Even in the Irish context only, the fact that 40% of Mondeos sold here since the beginning of the year are diesel-powered is a key indicator that we’re taking the oil-burning option seriously, just as they are in the rest of Europe.

Ford themselves are too. And at Frankfurt a couple of weeks ago they showed just how much, announcing the addition of their new generation TDCi diesels from just the Focus to the Mondeo and the new Fiesta.

That latter was no secret, as the 1.4-litre TDCi unit to be used in the marque’s new small car is the fruit of a joint venture with PSA Citroen/Peugeot and will be fitted throughout the small car segments of each of the three brands.

I for one had thought that it would be a while before this seriously advanced technology would reach Mondeo, which is going along quite nicely with its Duratorq TDDi unit, albeit a little noisily. But regular readers will know I like it.

Anyway, TDCi is very much with us, or will be over here soon. As an option in Mondeo, alongside the current td. And they haven’t just exported the 1.8-litre TDCi launched in the summer in Focus (right) to the larger car, but have added the technology to the 2-litre block which is the base of the current TDDi.

Key to TDCi is extremely close tolerances in the design of the injection mechanisms, allied to state-of-the-art computer-controlled metering of fuel quantities to a very minute level. The sensors involved include one which notices the onset of any vibration which is immediately arrested by compensating mixture changes.

The new engine outputs 130PS compared to the 115PS (and an 80PS entry-level option) TDDi. With peak torque, 16% above that of the TDDi, available from just 1800rpm, the latest td Mondeo is likely to be one of the smoothest-to-drive 4-cylinder diesels around when we get our hands around the wheel.

It will be a pretty nippy big car too: target 0-62mph is 9.9secs.

Meantime, the 115PS TDCi in the Focus should soon be with us also, giving similar smoothness and an acceleration 0-62mph of less than a second longer than the Mondeo.

And though in Ireland we’re going to have to wait until the second half of 2002 for the TDCi Fiesta (right), given that the car itself will not be available to us until then, the advent of the technology to the increasingly benchmark size of 1.4 litres for diesels can only substantially increase the penetration of very economical oilburners to the small car market.

The Fiesta unit is an all-aluminium engine, making it very lightweight for a diesel. I can’t talk yet from driving experience, but it is likely to be very refined and economical well beyond 60mpg.

Until I get to drive them all, I can only in advance rejig a slogan using one of the well-known characteristics of good turbodiesel engines: may the torque be with us.