click above image to view a full high-res gallery of the Ford Kuga
In North America, one could argue that Ford has gone bonkers for CUVs. Just try counting on one hand the number of CUVs badged with a Blue Oval that are on sale or will be in the next year. Ford of Europe, however, has just introduced its very first proper CUV (SUV looks, unibody construction) in the Kuga. Again a host for Martin Smith's "Kinetic" design philosophy, the Kuga looks sharp, like how we now expect European Fords to look. Picture a Mondeo and U.S.-spec Escape having babies – they would look like the Kuga. This pre-production model was obviously inspired heavily by the Iosis X Concept CUV that Ford showed in Paris last year, and you'll even be able to order the concept's 19-inch wheel design as an option on the Kuga.
Set to go on sale sometime the first half of 2008, the Kuga will be available with a 2.0L Duratorq TDCi diesel engine connected to a six-speed manual. Both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive will also be available. Ford tells us more engines and transmissions will be available, but those details are still being sorted out.
The interior features a smart and clean layout comprised of what appears to be high quality materials, and customers will be able to choose the same panoramic roof shown on this vehicle.
Check out Ford's official press release after the jump, and take a gander at our live shots of the Ford Kuga in the gallery below.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TriShield @ Sep 11th 2007 5:47PM
While the new Escape looks like it emerged from the 1990s, this small SUV looks distinctly 21st century.
Shame on Ford.
Z @ Sep 11th 2007 8:02PM
Shame on you FORD indeed. You provide EU with this and the newly redesigned FOCUS and the amazing MONDEO, while the NA markets gets a half-a$$ed redesign of a *decade* old FOCUS and the lousy ESCAPE?
Shame and a gallon of PISS on you FORD. May you sink like a rock, go bankrupt, burn to the ground never to be revived again.
SPG @ Sep 11th 2007 5:58PM
That would go a long way towards bringing Mercury back from the dead.
Throw in a euro Focus and a Mondeo with plenty of re-badging and get rid of any American built or designed Mercury's (leave em for the Ford nameplate) and I think that people would start thinking Mercury.
Reality Check @ Sep 11th 2007 6:00PM
Is Ford trying to leave the States and become a Europe only company? they get the Prime Rib and we get the SHIT..........
UAW @ Sep 11th 2007 6:31PM
There must be a mistake - it's not Ford. It actually looks
good.
Arnie @ Sep 11th 2007 7:07PM
This is going to be a hit. No question about it.
jas12niss @ Sep 11th 2007 7:23PM
Its' like if you want a decent American car, you have to move to Europe to buy one.
whofan @ Sep 11th 2007 8:20PM
This is Ford answer for a new Escape update. Are you listening Ford?
Ford`s European design team is doing great things.
whofan @ Sep 11th 2007 8:21PM
I`ll even go as far to say that This Ford is better looking than anything in the American line up!
Thomas @ Sep 11th 2007 8:37PM
I really wish Ford would consider selling these Euro Ford's over here in the U.S. as Mercury's because I think it would be a huge success for Mercury.
Mercury needs these Euro Ford's
Ford Mondeo = New Mercury Milan or Mercury Mondeo
Ford Focus = New Mercury Tracer
Ford Kuga = New Mercury Mariner
That would give Mercury some truly different cars from Ford in the U.S. and I think it would really bring Mercury back to life.
Level @ Sep 11th 2007 8:44PM
Atleast follow the footsteps of GM with Saturn and sell all of FORD's Euro cars as Mercury here in the states....
RicardoHead @ Sep 11th 2007 8:44PM
Ford, listen up. I love Fords. I always have. I love THIS Ford Kuga. Next time I go out to buy a car, it will not be a Ford - because you think I do not deserve the chance to buy the Kuga.
And that, Ford is why your unit sales stateside are going to continue down the toilet. If the Asian offerings don't kick your butt, GM's will.
whofan @ Sep 11th 2007 9:04PM
Ford should sell these Eurpean vehicles as Fords. The Mercury emblem in the grill would mess up the looks.
When Ford of Europe Designs a vehicle, why don`t Ford double up on the stamps and Machinery orders and send half to the U.S. to build these vehicles here?
The Fusion is about the nicest Ford here and its even trumped by the European designs.
