After Vignale-ifing the Mondeo and S-Max, the Ford Motor Company now turned its attention to the Kuga and Edge. Now on sale in select European markets, the range-topping models infuse premium cues into Ford’s compact and mid-size crossovers.
At first blush, Vignale may appear to be just a glorified name for what essentially is a trim level. It’s not, though. Also presented as an upmarket ownership experience, customers can buy these cars from a dealership’s dedicated Vignale Lounge. Other than that something called a Vignale Relationship Manager, the experience also consists of a smartphone app, GPS-enabled services, complimentary car washes, as well as valet services.
To quote the title of an old dance song, how much is the fish? If it’s the 2017 Ford Kuga Vignale you’re after, that’ll be €34,650, which is around €11,350 more than the entry-level variant of the Kuga. In the Ford Edge’s case, the retail price starts from €53,300 for the Vignale, which is €10,400 more than the no-frills specification. It’s a lot of dough if I’m honest, but then again, Ford of Europe insists that this is what prospective customers want.
“Our customers have high aspirations, and they want more from Ford. On some vehicles, our top-of-the-line Titanium specifications make up 70 percent of all sales,” said Jim Farley, Ford of Europe CEO. “With Ford Vignale, we can offer them the absolute best of Ford in terms of luxury and personal service.”
But even though these two come with all the bits and bobs Ford can throw at them, it is rather curious that the Blue Oval doesn’t offer front-wheel-drive or an automatic as standard in the Kuga Vignale. If the Edge Vignale is what you fancy, €53k buys you a 6-speed manual and a single-turbo 2.0 TDCi, not the 6-speed PowerShift DCT box and the 2.0 TDCi Bi-Turbo diesel powerplant.
On the upside, SYNC 3 infotainment comes as standard on both models.
To quote the title of an old dance song, how much is the fish? If it’s the 2017 Ford Kuga Vignale you’re after, that’ll be €34,650, which is around €11,350 more than the entry-level variant of the Kuga. In the Ford Edge’s case, the retail price starts from €53,300 for the Vignale, which is €10,400 more than the no-frills specification. It’s a lot of dough if I’m honest, but then again, Ford of Europe insists that this is what prospective customers want.
“Our customers have high aspirations, and they want more from Ford. On some vehicles, our top-of-the-line Titanium specifications make up 70 percent of all sales,” said Jim Farley, Ford of Europe CEO. “With Ford Vignale, we can offer them the absolute best of Ford in terms of luxury and personal service.”
But even though these two come with all the bits and bobs Ford can throw at them, it is rather curious that the Blue Oval doesn’t offer front-wheel-drive or an automatic as standard in the Kuga Vignale. If the Edge Vignale is what you fancy, €53k buys you a 6-speed manual and a single-turbo 2.0 TDCi, not the 6-speed PowerShift DCT box and the 2.0 TDCi Bi-Turbo diesel powerplant.
On the upside, SYNC 3 infotainment comes as standard on both models.