Ford uses the ‘ECOnetic’ badge to denote its most economical cars – and they have been proving popular with customers, writes Peter Carroll.

So far this year more than 1,100 ECOnetic-badged models have been sold by the Blue Oval firm and it has just added a new two litre engine to its Mondeo ECOnetic range.

 See more pics of the ECOnetic Fiesta and Mondeo in our gallery below.

You can also get ECOnetic versions of the Fiesta and Focus and each offers economy and tax benefits.

But are the savings really that great compared with regular diesels?

In the case of the Fiesta, the 1.6 litre ECOnetic five-door model from tomorrow will cost £14,095 on the road – which compares well with other vehicles in the range, such as the Zetec 1.6 TDCi at £14,795 and the Zetec 1.4 TDCi at £14,295.

The Fiesta is capable of returning up to 76mpg on the combined cycle – though drive it aggressively and the figure can plummet into the 40s.

Not only that – the Fiesta ECOnetic has the lowest CO2 emissions of any Ford at just 98g/km, which means zero annual road tax.The full ECOnetic Fiesta technical package includes an engine which has set up for economy, low rolling resistance tyres, and lowered sports suspension.

An aerodynamic rear spoiler, deflectors and wheel covers, complete the package, along with a gear shift indicator which tells drivers when to change for maximum economy.

Ford ECOnetics tend to be loosely based on Zetec trim and the those tempted by the Fiesta version might light to consider automatically operating lights and wipers, bluetooth and parking sensors as extras.

The car is comfortable and lovely to drive but – like all Fiestas – on the pricy side.

The ECOnetic Mondeo, meanwhile, benefits from a new two litre engine pushing out 115hp, which offers a smooth, unhurried drive.

The 0-60mph time is under 11 seconds and the top speed is around 120mph, should you ever be in a position to achieve it.

The all-important fuel consumption figure is 53.3mpg on the combined cycle, from which you can subtract around 10mpg unless you adopt eco-driving techniques.

The ECOnetic Mondeo has a surprisingly sporty look thanks to its lowered sports suspension with front grille air deflectors to reduce drag and a colour coded rear spoiler.

Other features are also similar to those of the Fiesta. The Mondeo handles well and there’s plenty of room for five inside and their luggage too.

While it is competively priced within the Mondeo range at £20,795, it is possible to buy a 1.8 diesel Edge model for around £1,000 less.

Where the ECOnetics will score is in their future desirability as secondhand models.

I suspect these will be among the most sought-after of all Fords on the used market, so should hold their value more keenly than the regular models.

By Peter Carroll