Official: 2008 Ford Kuga Crossover To Premiere In Frankfurt Show

Continuing our “Frankfurt Show News Bulletin”, we managed to obtain the first official sketch along with the German press release on Ford’s highly anticipated mid-sized crossover model called Kuga. To put it simple, we’re talking about the production version of Ford’s Iosis X concept revealed at the Paris motor show last autumn. Evidently the Kuga’s styling is less dramatic than last year’s Iosis-X concept (see pics after the jump) but it still looks the part in our opinion. Of course we’re not overlooking the fact that this is a sketch and we all know that reality might be disappointing...

According to the press release the Kuga will be manufactured at Ford’s plant in Saarlouis, Germany which also produces the Focus and its MPV sibling, the C-MAX. Based on Ford’s mid-sized C1 platform (used on the Ford Focus / C-Max, Land Rover Freelander, Mazda3, Volvo S40 and V50), the Kuga will start its European career in early 2008 after appearing at the September Frankfurt Motor Show. The models that the Ford’s eyeing include the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 even the Nissan Qashqai. -Continued: Click the article’s title or “Read More…” below

Sadly Ford avoided revealing any technical details in its teaser press release. However, we expect that the Kuga will be offered with 1.6-liter Duratec Ti-VCT and 2.0-litre Duratec petrol units delivering 125 and 140 Hp respectively along with the 1.8 and 2.0-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel units with an output of 125 and 140 Hp respectively. Maybe if we’re lucky, Ford might even add the ST’s 225Hp 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 into the range.

German Press Release (Translated via Google so don’t expect any wonders…)

PS: If any bloggers need the original German or French Press Release e-mail us here

The model family of Ford OF Europe is extended at the beginning of of 2008 with Ford the Kuga by a new member. A Preview model of the series vehicle is already shown the press and the public on the Frankfurt motor show, which opens its gates on 13 September.

“With the introduction Ford of the Kuga we hold our automobile salon Paris on that 2006 given promise to develop in less than two years a new, stylistic fastidious new model basis much of the considered Ford Iosis X Concept Cars”, explain John Fleming, president and CEO von Ford OF Europe. Of Ford European Design team has its trailblazing “Kinetic Design” - stylistic idiom to a compact and unmistakable 4x4-Crossover-Modell transfer, which will supplement the model offer of Ford in the coming year.

“We recognized that image-conscious customers in this segment expect a very individual vehicle, which convinces by perfect road qualities likewise as by impressing Offroad abilities” describe Ford OF Europe Executive Design Director Martin Smith the concept. “The Kuga is in this segment a Solitär, because the optically responding “Kinetic Design” finds its correspondence in a handling on the road, like it our customers of models like Ford the focus, which S-MAX and the new Mondeo already know and expect”, adds Smith.

Ford Design team publishes likewise the first official styling design of the new model. “The Kuga is a vehicle with strong signal effect, and which we wanted to communicate to Smith also in our first official picture”, commentate. “We are the conviction that the time for an athletic and charismatisches vehicle is ripe. The Kuga goes in the same way new ways like price-crowned Ford S-MAX, to that the MPV segment new terrain opened.”

New Ford Kuga at the beginning of of 2008 will go in the Ford work into Saarlouis into production and starting from spring 2008 with the European Ford dealers will be available. “I am pleased about the fact that we can extend our constantly growing model offer in Europe with Ford the Kuga”, explain Fleming. “The Kuga corresponds to our goal of lending to our models by independent Design of more Emotionalität and the status from desire objects to. In this way we want to win new customers for the vehicles with the oval blue Logo. With Ford the Kuga we order over a product, an important contribution for the lasting success of the mark Ford will carry out.”