Ford Kuga

Ford Kuga
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford
Also called	Ford Escape
Production	2008–present
Body and chassis
Class	Compact SUV
Body style	5-door wagon
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Escape/Maverick
Successor	Ford Escape/Maverick

The Ford Kuga is a compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Ford since 2008. It is based on the C1 platform, that also forms the underpinnings of the Ford Focus and Ford C-Max. Both front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive are offered.

First generation (2008–2012)

First generation
Overview
Production	February 2008 – 2012[1]
Assembly	Germany: Saarlouis (SB&A)
Body and chassis
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive
Platform	Ford C1 platform
Powertrain
Engine	2.0 L Duratorq I4 (diesel) 2.5 L Duratec I5-T (petrol)
Transmission	6-speed manual 5-speed automatic 6-speed PowerShift automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,690 mm (105.9 in)
Length	4,443 mm (174.9 in)
Width	1,842 mm (72.5 in)
Height	1,710 mm (67.3 in)
Curb weight	1,613 kg (3,556 lb)

The Kuga went on sale in the first half of 2008, and was 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. The combined fuel consumption is 44.1 mpg_-imp (6.41 L/100 km; 36.7 mpg_-US) and the CO₂ emissions are 169 g/km.^[2]

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 × 4 and powershift models.

Worldwide markets

A 20 July 2007 report indicated Ford executives were considering the prospects of sales in North America.^[3] 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 24 July 2008, WDIV-TV announced that Ford was reconsidering bringing the Kuga to North America after all.

On 22 October 2009, news leaked that Ford would build the Kuga at its Louisville plant, possibly as the 2012 Ford Escape.^[4]

On 23 June 2010, Ford announced it would end production of the second generation Escape in 2011 in anticipation of the Kuga's North American launch as the next-generation Escape.^[5]

The Ford Kuga has also been available in Argentina since 2010; in Japan, South Africa and New Zealand since 2011; and in Australia since March 2012.^[6]

A facelift was released in late 2010.^[7]

The redesigned Kuga formed the basis for the 2013 Ford Escape sold in the U.S. Ford announced in May 2010 that it would build unspecified hybrids at a plant in Valencia, Spain and likely offer a hybrid option of both vehicles.^[8] 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.^[9]

• 

  Ford Kuga

• 

  Interior

Second generation (2012–present)

Second generation
Overview
Also called	Ford Escape (United States, Canada)
Production	4 April 2012[10]–present (US) 2013–present (Europe)
Assembly	Spain: Valencia (FV) China: Chongqing (CFM) Russia: Yelabuga (FS) United States: Louisville, Kentucky (LAP)
Designer	Patrick Verhee, Stefan Lamm, Andrea Di Buduo, Kemal Curic (2010)[11]
Body and chassis
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive
Platform	Ford C1 platform
Powertrain
Engine	1.5 L EcoBoost I4-T (petrol) 1.6 L EcoBoost I4-T (petrol) 2.0 L EcoBoost I4-T (petrol) 2.5 L Duratec I4 (petrol) 2.0 L Duratorq I4-T (diesel)
Transmission	6-speed manual 6-speed 6F35 automatic 6-speed PowerShift automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,690 mm (105.9 in)
Length	4,524 mm (178.1 in)
Width	1,838 mm (72.4 in)
Height	1,702 mm (67.0 in)
Curb weight	1,580–1,707 kg (3,483–3,763 lb)

Ford Kuga Titanium

The second generation Kuga was primarily developed by Ford of Europe—developed under the "One Ford" policy which stipulates that Ford designs only one model in each segment to be sold globally.^[12] The name Ford Escape is used in North America, replacing the model of the same name there.^[12]

The Kuga follows on from the Vertrek concept, developed over nine months at Ford’s Cologne design studio.^[13] For the production model, designers and engineers in Cologne were responsible for the body design and C1 platform, the upper body and interior come from Detroit, and powertrains are manufactured by Ford Dagenham.^[14] The US patents from January 2011 list the designers as Patrick Verhee, Stefan Lamm, Kemal Curic, Andrea Di Buduo—from Ford in Germany.^[11][15] Final assembly for European models is conducted at the Ford Valencia Plant in Spain.^[14] Ford claims the Kuga and Escape have 80 percent parts commonality.^[16]

