New Ford Mondeo 2019: price, specification and release date

A refreshed Ford Mondeo has been unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show. The revisions are aimed at giving the model a sales boost with new styling, improved driving aids, a new diesel engine and the arrival of a hybrid estate.

The exterior makeover is subtle, but includes a new grille for a 'deeper visual effect', C-shaped rear lights intersected with chrome or satin silver trim and a selection of new alloy wheels. ST-Line versions get a black grille, while the top Vignale trim has a silver 'flying-V' grille.

There are also new fog lights and bumpers, with front winglets for ST-Line models. More colours have been added to the range, including the Vignale-specific Blue Panther and ST-Line-only Stealth Grey.

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Inside, the most noticeable change is to a rotary gear selector for models equipped with Ford's latest automatic gearbox, creating more storage space in the centre console and providing room for a USB port. The fit and finish has come in for attention too, with Ford saying it has been improved for an "even more premium feel".

The new Ford Mondeo has previously been spotted undergoing winter testing, with a light disguise, that led us to believe it would not look radically different from the old one, inside or out.

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The car’s official launch does confirm some significant mechanical changes, however, including the arrival of a new 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel with either 148 or 187bhp and a standard six-speed manual gearbox. This can also be fitted with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. Fuel-efficiency figures haven't been confirmed yet, but emissions are 127 and 133g/km for the low and high-powered versions respectively. These will sit alongside the existing 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol with 163bhp that emits 150g/km of CO2.

The Ford Mondeo Estate will also get hybrid technology for the first time, with the same 2.0-litre petrol, electric motor and battery setup as the saloon. Maximum power is 184bhp, and the self-charging system allows electric running for short distances, such as when pulling off in stop-start traffic.

Hybrid technology does have an impact on boot space, though, with 403 litres behind the rear seats (and beneath the cargo cover), expanding to 1,508 with them folded down. The pre-facelift Mondeo with a diesel or petrol engine has a 525-litre boot.

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The arrival of a new automatic gearbox has also enabled Ford to add 'Stop & Go', a driver aid that allows the cruise control to bring the Mondeo to a halt in traffic and pull away again (if stopped for less than three seconds). It will also gain Ford's Intelligent Speed Limiter that automatically adjusts the top speed with the limiter engaged according to road signs picked up by its Traffic Sign Recognition system.

New Ford Mondeo price and on-sale date

Ford has yet to announce a precise date for the revised Mondeo UK showrooms, but it will be some time in early to mid-2019. P The refreshed Mondeo goes on sale in March, with prices starting from £21,995 for the Mondeo Zetec Edition, while the Titanium Edition will cost from £24,095 or around £28,000 for the Titanium Edition Hybrid. The Hybrid will also be available in Vignale trim, costing from £31,425.

Ford Mondeo Hybrid technology

Previously available only in four-door saloon form, the Mondeo Hybrid can be chosen in standard specification or as a luxuriously equipped Vignale. It has now been confirmed that the hybrid will also be available as an estate version to serve those who regularly carry bulky loads.

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Ford is known to be investing $11bn in electrified powertrain development and plans to introduce 40 electrified vehicles to world markets by 2022. Of these, 16 are planned to be fully electric. The Mondeo Hybrid combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine that favours fuel-efficiency rather than maximum power with and electric motor for extra oomph.

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The motor is supplied with electricity from a 1.4kWh lithium-ion battery behind the rear seats. Regenerative braking technology is used to top the battery up using energy that would otherwise be wasted when decelerating – it's claimed to recover up to 90% of that energy.

Combined, the petrol and electric engine provide 184bhp. An all-electric driving mode is available for short, near-silent urban trips, and Ford claims that the car's continuously variable transmission (CVT) gearbox makes stop-start driving relaxed and fuel-efficient.

To further reduce fuel-burning mechanical drag, the air-conditioning system is electrically powered, rather than mechanically driven, and Ford's 'Smartgauge' helps you monitor fuel and energy consumption.

Ford claims a fuel consumption figure of 64.2mpg for the revised Mondeo Hybrid, as well as 101g/km CO2 emissions.

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