MEET the most desirable Mondeo ever! Ford’s next-generation family favourite will bring new levels of style, luxury and efficiency to the market – and our exclusive images give a good idea of how it will look.

Following the latest Fiesta and imminent new Focus, the Mondeo will be a global car, with minor changes being made to suit individual markets around the world. It will also be built in a number of different countries, although design and engineering is taking place at Ford’s HQ in the US for the first time.

As our pictures show, the family resemblance to the new Focus is instantly apparent in the bold front, which features a much larger lower grille, swept-back headlights and pronounced ridges in the bonnet. At the rear, large chrome exhausts integrated into the bumper and a subtle bootlid spoiler hint at the Mondeo’s sporting potential. A chunky shoulder line with muscular wheelarches completes the purposeful appearance.

Inside will be Ford’s most luxurious interior ever, as the car attempts to move closer to upmarket rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. The firm’s SYNC system allows drivers to control virtually any portable media device through steering wheel buttons or voice recognition technology.

Power will come from Ford’s 1.6 and 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol turbo engines. In the current car, the latter produces 200bhp and returns 36mpg combined, while the 1.6 – found in the new C-MAX – will offer 150bhp and 180bhp outputs. Also available will be a range of 2.0 TDCi diesel models, with 112bhp, 137bhp or 163bhp.