Ford Kuga Crossover breaks cover

Along with the reveal of the new Fiesta hatch, Ford also took the wraps off its new Europe-only Kuga crossover ahead of the car's world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Based on the original iosis X Concept from the 2006 Paris Motor Show and near-production Kuga Concept from last year’s Frankfurt Show, the all-new crossover is finally ready for sale and will be appearing in showrooms across Europe by the middle of the year.

The new Kuga is based on Ford's acclaimed C-Car architecture used in vehicles like the European Focus and C-MAX. It comes in both FWD and AWD models, the latter using a full-time Haldex set-up, and will be offered with a 136hp (100kW) 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel churning out a maximum 340Nm of torque from just 2,000rpm thanks to its overboost function. More engines including Ford of Europe’s first hybrid powertrain will be offered further down the track.

Ford’s new Kuga may be compact but there’s plenty of storage space inside for all your gear and four of your mates. The second row seating has a 60/40 split and has been designed to fold completely flat and offers up to 1,355L of storage. When the seats are up there’s still a usable 360L of space.

The Kuga will be offered with two distinct lines of trim, Trend and Titanium, both of which are differentiated with a wide range of equipment, technology and styling options. Some of the options include metallic paint, color coded interior details, and matching trim for the instrument panel and door inserts. Standard safety features include ESP, Anti Rollover Mitigation, ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, plus a stiff and rigid passenger cell.