The performance-focused SUV and crossover market is booming and it seems possible that Ford could soon jump on the bandwagon.
While recently speaking to Car Dealer Magazine, Ford performance chief Dave Pericak suggested that such models are possible, when asked about an RS-badged SUV.
“If you did what you needed to do to make it perform the way that an RS should, the answer would be sure.
“I think customers love performance. I think the definition of what that means for an SUV might be different than what it means for a Focus or for a Fiesta. But I think that we’ve seen, even in the US and globally, that people like aggressive-looking cars, they like sporty, they want the power and pick-up and engine improvement, so I think the answer is yes. SUV customers would appreciate performance, for sure,” Pericak confirmed.
At this stage, it seems that the Ford Kuga would be the most likely model to receive an RS derivative and while Ford has limited expertise in the market, Pericak thinks there is an opportunity to create a “credible” performance SUV, something he says very few other automakers have done.
“If you look at the SUV market right now, there aren’t too many credible performance SUVs out there. There are people who have made partial attempts at it and there are different things that have happened, but there are no real credible ones. So, I think that’s an area of some opportunity, for sure,” he said.
There is no timeline for when a Ford RS SUV could arrive but if such a model does see the light of day, it could be just the first in a fleet of new RS models.
PHOTO GALLERY
