Sector: Upper Medium Price: €34,950 Fuel: 4.2l/100km CO2: 99g/km

Press the start button in the Mondeo Hybrid and something unusual happens – it’s silent. We’ve become so used to Ford’s fleet stalwart rumbling into life with the clatter of a cold diesel engine that the silence of an electric drive almost seems incongruous. It’s rather nice, too.

This won’t make diesel Mondeos obsolete, but it’s an interesting proposition. Fuel economy of 4.2l/100km with CO2 emissions at 99g/km are both respectable in this segment, particularly in a car producing 187hp. But can it compete in a segment which, in Europe at least, is dominated by diesel engines?

Electrification is joining the Mondeo range almost as an offshoot of Ford’s ‘world car’ plans. So this is essentially the same saloon sold in North America as the Fusion, a market where diesel penetration is tiny and hybrids hold up the economy-focused end of the sector. Ford hasn’t brought the plug-in version to Europe, but clearly it sees space for a petrol-hybrid in the range.

It isn’t just a rebadged Fusion, though. Built in Europe, the Mondeo features a 2.0-litre petrol engine instead of the 2.5-litre used in the Fusion, but with the same continuously variable transmission and two electric motors. One lessens the load on the petrol engine, the other works as a generator, charging the lithium-ion battery in the boot.

The drivetrain works seamlessly, with a smooth handover of power between electric-only and petrol drivetrains, with the latter making barely more than a whirr when driven gently. Soft suspension, small wheels and a lack of wind and road noise – doubly impressive with such a quiet drivetrain – make it an exceptionally relaxed long-distance car.

Like most hybrids, this is best suited to town driving, but the Mondeo doesn’t disappoint on the motorway. It can drive electrically at up to 140kph with gentle use of the throttle, and screens either side of the instrument cluster give advice on efficient driving. Brake gently to charge the battery, keep the power bar within the white box to avoid burning fuel, and it rewards with fuel consumption that’s easily below 5.0l/100km.

However, that’s achieved by sacrificing the eager performance of a diesel engine. This delivers its power in yawns, accompanied by a dull drone from the engine as the transmission revs it for extra kilowatts. It’s not a pleasant car to drive quickly, but that’s not the point.

Otherwise, its appeal is curbed slightly by its saloon-only range and the battery compartment which takes up a large section of the boot. The cabin, while neither uncomfortable nor badly built, feels more like a Japanese saloon than a European Ford with its plentiful use of shiny grey plastic panels.

The Mondeo is so ubiquitous in fleet that it’s an entirely known quantity, which makes the hybrid a refreshing proposition. It’s not a car for heavy-footed diesel drivers, but it’s one of the segment’s most refined long-distance cruisers short of a premium badge, and genuinely fuel efficient with it. Features which make some gentle-footed cruising very worthwhile. 

Verdict:

A brave move on Ford’s part considering even Toyota doesn’t offer a hybrid Avensis, but with clever technology and no price premium over a diesel, it can hold its own.