Ford recently announced plans to expand its range of SUVs in Europe from three (EcoSport, Kuga and Edge) to five. But the automaker also wants to introduce more versions of the existing models.
Ford is planning new additions to the Kuga range, with the SUV said to receive ST and Vignale versions. Currently, the posh Vignale sub-brand is only offered for the Mondeo, but it will be soon available for the S-Max MPV and possibly the Kuga SUV.
When asked by Auto Express if Vignale editions of their SUVs were possible, Roelant de Waard, Ford of Europe vice-president, sales, marketing and service, said:
“We believe SUVs are going to be a major segment, and expect it to grow to around 27 percent of the marketplace. Because it gets so big there will be more proliferation in body styles and executions. The answer is yes in general, but I am not going to say which ones. We have announced the S-MAX Vignale and then it will expand beyond that,” de Waard added.
The Kuga looks like the obvious candidate for a Vignale version, given that the EcoSport is an entry-level model and the Edge has just been launched in Europe. Furthermore, the Ford Kuga has a high take rate of high-spec Titanium and Titanium X grades, a key criteria for a model to get a Vignale version. Currently, the take-up rate of top-spec Kugas is 70 percent, making a Kuga Vignale a probable proposition.
Interestingly, de Waard hinted that a Kuga ST could also be a possibility. “All I can say is that we have a successful range of sport versions of our SUVs already in the US,” the executive said.
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