Ford Kuga

Ford Kuga
Ford Kuga
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford Motor Company
Production	2008-present
Assembly	Saarlouis, Germany
Body and chassis
Class	Compact crossover SUV
Body style	5-door SUV
Layout	Front engine, front-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Platform	Ford C1 platform
Related	Ford Focus; Volvo C30; Volvo S40; Volvo V50; Mazda 3; Ford C-MAX
Powertrain
Engine	2.5 L Duratec turbo I5, 200 PS (197 hp/147 kW) ; 2.0 L Duratorq, 136 PS (134 hp/100 kW); 2.0 L Duratorq, 163 PS (160 hp/120 kW)
Transmission	5-speed automatic; 6-speed manual; 6-speed dual clutch automatic
Dimensions
Curb weight	1,613 kg (3,556 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Maverick
Successor	Ford Escape

The Ford Kuga is a compact crossover SUV designed and produced by Ford. The car is based on the C1 platform that also form the underpinnings of the Ford Focus and Ford C-MAX. Both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are offered, each with a choice of 2.5-litre petrol or 2.0-litre diesel engine.

The Kuga went on sale in the first half of 2008, and is built at Ford's plant in Saarlouis, Germany. In the UK, emphasising the car's premium market aspirations, only high-end Zetec and Titanium specifications are offered. It is similarly priced to the other small SUVs in the market such as the Citroen C-Crosser/Peugeot 4007 and the Vauxhall/Opel Antara, and is on sale in the UK with a starting price of around £20,500. The combined fuel consumption is 44.1 mpg_‑imp (6.41 L/100 km; 36.7 mpg_‑US) and the CO₂ emissions is 169 g/km.^[1]

Engines

Petrol

2.5 L Duratec turbo I5, 200 PS (147 kW; 197 hp)

Diesel

2.0 L Duratorq, 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp)

2.0 L Duratorq, 163 PS (120 kW; 161 hp) 4 x 4 and powershift models.

Worldwide markets

On July 20, 2007, a report indicated that Ford executives were considering the prospects of sales in North America.^[2] This idea was later scrapped after it was determined the car could not be sold both competitively priced and at a profit in the US due to the current dollar-Euro exchange rate. On July 24, 2008, WDIV-TV had announced that Ford is re-considering bringing the Kuga to North America after all. On October 22, 2009, news leaked that Ford will build the Kuga at its Louisville plant, possibly as the 2012 Ford Escape.^[3] On June 23, 2010, it was announced that Ford will end production on the second generation Escape in 2011 in anticipation to the Kuga's North American launch as the next-generation Escape.^[4] The Ford Kuga is now also available in Argentina since 2010 and in Japan, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand since 2011.

A facelift will be released in late 2010.^[5]

That redesigned Kuga will form the basis for the 2013 Ford Escape sold in the U.S. Both vehicles will likely offer a hybrid option, as Ford announced in May 2010 that it would build unspecified hybrids at a plant in Valencia, Spain. If built, the Kuga Hybrid would be Ford's first hybrid to be sold in Europe, though it has sold over 100,000 Escape Hybrids and Mercury Mariner Hybrids in the U.S. since 2004.^[6]