Ford New Zealand recently announced that the new 2011 Mondeo will officially go on sale on April 1. Ford says a host of product enrichments will bolster the revised for 2011 Mondeo, which it says is a model range renowned for its blend of styling, comfort, ride and performance. A fuel efficient turbo diesel and new safety features head the list of changes, along with new equipment and enhancements to exterior and interior styling.
“We’re very excited about the new Mondeo,” says Ford New Zealand managing director Trevor Auger.  “It’s been a very popular vehicle in New Zealand and with these enhancements we can only expect that popularity to grow.” 
The 2011 Mondeo will continue to offer New Zealand customers the choice of four-cylinder petrol and turbo-diesel power. Three grades of trim are available, LX, Zetec and Titanium. The 2011 Mondeo is available only as a hatch or a wagon because the sedan has been discontinued in the UK and Australia.
Turbo-diesel power will come from Ford’s 2.0-litre Duratorq 16-valve turbo-diesel engine – available across the Mondeo range including both hatch and wagon. This unit has a fuel consumption rate of only 5.6-litres per 100km – a 21 percent improvement on the previous Mondeo and now more fuel-efficient than a Toyota Camry Hybrid. It produces power and torque levels of 120kW and 340Nm.
Mondeo petrol models will feature Ford’s 2.3-litre Duratec engine. The 16-valve unit produces a peak power level of 118kW and a maximum torque of 208Nm. Combined-cycle fuel consumption is 9.3-litres per 100km.
Partnering the diesel engine is Ford’s PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission. The PowerShift six-speed automatic is a technically sophisticated gearbox using dual clutch technology. Ford says this gearbox delivers the best of both worlds: the fuel economy and responsiveness of a manual and the convenience of an automatic.
A six-speed torque-convertor-equipped automatic transmission backs the petrol power unit.
Underlining Mondeo’s technologies will be the addition of several new safety-related functions, many of which are typically found in far more expensive automotive brands.
These new features are:
• Collision mitigation – if a collision appears imminent, collision mitigation will automatically start braking. The system remains passive as the driver takes control first, ensuring the driver is in control. (Available on Mondeo Titanium)
• Driver alert – on-board driver drowsiness detection system which calculates specific driving parameters to monitor driver vigilance and alertness. (Available on Mondeo Titanium)
• Adaptive cruise control – cruise control that automatically ‘adapts’ the car’s speed to keep your chosen distance from the car in front. Should the car in front slow down, your speed drops. When traffic speeds up, you automatically return to your cruising speed.  (Available on Mondeo Titanium)
• Adaptive front lighting system with cornering headlights – based on your car’s speed and how much you turn the steering wheel, the lights will swivel to illuminate the road as you travel around a corner. (Available on Mondeo Titanium)
• Lane departure warning– a camera-based system which monitors the road ahead and warns the driver if their car unintentionally wanders out of its road lane. (Available on Mondeo Titanium

• Adjustable speed limiting device – this simple switch mounted on the indicator stalk allows the driver to set the car’s maximum speed when driving. (available on all diesel models)
• Automatic high beam headlights – this system constantly assesses the ambient light ahead of the vehicle and automatically adjusts the headlights from main- to high-beam when conditions become dark enough. Conversely, when lights from an oncoming car are detected, the system automatically switches back from high- to main-beam. (Available on Mondeo Titanium)
• Blind spot information system – detects vehicles travelling in the driver’s visual blind spots. This system uses two bumper-mounted radars to detect vehicles in these locations and alerts the driver with a warning light in the corresponding rear-vision mirror. (Available on Mondeo Titanium)
• LED day time running lights – these two striking arrays of LEDs (Light-emitting Diodes) are fitted to the front of the car; not only do they add impressive visual cues but they enhance the car’s visibility to other road users. (Available on Mondeo Titanium)
These features join Mondeo’s standard five-star ANCAP safety arsenal which includes seven airbags (including side curtain airbags and a driver’s knee bag), dynamic stability control (DSC) and emergency brake assist (EBA).