Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
With all the supercars making their debut at this year's Geneva Motor Show, it's understandable if you missed the new Ford Kuga making its European debut. SUVs may be the kings of sales figures, but when it comes to car shows, they're just those big things that get in the way while you try to reach the next 1,000 hp piece of metal. Or, lately, carbon fiber.
Still, the new Kuga did launch, and to mark the occasion, Ford also brought a concept of sorts: the Kuga Vignale. Those who find this "Vignale" word a little weird should know that it's Ford's new way of signaling a special model, with more luxurious trim. It stems from Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale, an Italian coachbuilding company started in 1948 and bought by Ford in 1973, which the Blue Oval brand recently decided to resurrect. The first model to use the name was the Ford Mondeo (known as Fusion in the US) more than a year ago, when it made its European debut.
The new Kuga is nothing more than a rebranded Ford Escape, and that's not exactly a compliment. The car's exterior design is underwhelming, to say the least, and it actually seems like a step backwards from the existing version. We get the whole "One Ford" philosophy and everything it stands for, but if that means making vehicles that, by trying to appeal to both sides of the Atlantic, fail to entice either of them, it might prove to be a bad decision in the long term.
Back to the Kuga Vignale concept, it's nothing more than just a demonstration of what the new Ford crossover would look like if a man with more money than brains decided to buy one. Ford does say that every four out of five (that's 80 percent) Kugas bought in Europe was specced in the Titanium top trim level, so it does have reasons to hope the Vignale version will sell well. And it probably will, as long as the clients aren't put off by the bland exterior look.
And there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the arrival of the new Kuga, with things like the SYNC 3 multimedia and connectivity module, hands-free perpendicular parking or modern collision prevention systems all making their debuts. The Vignale concept adds a pearl effect exterior color (called Palazzo Pearl) with dark accents for a dramatic contrast. The interior is a leather-fest: the seats, the instrument cluster, door panels and even the trunk floor are all covered in animal skin, while the headliner and the pillars are wrapped in Alcantara.
The Vignale brand is set to extend soon with the S-Max minivan, the Edge crossover (making the transition over the pond as well), and the Mondeo wagon. Naturally, the Kuga will follow shortly, as Ford can't afford to miss on one of its best-selling models in Europe.
The new Kuga is nothing more than a rebranded Ford Escape, and that's not exactly a compliment. The car's exterior design is underwhelming, to say the least, and it actually seems like a step backwards from the existing version. We get the whole "One Ford" philosophy and everything it stands for, but if that means making vehicles that, by trying to appeal to both sides of the Atlantic, fail to entice either of them, it might prove to be a bad decision in the long term.
Back to the Kuga Vignale concept, it's nothing more than just a demonstration of what the new Ford crossover would look like if a man with more money than brains decided to buy one. Ford does say that every four out of five (that's 80 percent) Kugas bought in Europe was specced in the Titanium top trim level, so it does have reasons to hope the Vignale version will sell well. And it probably will, as long as the clients aren't put off by the bland exterior look.
And there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the arrival of the new Kuga, with things like the SYNC 3 multimedia and connectivity module, hands-free perpendicular parking or modern collision prevention systems all making their debuts. The Vignale concept adds a pearl effect exterior color (called Palazzo Pearl) with dark accents for a dramatic contrast. The interior is a leather-fest: the seats, the instrument cluster, door panels and even the trunk floor are all covered in animal skin, while the headliner and the pillars are wrapped in Alcantara.
The Vignale brand is set to extend soon with the S-Max minivan, the Edge crossover (making the transition over the pond as well), and the Mondeo wagon. Naturally, the Kuga will follow shortly, as Ford can't afford to miss on one of its best-selling models in Europe.
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