Ford Reveals the All New Kuga Ahead of its Los Angeles Debut

Kuala Lumpur: Ford has unveiled the new Kuga (known as Escape in US market) prior to its official debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. The C-segment crossover has got a lot of updates regarding its looks, performance and safety. It is also the first Ford vehicle to be offered with Ford’s SYNC Connect.

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Under the hood, the US-based 2.5 litre naturally aspirated Duratec four-cylinder petrol engine is retained while the 180 PS/240 Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged, direct-injected EcoBoost petrol engine replaces the older 1.6-litre unit. The updated 2.0 litre EcoBoost engine which was first seen on the new Edge comes as a surprise and delivers a maximum power of 245 hp along with 373 Nm of peak torque. This engine is designed with an aluminium balance shaft and gets new pistons with a higher compression ratio (9.7:1 vs 9.3:1), new fuel injectors, a Borg-Warner twin-scroll turbocharger and a new integrated exhaust manifold optimised for the new turbine. Further, for the US market it is mated with a six-speed SelectShift torque converter automatic transmission with added steering wheel gearshift paddles on SE and Titanium models. Other markets should retain the current six-speed manual transmission.

Towards the front fascia, it has got Ford’s latest design language along with a large trapezoidal upper grille. One can also notice reworked headlights along with reprofiled lower air intakes, indicators and fog lamps. The rear end has also been tweaked with new tail lights and revised tailgate design. Moreover, the SE and Titanium trim gets new wheel designs with Sport Appearance feature.

Inside, the cabin also gets some detailed improvements. The all new three-spoke steering wheel resembles that of the facelifted Focus along with the new climate control switchgear. The centre console features an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen that is further assisted with SYNC 3 infotainment which system comes with complimentary activation for five years. With SYNC Connect, one can remotely start their vehicle and schedule future starts using their smartphones with an app. Further, this technology provides vehicle location, as well as key vehicle information such as tyre pressures, battery and fuel levels. The central tunnel console has also been redesigned with a new space-saving electronic parking brake, a revised gear lever design, cupholders, 12V power socket and a new USB port.

Other driver-assist features help to make the daily commute safer and easier for drivers of the new Ford Kuga. It includes an Adaptive Cruise Control and forward collision warning with brake support, enhanced Active Park Assist which helps to park the car in both parallel and perpendicular spaces, Lane-keeping System as well as Driver Alert System that warns of fatigued driving.