Photo: Ford
Known as the Ford Escape in the United States of America, the EU-spec Kuga is virtually the same car save for the engine and badge. What America doesn’t have, however, is the ST-Line pack.
After ST-Line was introduced to the Mondeo, Focus, and Fiesta, the time has come for the Kuga to get the same bold styling package. Slated to go on sale in Europe this fall, the 2017 Ford Kuga ST-Line boasts sporty add-ons inside and out, as well as better driving dynamics. For real!
Let’s start with the handling enhancement. As per FoMoCo, the ST-Line package updates the Kuga with stiffer suspension bushes, thicker anti-roll bars, and a 10 mm lower ride height for reduced body roll. Spring and damper rates, however, are tuned to deliver a cushy ride. More than that, the electronic power-assisted steering also features a revised calibration.
Regarding design, the 2017 Ford Kuga ST-Line crossover boasts a high-gloss Ebony Black upper grille, honeycombs for the lower grille, skid plates, roof-mounted spoiler, black roof rails, tinted lights fore and aft, black beltline beneath the windows, ST-Line badging, and 18- or 19-inch black-painted wheels. And yes, the ST-Line also gets a handful of goodies on the inside.
Once you open the door, the sportiest Kuga of them all invites you to sit in a sporty seat wrapped in partial leather and adorned with contrasting stitching. The stylistic elements which complete the ST-Line makeover are a black headliner and a two-layer Deep Space paint job on the center console. In terms of power- and drivetrain, ST-Line is available for whichever 2017 Ford Kuga floats your boat the most, be it FWD or AWD, diesel or gasoline.
“Ford ST-Line models are designed to deliver a fun to drive experience, and we placed a strong focus on ensuring that Ford’s first performance-orientated SUV in Europe offered the same driving characteristics as the Fiesta ST-Line, Focus ST-Line, and Mondeo ST-Line models,” declared Frederick Vrancken, the Kuga ST-Line vehicle dynamics engineer at Ford of Europe.
Let’s start with the handling enhancement. As per FoMoCo, the ST-Line package updates the Kuga with stiffer suspension bushes, thicker anti-roll bars, and a 10 mm lower ride height for reduced body roll. Spring and damper rates, however, are tuned to deliver a cushy ride. More than that, the electronic power-assisted steering also features a revised calibration.
Regarding design, the 2017 Ford Kuga ST-Line crossover boasts a high-gloss Ebony Black upper grille, honeycombs for the lower grille, skid plates, roof-mounted spoiler, black roof rails, tinted lights fore and aft, black beltline beneath the windows, ST-Line badging, and 18- or 19-inch black-painted wheels. And yes, the ST-Line also gets a handful of goodies on the inside.
Once you open the door, the sportiest Kuga of them all invites you to sit in a sporty seat wrapped in partial leather and adorned with contrasting stitching. The stylistic elements which complete the ST-Line makeover are a black headliner and a two-layer Deep Space paint job on the center console. In terms of power- and drivetrain, ST-Line is available for whichever 2017 Ford Kuga floats your boat the most, be it FWD or AWD, diesel or gasoline.
“Ford ST-Line models are designed to deliver a fun to drive experience, and we placed a strong focus on ensuring that Ford’s first performance-orientated SUV in Europe offered the same driving characteristics as the Fiesta ST-Line, Focus ST-Line, and Mondeo ST-Line models,” declared Frederick Vrancken, the Kuga ST-Line vehicle dynamics engineer at Ford of Europe.
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