Ford
Kuga Concept: On Sale In 2008
Does
the new Ford Kuga spell the end of the Escape? It's not entirely
likely, but the new concept car from Ford, which is to be
displayed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, confirms
that Ford Europe is working on a style-driven compact crossover
model.
Along
with the new Mondeo, S-Max and other contemporary passenger
vehicles, Ford of Europe is becoming a real trend setter,
and the new Kuga which is slated for production in early 2008
is another sign of the marque's proactive approach to new
vehicle design.
Ford
Europe states that the show car will be a "preview model
of the production vehicle", meaning the overall design
is in place, but the huge wheels, show car interior and other
minor cues will be omitted from the 2008 production version.
John
Fleming, the Ford Europe chief, said the Kuga is based on
the iosis X concept, which was first seen in 2006: "With
the launch of the Ford Kuga, we will keep the promise that
we gave at the Paris Motor Show 2006: to develop a stylish
new model based on the stunning Ford iosis X concept car in
less than two years.
"I'm
really excited that we are adding the Ford Kuga to our growing
product range in Europe," said Fleming.
"It
represents the continuation of our design-led commitment to
add emotion and desirability to our cars and we expect it
to bring even more new customers to the blue oval brand as
we continue our product-led transformation towards sustained
business success."
Based
on the same design DNA as the Mondeo and S-Max, often referred
to at Ford as 'kinetic design', the Kuga is being hailed as
a compact and distinctive 4x4 crossover and like the S-Max
could become a cult hit for the Blue Oval.
"We
recognised that image-conscious customers for this kind of
vehicle want a very individual car in which impressive on-road
capability blends seamlessly with substantial off-road ability,"
said Martin Smith, who is the executive design director for
Ford of Europe.
"Kuga
will stand out from the crowd by offering the visual excitement
of 'kinetic design'," continued Mr Smith, "and the
on-road driving quality that customers of cars like the Ford
Focus, the S-Max and the new Mondeo have come to expect from
us."
Ford's
'fashionable' new range will be bolstered by the Kuga, which
will go into production in early 2008 at one of Ford's Germany
facilities (the Saarlouis plant), and as the recently released
sketch indicates, will deliver a striking new design.
"Kuga
is adventurous and distinctive, and we wanted to highlight
this in our first official image," said Stefan Lamm,
Ford's chief designer for exteriors.
"We
believe that there is a role for a more athletic and charismatic
vehicle that marks a departure from the norm, in the same
way that the award-winning Ford S-Max carved out new territory
for an MPV."
