It’s certain the Kuga will feature a similar powertrain option, although it remains to be seen if Ford will level up to the 1.5-liter EcoBoost with three cylinders for this application. After all, there’s a significant difference between the Focus and compact crossover in terms of weight.
The short teaser published by Ford reveals full-LED headlamps, a rotary gear selector for the eight-speed automatic transmission derived from the 9Txx transaxle developed by General Motors, gloss-black inserts in the front bumper, and K U G A lettering on the trunk lid. The parking camera can also be noticed coming out of the recess where the rear license plate light is located.
Photographs of pre-production prototypes and mules show Focus-styled influences for the interior, especially when it comes down to the touchscreen infotainment system’s design. The steering wheel and instrument cluster are also shared with the compact hatchback (and station wagon), but there’s another question we’d like an answer to.
Given that the Focus ST is already out there and the Focus RS promises 400 ponies from a mild-hybridized 2.3 EcoBoost, will the Kuga (and Escape) be treated to the know-how of Ford Performance? Fingers crossed that's what the Blue Oval has in the pipeline! Oh, and by the way, the Edge could be replaced in Europe by the seven-seat Kuga with a longer wheelbase than the standard model.