Ford Kuga engines:

Petrol

• 1.5 L EcoBoost turbo I4, 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp)
• 1.6 L EcoBoost turbo I4, 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp)
• 1.6 L EcoBoost turbo I4, 182 PS (134 kW; 180 hp) 2WD and 4 × 4 models.
• 2.0 L EcoBoost turbo I4, 242 PS (178 kW; 239 hp) 4 × 4 models.

Diesel

• 2.0 L Duratorq, 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp)
• 2.0 L Duratorq, 163 PS (120 kW; 161 hp)
• 2.0 L Duratorq, 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp)
• 2.0 L Duratorq, 180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp)

Ford Europe debuted the facelift model at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2016.^[17]

Ford Escape

The third generation Escape is largely identical to the Ford Kuga.^[18] It was first shown at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. Two EcoBoost inline four-cylinder turbocharged engines are offered. The basic engine is a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated inline-four engine. The new Escape is the first Ford vehicle to offer a new 1.6-litre unit. In the process of revamping the Escape's engine line-up, both the Hybrid model with its 2.5-litre Atkinson powertrain and the 3.0-litre V6 engine have been dropped. Ford claims that the fuel economy of the new 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine will match that of the previous Ford Escape Hybrid, while the new 2.0-litre engine produces more torque than the current V6 unit. The transmission is a six-speed automatic.^[18] The new generation of the Ford Escape is 10 percent more aerodynamic than the previous generation^[19]

Ford Escape (pre-facelift)

Ford Escape (facelift)

Also new for the 2013 model year is MyFord Touch, which is currently available on many Ford vehicles. The newest software version of the MyFord Touch System will offer an all-new user interface and additional features.

Another new feature is the optional hands-free liftgate. A person carrying the keyless entry transmitter can raise his or her foot under the rear bumper of the Escape to remotely open the tailgate.^[18] This feature will also be available on the Ford C-Max Hybrid later in the year, and was introduced on that vehicle in Europe.

The Ford C-Max Hybrid replaced the Escape's hybrid model.

Eco-friendly seat fabrics are standard on lower trim levels, as well as the vehicle's carpeting being mostly constructed from recycled plastic water bottles. This allows the new Escape to be mostly recyclable at the end of its life cycle.

The Escape was offered with front wheel drive in the S trim level, and front wheel drive or all wheel drive in the SE, SEL, and Titanium trim levels. The 2013 Ford Escape production began 11 April. The production of the 2012 Ford Escape ended on 28 April 2012, overlapping slightly in production with the 2013 model due to plant issues, with limited availability of the 2012 model year Ford Escape vehicles being available at Ford showrooms. As of mid-May 2012, the third generation Escape is available at most dealerships across the US and will be introduced in Canada starting June. The SEL trim was discontinued after the 2013 model year, so the standard features on the base SEL trim became optional on the SE trim level for the 2014 model year.

For the 2015 model year in the US & Canada, Ford updated the standard naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder's specification to 168 hp (125 kW) and 170 lb·ft (230 N·m) of torque.

On 18 November 2015, Ford unveiled a re-freshened update of the Escape, which will go on sale in early 2016 as a 2017 model. The refresh added an Edge-inspired front fascia while tweaking the rear end that now sports reshaped LED taillights and a newly adopted two-slat, hexagonal grille. The interior is also adjusted slightly in the cabin area and on the steering wheel. The Sync 3 infotainment system is added as a new feature, along with a new smartphone app called Sync Connect, which allows owners to remotely monitor their vehicle, check fuel levels, lock and unlock doors, and start the engine. The 2.5 and 2.0 EcoBoost engine line-up will be joined by a new 179 hp (133 kW) 1.5-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder option, replacing the 1.6L.^[20]

