In Paris 2006 Ford of Europe made a very public commitment. Unveiling the iosis X concept vehicle, John Fleming promised that a production vehicle inspired by the dramatically-styled model would be launched in two years. That pledge has been kept and the promised model - the Kuga - is currently wowing visitors to Ford’s Stand at the Geneva Motor Show.
The Kuga is Ford of Europe’s first entry into the highly competitive crossover market and it looks set to make a dramatic impact. One of the advantages of entering an established market is that you arrive with a state of the art model, and that is what Ford has done with a stylish and charismatic vehicle that sets a new benchmark in combining on-road driving with impressiive off-road capability.
Practical exterior design features are also part of the story and include a two piece tailgate with seperate access to either the upper section only or both sections simultaneously.
The materials chosen for the Ford Kugas interior demonstrate its close links with the Iosis X Concept, with fine leathers and gloss finishes on key areas. Colour-matched details of the interior highlight the instrument panel and door trims.
There is comfortable and spacious seating for up to five adults, with the second row of seats offering a 60/40 split and fold-flat capability. At the rear, there is 1,3555 litres of luggage capacity when in two-seat mode, while there is 1,355 litres of luggage capacity when in two-seat mode, while the enclosed luggage compartment achieves a volume of 360 litres.
Behind the style there is very real substance to the Ford Kuga, and the Kuga is a competative package of market leading driving dynamics, safety and high quality craftmanship.
Based on the Ford C-car architecture acclaimed in the Focus and C-max the new model is available with a proven powertrain and two series levels, Trend and Titanium. Those series offer customers a wide range of equipment, technology and styling options. They also provide a platform for further personalisation, with dedicated Packs which provide additional protection, transport, stowage, styling and aftersales products.
The Kuga comes with a 2.0 litre Duratorq TDCI 136 PS 100KW engine mated to six-speed manual transmission. A Full-time intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) system is complemented by a (FWD) unit that will appeal to drivers who like the style and presence of Kuga but do not require all-wheel drive capability.
FWD and AWD variants return fuel economy figures of 6.3 and 6.4 litres of fuel per 100 km respectively, using the combined fuel consumption figures. The 4WD’s 169g/km of CO2 is class leading.
Manufactured at the Saarlouis plant in Germany, the Kuga will be built alongside the Focus 3-Door, 5-door and wagon variants and the C-Max. It goes on sale in the comming weeks. Ford dealer with Kuga information.
