Take Bentley as a prime example with the Bentayga Hybrid and Lincoln with the Aviator Hybrid. Both are plug-in hybrids despite what their exterior badging, and we can’t help but blame marketing for this mess-up. Oh, and let’s not forget the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid that’s a plug-in hybrid with Toyota know-how from the Prius Prime.
As far as commercial vehicles are concerned, Go Further in the Netherlands is the venue where Ford will announce mild-hybrid powertrains for the Transit and Tourneo. The two-tonne van, Transit Custom, and Tourneo Custome with eight and nine seats are the models in question.
SUV news? Opinions are polarized at best, but Ford is believed to use Go Further to reveal the all-new Kuga. Known as the Escape in the United States, the compact crossover will switch to the C2 vehicle architecture of the 2019 Focus. The Lincoln equivalent – called Corsair – will debut in April at the New York Auto Show as the replacement for the MKC.
A small UV could premiere or be teased at the event too, but don’t get your hopes up for a replacement for the EcoSport. The subcompact crossover has a few more years to prove itself, and the newcomer could join the EcoSport at the Craiova plant in Romania.
As far as segment is concerned, the yet-unnamed model (could be called Puma) would slot between the EcoSport and Kuga. That’s subcompact-ish in the same sense as the Volkswagen T-Roc, bridging the gap between the T-Cross and Tiguan in the German automaker’s lineup.