Ford engineers promise additional refinement to the 2017 Escape, particularly as evidenced by extremely low road- and wind-noise levels. The doors and B-pillars are insulated, the front wheel wells lined and acoustic glass used for the side windows. There are also new seals for the windshield and hood. The new Escape will showcase a number of new-to-it features from little things like faster charging USB ports to an app that lets you unlock the vehicle and start the engine through your smartphone. Dubbed Sync Connect, this feature will also help you locate the vehicle in a crowded parking lot, check the fuel level and be alerted when service is due. A number of driver-assist features will be available: enhanced park assist, lane-keeping, forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control.^[21]

Production of the facelifted 2017 Ford Escape started on 18 March 2016 at the Louisville, Kentucky assembly plant.^[22]

Safety

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2013 Ford Escape FWD Crash Ratings^[23]

• Overall:
• Frontal driver:
• Frontal passenger:
• Side driver:
• Side passenger:
• Side pole driver:
• Rollover:

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) scores^[24]

Moderate overlap frontal offset	Good[25]
Small overlap frontal offset	Poor[26]
Side impact	Good[27]
Roof strength	Good[28]

Name

The vehicle name, Kuga, is reminiscent of the cougar, which was the name of another Ford division's automobile, the Mercury Cougar. The final of the Cougar from 1998 to 2002 was sold outside of the USA as the Ford Cougar.

However, kuga is, in the Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, and Slovenian languages, the word for plague. The name of the car was not changed for these markets.^[29][30][31]

References

1. "Ford Kuga production start". Worldcarfans.
2. • Ford Kuga Press Release (UK)
3. Ford Kuga and C-Max destined for US? - Motor Authority
4. "Ford to build European small SUV in Kentucky". July 2010. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009.
5. "Report: Ford to halt Missouri Escape production in 2011" from Autoblog (23 June 2010)
6. "2012 Ford Kuga compact SUV here in March". Retrieved 28 April 2012.
7. "Ford Kuga gets a facelift | Spy-Shots". Auto Express. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
8. "2013 Ford Kuga". Electrical cars 2013-14. Latest electric cars 2014. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
9. "2012 Ford Kuga". GreenCarReports. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
10. Production of 2013 Ford Escape begins Wednesday at Louisville Assembly Plant – Louisville Courier-Journal (Retrieved 3 April 2012)
11. "US D667341 S1". Google Patents. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
12. Cato, Jeremy (24 April 2012). "Ford's Escape plan drives auto maker into the future". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
13. Pettendy, Marton (27 January 2011). "Ford Escapes to Vertrek". GoAuto. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
14. Barry, Ben (18 December 2012). "Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCI (2013) review". Car. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
15. "US Patent for Vehicle hood Patent (Patent # D 645,384)". Justia. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
16. "Global Suppliers to the 2013 Ford Escape/Kuga" (PDF). Ford (Press release). 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
17. Pollard, Tim (7 March 2016). "The 2016 Ford Kuga's mid-life pick-me-up shows its face". Car. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
18. Raynal, Wes (14 May 2012). "New Leader?". Autoweek. 62 (10): 52–53.
19. . Ford http://www.ford.com/suvs/escape/. Retrieved 20 April 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
20. "2017 Ford Escape gets all edgy for LA" from Autoblog (18 November 2015)
21. Scott-AutoFile. "First look at the 2017 Ford Escape". Autofile.ca. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
22. "2017 Escape debuts new SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto; new quality checks improve Ford's best-selling SUV" (Press release). Louisville, Kentucky: Ford. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
23. "2013 Ford Escape SUV 4x2". Safercar.gov. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
24. "IIHSHLDI: Ford Escape". IIHS.org. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
25. "IIHSHLDI: Ford Escape". IIHS.org. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
26. "IIHSHLDI: Ford Escape". IIHS.org. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
27. "IIHSHLDI: Ford Escape". IIHS.org. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
28. "Roof strength evaluations: Small SUVs". IIHS.org. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
29. sl:Kuga
30. hr:Kuga
31. "Kuga – Википедија" (in Serbian). Sr.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 8 April 2012.

External links

• Official website (UK)
• Official website (EU)
• Official website (Australia)