6-speed automatic transmission, which is optional for the 200HP 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel engine. Upgraded to withstand the 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) – 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) in overboost mode, the auto box helps the Mondeo achieve an average fuel consumption of 6.5 lt/100 km (36.2 US mpg).

“The combination of the 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi with the Durashift 6-tronic transmission is really a connoisseur's choice: it really delivers a powerful yet very relaxed and refined driving experience” Rolf Deges commented. “With these attributes in place, this combination is the perfect addition to our large car range, and supplements well to the already available combinations of the Ford PowerShift 6-speed double-wet clutch transmission with the 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi with 140 and 163 PS”.

'Green' Ford Mondeo ECOnetic with 45.2MPG 2.0-liter Turbo Diesel

Ford is enhancing its European range with the release of a more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, ECOnetic version of the Mondeo. Offered in five-door or estate form, the Mondeo ECOnetic is powered by an optimized 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine with 115HP that is linked to a six-speed manual transmission. Other improvements over the standard Mondeos include low-rolling resistance tires and an optimum gear change indicator, plus aerodynamics-enhancing sports suspension, air deflectors and a rear spoiler.

The result is a combined fuel economy of 54.3mpg UK (45.2mpg US or 5.2lt/100km), rising to 64.2mpg UK (53.5mpg US or 4.4lt/100km) in motorway cruising with CO2 emissions of 139g/km for both the liftback and station wagon models.

The new Ford Mondeo 2.0-litre ECOnetic is on sale now, with prices in the UK starting from £20,145 on-the-road.

Ford Launches Limited Edition Mondeo Estate Sport in Germany

What we have here is a new limited edition version of the Ford Mondeo Estate launched exclusively for the German market. Overall, Ford will offer 500 units of the Mondeo Sport Estate that can be equipped with three different engines, a 145HP 2.0-liter gasoline unit and two turbo diesels, the 140HP 2.0 Duratorq and the 175HP 2.2 Duratorq. What makes this version of the Mondeo special is the MS-Design front and rear bumper aluminum decors, the 17-inch alloy wheels, the tinted windows and the silver roof rails.

Inside, Ford has equipped the Mondeo Estate Sport with sport seats dressed in a combination of leather and cloth, aluminum pedals, decorative aluminum trim on the dashboard and instrument panel as well as a few more goodies. Prices for the limited edition Mondeo Estate start from €29,150.

Ford to Unveil Tri-Fuel Mondeo that runs on Gas, Ethanol and LPG at 2009 Leipzig Show

At the AMI Leipzig Motor Show in Germany that runs from March 28 to April 5, 2009, Ford will pull the covers off a new tri-fuel variant of the Mondeo capable of running on gasoline, bio-ethanol (E85) or any mix of these two, as well as on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). Available in four-door sedan, five-door liftback and in station wagon forms, the tri-fuel Mondeo uses a 2.0-liter Duratec petrol engine and comes equipped with two gas tanks, one with a volume of 70-liters for petrol and E85 and one with 48.8 liters (40 for the Estate) for LPG.

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According to Ford, the 2.0-liter Duratec engine produces an output of 145HP when running on petrol and/or E85, and 141HP on LPG. With LPG, the Mondeo Sedan and Liftback models can cover an estimated total of 460 km (286 miles) while the Estate, 380 km (236 miles), before running dry. When running on conventional fuel and/or E85, the Mondeo has a range of 850 km (529 miles), meaning that the combined range is over 1,200 km (746 miles).

Ford said that its tri-fuel Mondeo cars will go on sale in selected European markets from April with prices starting in Germany from €27,500 ($35,150 with today's rates). This means that the tri-fuel Mondeo is €250 cheaper than the comparable diesel-powered, Mondeo 2.0-liter TDCi 140HP.

(Photos: Standard Mondeo)