Facelifted Ford Mondeo not coming after all

The facelifted Ford Mondeo won’t come Down Under as previously planned and nor will it become available in hybrid or ST-Line form; instead Ford Australia has added extra standard features in a reduced model range.

First revealed in January, the upgraded Mondeo hatch and wagon line-up has been available in Europe since March, bringing a range of cosmetic and technical updates including a sporty new ST-Line variant and a hybrid wagon for the first time (pictured).

In Australia – where the Mondeo was first launched in 1996, dropped in 2001, reinstated in 2007 and then relaunched in fourth-generation form in April 2015 – the current range has been culled from 10 to six variants following the axing of top-shelf Titanium variants and the mid-range Trend wagon.

That leaves just the Trend hatch as the Mondeo flagship, alongside the entry-level Ambiente hatch and wagon, both of which recently received alloy wheels and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard.

Four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines continue to be available for the three remaining variants of the long-running mid-sizer, which is still Ford of Europe’s flagship passenger model but is no longer available in North America, where it was known as the Fusion.

However, Australians will miss out on Europe’s new 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine, which replaces the existing 132kW unit, is available in 110kW and 140kW forms, is offered with all-wheel drive in some markets and comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission instead a six-speed dual-clutch Powershift auto.

Also new to the Euro Mondeo is semi-autonomous adaptive cruise control with stop/go functionality, a Jaguar-style rotary controller for auto models as seen in the Focus, new alloy wheel designs, fresh paint colours, upgraded interior materials and a revised frond-end design.

For the first time, the wagon is available with the Mondeo’s hybrid powertrain, which combines a 137kW 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a small 1.4kWh lithium-ion battery to reduce average fuel consumption to 4.4L/100km.

Ford Australia had planned to import the Mondeo hybrid as long ago as 2014 as a direct rival for the Toyota Camry Hybrid, but has now confirmed the new Escape plug-in hybrid will be its first electrified model, in mid-2020.

And while the luxurious Vignale was never seriously on the radar for Australia, a sporty new ST-Line version was on the cards and is now available in New Zealand.

Ford Australia boss Kay Hart told carsales in December 2018 that, despite the declining mid-size car market, the facelifted Mondeo would be released here this year, albeit with a reduced model range.

“Right now, we feel we still believe we have a play with Mondeo, but we will continue to evaluate as we go through and watch the industry and segment specifically,” said Hart at the time.

But Ford Australia spokesman Damion Smy this week confirmed the facelifted Mondeo won’t be coming Down Under, where and mildly upgraded and reduced model range remains available for the foreseeable future.

“The Mondeo remains an important part of our Australian line-up, and adding AEB with pedestrian detection as standard on both hatch and wagon is another step in our commitment to safety and customer feedback,” he said.

“Mondeo remains a spacious, comfortable and tech-laden model as we go into 2020.”

The latest Mondeo is built exclusively in Valencia, Spain and produced in both pre- and post-facelift form for a variety of markets.

Ford Australia’s decision to invest in more profitable sales sectors such as dual-cab 4x4 utes, SUVs and sports cars is not surprising given the decline in the mainstream mid-size car segment, which is down another 10 per cent this year.

The Toyota Camry continues to dominate sales ahead of the Mazda6, Skoda Octavia, Subaru Liberty, Volkswagen Passat, Hyundai Sonata and the Mondeo, sales of which are 66 per cent down in 2019.

Only the Honda Accord, which will finally be replaced this month, the Hyundai i40, which has been axed, and the Kia Optima, which will soon be axed, are less popular in the segment.

Medium cars discontinued in recent times include the Nissan Altima, Holden Malibu, Suzuki Kizashi and Citroen C5.

With just over 600 registrations so far this year, the Mondeo is now Ford Australia’s second slowest seller, behind the Ranger, Everest, Mustang, Focus, Escape, Transit Custom, Endura and Transit, and ahead of only the EcoSport.