Ford has announced a few updates to its cars in conjunction with the Geneva show that’s coming up very soon at the end of this month. First, the Kuga’s 2.0 litre Duratorq TDCi engine has been updated to a new model that produces 163 PS instead of the 136 PS version that it previously had. This brings down the car’s 0 to 100km/h acceleration time from 10.7 seconds down to 9.6 seconds.

Next, the Mondeo gets a new 2.0 litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes a very nice 203 PS. It comes standard with the 6-speed Powershift twin clutch transmission. Ford doesn’t really say if this engine replaces anything in the Mondeo engine line-up but looking at power output, it slots neatly between the 2.3 litre Duratec HE with 161 PS and the Volvo-sourced 2.5 litre 5-cylinder Duratec with 220 PS. The 2.0 litre Duratorq engine in the Mondeo also gets the new 163 PS model, which means the Mondeo 2.0 TDCi is now available in three power outputs – 115 PS, 140 PS and the new 163 PS. The range topping diesel Mondeo is the 2.2 litre Duratorq making 175 PS.

I wonder if the fact that Ford has squeezed at least 163 PS out of their 2.0 litre Duratorq engine means that we can do the same with our Focus TDCi with some rechipping. That would be quite an interesting take on an actual affordable ‘hot hatch’ for Malaysia.