2013 Ford Mondeo launches in China. UK & Europe still waiting.

With the UK and Europe having to wait until 2014 to get the new Ford Mondeo, Ford has managed to launch the new Mondeo in China this week.

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With Ford in the process of closing their plant in Genk, production of the new Ford Mondeo has been put on hold until Ford can transfer production to Spain (along with the S-Max and Galaxy), which means the UK and Europe won’t see the new Mondeo in showrooms until 2014.

Of course, as we reported last year, it’s entirely possible that with Mondeo sales now just half of what they were in 2008 that Ford may even move Mondeo production to Mexico to build it alongside the Ford Fusion, the US version of the Mondeo which has been on sale since summer 2012.

But Ford are adamant the move to Spain for the Mondeo is happening and, once complete, will mean Ford finally rolling the new Mondeo off the production line by the end of 2013 for the UK and Europe.

But there are no such problems in the States – where the Fusion has been in production in Mexico for a year –  and now China has got the new Mondeo, ahead of the UK and Europe, with Ford revealing the new Mondeo for China (pictured above) this week which will go on sale after the Shanghai Motor Show later this month.

Marin Burela, head of Changan Ford, said:

The all-new Mondeo is designed to stir the senses and transform expectations of what a car can be. It’s truly a flagship car, offering a blend of quality and excitement to our Chinese customers that raises the bar in the segment in terms of craftsmanship, style and technology delivering what we believe our Chinese customers truly want and value.

We’ve gone further in every aspect to bring to China the most premium Mondeo we have ever designed, developed and built.

But you can’t blame Ford for getting the Fusion out in America and the Mondeo out in China before the traditional home of the Mondeo gets it, because both the US and China are profitable for Ford. The UK and Europe aren’t.

And, as we said last year, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if Ford either shifted Mondeo production to Mexico or dropped the Mondeo completely for Europe.

Still, you’ll always be able to grab a grey import from China if they do.