This new 1.5TDCI replaces the old 1.4TDCi from PSA. Power is marginally up by 5bhp, with torque up by 18ft lb. MPG is up 8mpg (from 68.9mpg).

Our main reason for not matching the mpg figures? It feels underpowered. It shouldn’t feel slower than even the MK6.5 Fiesta 1.4TDCI but it sometimes does. It’s death-defyingly slow to rev and gain speed, and you sense it’s being held back for eco-purposes. The quicker 0 – 62mph time from the MK7 variant (14.8secs) feels misleading, and overtaking ceases to exist 95% of the time.

It can catch people out too at junctions when you ask for all 73 horses and you’re left with just that heart-sinking delay of nothingness before it hops into life. It’s slow by normal standards, but for it to feel like a Defender is trying harder is saying something!

That said, the engine is smoother and much quieter than before – more so compared to our previous Mk7’s Zetec S 1.6 TDCI engine – and it’s perfectly capable of keeping up with the crowd once on the motorway. This would be the sole reason for choosing this over anything else in the range – bar the poverty-spec petrol’s that produce even less power.

There is solace to be found with MPG though, sitting at a variation of motorway speeds we managed to achieve at least 55mpg and if you are gentle we have no doubt this would be higher. Perhaps not 75mpg but its nice to see that the fuel needle barley moves over each journey (especially compared to our Current Daily’s).

Spec: Zetec 2013MY
Engine: 1.5 Turbo Diesel, 73bhp, 136lb ft
Transmission: 5 Speed Manual
Mpg: Official: 76.4mpg Achieved: 55 - 57mpg
Performance: 0-62mph: 13.5 Secs, 104mph
Colour: Panther Black