Flexible friend

Ford has a wide range of engine choices for its Mondeo, expanded more recently with the introduction of the new Flexi-Fuel (FFV) models. There are now three engine types to choose from: petrol, diesel and FFV, the latter now price competitive with the diesel option. This new Mondeo FFV joins the existing 1.8-litre Focus and C-Max FFV models, and can, like them, run on E85 Bio-ethanol or regular 95-octane unleaded petrol in any combination. Saab and Volvo also have cars in their respective ranges that can run on E85. E85 is not that widely available as a fuel, with Maxol offering the most availability in Ireland. It"s is an environmentally friendly fuel that provides an overall saving in CO2 emissions of up to 70 per cent compared to its petrol equivalent. Maxol sources the bulk of its bio-ethanol from the Carbery Group in Cork, which manufactures bio-ethanol from whey, a milk derivative and a by-product of its cheese manufacturing process. This fuel is cheaper than petrol or diesel, typically 15 to 20 per cent cheaper than unleaded petrol and is now available at over 20 Maxol petrol stations across the country. The test Mondeo FFV that I had on the road recently came with a tweaked version of Ford"s existing 145bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine. This engine is rated to match the power performance of the 2.0 litre TDCi Mondeo diesel while using a lower priced fuel. Ford claims that the FFV Mondeo, when running on the E85 fuel, will lower its carbon emission levels by 85 per cent compared with the equivalent 2.0 litre petrol engine model. This FFV model comes with the bonus of a special tax rebate for bio-fuel cars, which helps to keep the new car price competitive. There is an admission that E85 as a fuel gives a slightly less efficient performance than regular unleaded petrol which, in turn, is less economical than diesel. Ford claims that, in the Mondeo, the fuel is 30 per cent thermally less efficient so that, in practical terms, fuel economy figures are equivalent to a petrol-powered car. That more or less equals out the running costs as the fuel is about 20 per cent cheaper at the pumps. The advantage of the FFV system is that, if E85 bio-fuel is unavailable, you can always top up with unleaded petrol anywhere in the country. And when you run on petrol, which will be the more expensive fuel option, you get a slightly better engine performance, so there are no downsides. I expected that the FFV fuel models would have a lower CO2 emissions level and that does not appear to be the case. Ford is publishing a figure of 189g/km CO2 for the Mondeo FFV as well as the standard 2.0 litre petrol engine. That puts the Mondeo FFV into Band E in the road tax rating, pushing its motor tax costs up to €600, which is a far more expensive cost than the diesel-powered model. The Ford Mondeo is a big car and the test car came to the top Titanium specification. This gives a range of features, including push-button start and attractive styling. In my opinion, the new Mondeo is one of the best cars around in terms of features, style, comfort and space. The FFV engine power was more in the adequate sphere when it came to powering this Mondeo. The five-speed gearbox was used as against six speeds in the diesel models, limiting the cruising scope of the FFV model just a little. The entry price of the Mondeo FFV in LX styling is €28,815, which is a competitive price for a large 2.0 litre car. That price includes a rebate over the straight petrol model of about €2,000 as part of the Government"s initiative to increase the use of bio-fuels. The car is about €2,000 more expensive than the entry 1.6 litre petrol-powered Mondeo, which is a good performer - if marginally slower in acceleration terms. Most Mondeo buyers will opt for the Zetec specification and here the price difference between the 2.0 litre FFV and diesel models is not that significant. The FFV Mondeo is almost a match for the 2.0 litre diesel model in acceleration terms, so this provides a better comparison. The diesel power wins out in fuel economy terms, while running costs should be almost equivalent as the E85 fuel is significantly cheaper than current diesel prices. From a driving point of view, there is no great difference between an FFV-powered Mondeo and a petrol-powered one. The 2.0 litre FFV car seemed a little slower than I would have expected. The combination of 2.0 litre FFV and a five-speed gearbox seemed to limit its flexibility, which is probably a function of the engine performance. If you want to do your bit for the environment, supporting a home-grown bio-fuel industry while keeping an eye on running costs, then take the FFV route.