The Ford Kuga is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Ford since 2008, mainly for the European market and now in its third generation. Both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are offered, and from the 2013 model year it has been sold in North America as the Ford Escape.
Ford Kuga at a glance
| Maker | Ford, Saarlouis, Germany for the first generation |
|---|---|
| Production | since 2008 |
| Class | compact crossover SUV (C-segment) |
| First generation code | C394 |
| Platform | C1, shared with the Focus and C-Max |
| On sale | first half of 2008 |
| World premiere | Frankfurt Motor Show, September 2007 |
| British range | Zetec and Titanium only |
| Fuel consumption | 44.1 mpg imperial combined |
| CO2 | 169 g/km |
| Drive | front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| Other name | Ford Escape in North America and several other markets |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford Kuga
A European crossover
The Kuga went on sale in the first half of 2008 and was built at Ford’s plant in Saarlouis, Germany. It was presented in September 2007 and had its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The car sat on the C1 platform, which also underpinned the Ford Focus and the C-Max, and it offered both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.
A premium pitch
In the United Kingdom Ford emphasised the car’s premium ambitions by offering only the high-end Zetec and Titanium specifications. The combined fuel consumption was quoted at 44.1 miles per imperial gallon and CO2 emissions at 169 g/km.
Kuga and Escape
The Kuga was originally designed and sold in Europe and a few other markets, but from 2012 for the 2013 model year it was marketed in North America as the Ford Escape, and the same name is used in Australia, the Middle East and several countries in the Americas. The name may refer to the Mercury Cougar, since the final Mercury Cougar of 1998 to 2002 was sold outside the United States as the Ford Cougar; in Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian and Slovenian, however, “kuga” means plague, and sales in that region are reportedly lower because of it.
Design and features
- Focus platform: C1 underpinnings shared with the Focus and C-Max.
- Two- and four-wheel drive: the choice offered from launch.
- European focus: high trim levels only in Britain at first.
- Two names: Kuga in Europe, Escape in North America from 2013.
Ford Kuga versions
- Kuga Mk 1 (2008): the Saarlouis-built first generation, code C394.
- Zetec and Titanium: the two British trim levels.
- Ford Escape: the North American version from the 2013 model year.
- Later generations: the second and third Kuga generations.
The Kuga was previewed by the Iosis X concept and shares its platform with the Focus. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford Kuga, English Wikipedia: launch, platform, trims, naming
