Ford has already released its own official drawing of the new Kuga crossover as a concept, and, we now have a new image that reveals what a closer-to-final production version may look like. The new Kuga is scheduled to enter production at Ford’s Saarlouis plant in Germany early next year and will go on sale in Europe by spring as a 2009 model.

When it arrives, the Kuga will be available with a hybrid option, the first of Ford’s petrol-electric cars in Europe. The major news is that it may eventually be sold in North America alongside the C-Max MPV, with both CEO Alan Mulally and product development boss Derrick Kuzak said to be backing its arrival from across the Atlantic.

The Kuga is being developed on Ford’s C-platform architecture, which also spawns cars like the C-Max and award winning S-Max MPV. Its styling will be heavily influenced by the iosis_X concept that debuted at the Paris Show last year, showcasing the latest iteration of Ford’s ‘Kinetic Design’ theme.

Joining the hybrid version powerplant will be four-cylinder petrol and diesel units including a 1.6L aluminum Duratec unit and a PSA-designed 2.0L turbodiesel. If the Kuga is sold in the US, expect to see Ford’s new 3.5L V6 available as an option.