Photo: CarPix
After the first sighting in March 2018 in Sweden, Ford is out testing the Mondeo facelift once again. This time around, the Blue Oval took the European brother of the Fusion to Spain, and for a change, we caught the station wagon instead of the sedan model.
Expected to launch in 2019, the mid-cycle refresh of the Mondeo from the fourth generation will be assembled in Almussafes, Valencia. The plant, as if it wasn’t obvious enough, is located in Spain. To this effect, there’s no coincidence whatsoever the pre-production mule was caught on camera in this part of the world.
What we’re looking at is the Titanium trim level without the full-LED adaptive headlamps, complete with a chrome strip connecting the taillamps. For some reason or other, Germany and the United Kingdom offer the Mondeo with the full-width stip while the rest of Europe is still waiting on the refresh to go official.
Even though the exterior changes are nothing to write home about, there’s more happening under the skin of the 2019 Ford Mondeo. First and foremost, the engine lineup will welcome the 2.0-liter EcoBlue turbo diesel and the 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo we tested on the Fiesta RS. The Focus is available with the 1.5 as well, but with lesser outputs than the engine in the subcompact hot hatchback.
Speaking of the 1.5-liter EcoBoost codenamed L Dragon, this engine has been developed for an eight-speed automatic transmission of the torque-converter type. The transmission is similar in design to the ones in the Edge, Transit Connect, and Lincoln Nautilus, with Ford rejecting the General Motors-developed 9T50 nine-speed automatic from the Hydra-Matic family.
A few Focus-derived upgrades can be expected inside the Mondeo, as well as the latest suite of driver-assist and safety systems. Ford calls the latter Co-Pilot 360, and as you would expect from such a pompous name, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection is included.
On that note, the Fusion will be replaced in the United States no later than 2021, with the sedan making room for a Fusion-based station wagon that will borrow a lot from the European model. Being developed as an all-road vehicle, expect the newcomer to be described as a crossover instead of a good ol’ station wagon.
What we’re looking at is the Titanium trim level without the full-LED adaptive headlamps, complete with a chrome strip connecting the taillamps. For some reason or other, Germany and the United Kingdom offer the Mondeo with the full-width stip while the rest of Europe is still waiting on the refresh to go official.
Even though the exterior changes are nothing to write home about, there’s more happening under the skin of the 2019 Ford Mondeo. First and foremost, the engine lineup will welcome the 2.0-liter EcoBlue turbo diesel and the 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo we tested on the Fiesta RS. The Focus is available with the 1.5 as well, but with lesser outputs than the engine in the subcompact hot hatchback.
Speaking of the 1.5-liter EcoBoost codenamed L Dragon, this engine has been developed for an eight-speed automatic transmission of the torque-converter type. The transmission is similar in design to the ones in the Edge, Transit Connect, and Lincoln Nautilus, with Ford rejecting the General Motors-developed 9T50 nine-speed automatic from the Hydra-Matic family.
A few Focus-derived upgrades can be expected inside the Mondeo, as well as the latest suite of driver-assist and safety systems. Ford calls the latter Co-Pilot 360, and as you would expect from such a pompous name, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection is included.
On that note, the Fusion will be replaced in the United States no later than 2021, with the sedan making room for a Fusion-based station wagon that will borrow a lot from the European model. Being developed as an all-road vehicle, expect the newcomer to be described as a crossover instead of a good ol’ station wagon.
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