Ford to Build Vertrek Out of Kuga and Escape

Ford has presented the Vertrek concept at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and, following positive feedback, several media reports started talking about a potential production version of the new small SUV. And the answer would be yes, the US-based manufacturer will produce the Vertrek but not as an entirely separate product.

To be more specific, Ford will use the NAIAS concept to unify its current two small SUVs, Autocar notes, which means a future product will be made of the Kuga and the Escape using Vertrek components.

Both models have been criticized for certain things, including interior and luggage volume, so all things would be resolved using the platform the Vertrek has been developed on. Of course, some of the concept's features won't make it to production, so the future Kuga won't be as complex as the prototype.

The new SUV presented by Ford in Detroit offers the same cargo space as the current Ford Escape (66.3 cubic feet/1,879 liters behind the first row and 29.2 cubic feet/828 liters behind the second row), but, at the same time, use a design inspired from the Kuga. Power is provided by the 1.6l EcoBoost gasoline engine already installed in Ford models, which pretty much makes us believe that a future incarnation of the Vertrek could be the next Kuga.

At the time of the launch at the North American show, Ford hinted that a production Vertrek would be aimed at the European, American and Chinese markets, which makes the mass-production vehicle an "almost" global product.