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Ford developing radical experimental powertrain for Mondeo – UPDATED

Breaking: While Ford is still to confirm an arrival date for the new Mondeo Hybrid to the Australian market, footage has emerged of Ford testing even more advanced drive options at the You Yangs Proving Ground near Melbourne.


Discovered in a shared folder of media images for the upcoming Mondeo launch was a short video depicting the medium sedan undergoing tests with an experimental propulsion system.

The Mondeo seems to be fitted with a form of hover capability, not unlike VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft. The wheels rotate to provide lift direction, hinting at changes to the suspension and steering systems.

CarAdvice reached out to Ford Australia for comment, but the clip was swiftly removed from the folder and its existence denied.

This isn't the first time 'air cushion'  technology has been investigated for automotive use, an experimental 'Hover Rover' was developed in 1962.

We recently reported on Ford setting up a global research and development facility in Silicon Valley, so this low-friction driveline is potentially one facet of this program.

We'll update this story as information comes to hand.

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UPDATE: Happy April Fools' Day everyone!

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James Ward

With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.

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