Ford Kuga

Arriving late to the soft-roader party, Ford will show off the production model of its Kuga SUV in Frankfurt next week.
Taking plenty of design cues from Ford's Iosis X concept we saw in Paris last September - but sadly losing the neoprene upholstery, glass floor and Star Trek wing mirrors - the Kuga is the clearest example thus far of the 'kinetic design' philosophy that Ford has been banging on about for the last year or so.

The trapezoidal grille and steeply raked roofline remain from the Iosis X, and there's more than a hint of new Mondeo about the front end. It's not quite as coupe-esque as the new Mazda CX-7, admittedly, but there's no denying it's a handsome little SUV.

And little it is - the Kuga is a strict five-seater that sits on the same platform as the Focus.

More Nissan Qashqai than Freelander, it'll initially be powered by Ford's ubiquitous two-litre turbodiesel engine mated to a six-speed manual 'box.

However, more powertrains should be on the way later, including (we'd expect) the 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine from the current Mondeo.

It'll come in two-wheel and four-wheel drive, the latter most likely to be an intelligent drive system that shifts torque around depending on road conditions. There's a split tailgate at the back, too.

The Kuga's list of options confirms Ford UK's assertion that it's a genuine up-market soft-roader: leather trim, a reversing camera and those shiny 19-inch alloys you see in the photos can all be specced.

With prices expected to start at around £20,000, the Kuga will go on sale in the UK next summer.

© Source: insideline
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