(Fri 11 Jun 10)

The Ford Mondeo range has been altered this week with regard to engines and transmissions. The two-litre Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel engine has been reworked to meet Euro 5 exhaust emissions standards, and for the first time is now available in three power outputs, namely 113bhp, 138bhp and 161bhp.

According to the official figures, Mondeos fitted with this engine in any form have combined fuel economy of 53.2mpg and a CO2 rating of 139g/km - good enough for Ford to have decided to delete the "low-CO2" ECOnetic model from the range. In the real world, however, it would be fair to suggest that the more powerful engines will also use more fuel.

In addition to the revised diesels, the Mondeo is now available with the EcoBoost two-litre turbo petrol unit also fitted to the S-MAX and Galaxy. This 200bhp unit gives the Mondeo a top speed of 144mph and a 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds, while fuel economy and CO2 emissions are 36.6mpg combined and 179g/km respectively. Prices start at £22,095 for the five-door fitted with this engine.

The EcoBoost comes as standard with Ford's PowerShift twin-clutch semi-automatic six-speed gearbox, which is also being offered (for an extra £1500) on the 138bhp and 161bhp diesels. The advantage of the system is that it changes gear by itself, though unlike other units provided by other manufacturers Ford admits that this one has a negative effect on the performance, fuel economy (roughly 3mpg) and CO2 emissions (10g/km).

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