Bryan @ Sep 11th 2007 10:46PM
Well I do like the vehicle but people who buy Escapes are not looking for a vehicle that looks like this. The trucky look of the Escape is the look people like. This probably would be good as a Mariner replacement and thats about all. I do not understand what some of you are talking about on here. This is nowhere near better than anything in Ford NA's lineup. Not to say it is bad by any means, but better than everything here? Hardly.
mark @ Sep 11th 2007 11:06PM
yeah, i totally agree with bryan - fords in NA are perfectly fine vehicles. their range (as well as GM's and Chrsler's) meets american expectations.
take the 'excape', for example - americans want this vehicle not to look particularly good because most americans aren't all that interested in style - just look at how americans dress or maintain their bodies.
americans also don't particularly care about quality - just look at the pervasiveness of mcdonald's et. al.
what do americans like? a lot of cheap, style-free shit.
kinda like the escape.
Imp @ Sep 11th 2007 11:16PM
I pretty much agree with everything posted above me ... and I bet Ford thinks the same way ... it's just that they have to let things deteriorate as much as they can so that the renaissance looks better than it really will be.
This is all orchestrated to put the company into a position of imminent failure in North America, only to have the company re-emerge stronger than before. It's obvious Ford can do better ... for now, they CHOOSE not to.
joe23521 @ Sep 11th 2007 11:57PM
Your home market deserves better, Ford.
Stop slapping us in the face!
Bryan @ Sep 12th 2007 12:28AM
Yeah wow Mark your intelligence level just dropped a ton. Not everyone likes pussified vehicles. Some people, just some, actually like a tough trucky look. Last time I checked, that cheap Escape hybrid has the best fuel efficiency of ANY SUV/CUV in America. You could say a lot of Americans like boring cheap POS's. We call those Camry and Accord drivers here. Now there are some that like stylish vehicles, like the Mustang and Edge. The Fusion is a damn good car, as well as the Milan, besting everyone in it's class. If the Milan and Fusion are so cheap, then why do they beat out all the rest in their category for quality? I am not saying Ford's 3 bar grille treatment is going to save them, it's just a temporary fix in my opinion. What I want to see is the former Ford, one that puts its balls out on styling (96 Taurus, 97 F150, 99 Cougar) and throws in the excellent quality they have brought in the last few years. I want a full size Crown Vic replacement, much like the 300 and Charger. I want a Taurus that goes out on a limb in styling as the 96. I want a new Cougar, and a new Ranger. It just takes time and these things cannot be made in a day. So go on and complain about how we get screwed here (blah blah blah) Toyota, VW, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Honda and the rest produce quite a bit of bland junk themselves. Just do it with some sort of intelligence next time, okay?
mark @ Sep 12th 2007 1:43AM
was my intelligence level that high to begin with?
camry & accord are also cheap shit - especially camry, with its rubbermaid interior.
i evaluated '08 accord today, and i have to say that honda certainly VE'ed it to death (check out the _completely_ unfinished trunk for example. then check out current civic's completely lined trunk WTF?). sure, the '08 accord is bigger than the previous accord... but that's all we americans care about, right?
i think ford, honda, Toyota, et. al. all have it right: they are producing and selling cars their american customers demand - and we get shit. european customers clearly have different preferences & priorities, and the european manufacturers deliver what the market demands, generally smaller cars with higher perceived quality.
clearly the vehicular preferences of some americans (i.e. those reading autoblog) are more in line with european sensibilities - but sadly we're in the minority, and have to suffer the shit product the rest of our fellow countrymen require. what can we really do, besides bitch about our grim reality in the comments section of a website i'd imagine the auto execs never bother to read (cuz they're too busy trying to cheapen up the next escape & camry)...
N @ Sep 12th 2007 4:50AM
Yes, it is a great car and it handles comparibly to the Focus which is odd given its higher C of G. Likelyhood is that this will sell like hot cakes for Ford of Europe.
However, you Americans forget that you pay almost half as much as the Europeans do their cars.
Would you really splash out $30,000 for a 1.6 litre naturally aspirated gasoline (base model) euro-spec Focus? Or $40,000 for a base model 2.0 DW10 Kuga, with no leather interior, no electric seats, no sat-nav as standard?
If you are willing to pay more than a few peanuts for your cars, then car manufacturers such as Ford US can actually afford to sell you the European brands...