Ford introduced the first facelift for the second generation of the Mondeo in 2003, after just two years and a half from its launch, in November 2000.
While it was still a market leader in some countries, the Mondeo MKII received an update in the summer of 2003. The carmaker introduced new features and a few changes to the interior. The change was not necessary for the drivetrain since the following pollution norms were introduced in 2005 when Ford launched the second facelift for a car that lasted only seven years on the market.

From the outside, the only noticeable change was for the grille, which featured a chrome surrounding and a honeycomb mesh grille. The bumper was enhanced as well, with the introduction of larger fog-lights in different casings. On the sides, the turn-signals that were mounted on the fenders were transparent instead of orange. In the back, the taillights featured transparent lenses for the turn-signals on 2003 model-year instead of red.

Inside, Ford enhanced or changed some parts to improve the car’s quality. For instance, it signed a deal with Sony to provide the CD-radio unit, which was much better integrated into the center stack. Other buttons and switches received an improved design.

For the engine lineup, Ford dared to introduce a 3.0-liter gasoline V6 unit for the top version. Since the European diesel market was increasing and became very attractive for fleets, the blue-oval brand enhanced the 2.0-liter TDCI unit to produce 155 hp instead, 25 hp more than its predecessor.