Ford launches Kuga's replacement at the Detroit Auto Show

Ford will unveil at Detroit Auto Show in almost production-ready concept of a mid-range SUV that will replace the Escape Kuga in Europe and the United States, according to sources from the American company.

The vehicle will enter production in the second half of 2012 and will be sold as a 2013 model in the U.S., the source said the Ford Automotive News Europe.

Ford has not yet decided whether Kuga and Escape models will retain their name or will share the same name as the next generation of mid-range SUV will be launched on the market. According to One Ford strategy, the U.S. manufacturer will use a single name for vehicles sold in different regions, as does the Focus and Fiesta models.

It is expected that the Saarlouis plant in Germany to lose production Kuga's substitute for a plant in the United States, writes Automotive News Europe.

Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2008, the Kuga has been a very good sales model in Europe, and replaced the Maverick, with weak sales in the U.S., this was renamed to Escape. In 2009, Ford Kuga has completed its first full year as SUV sales number two in Europe, after Volkswagen Tiguan, with a volume of 64,546 units. Tiguan Volkswagen sold 107,897 units, according to JATO Dynamisc statistics.

In the first 10 months of 2010, the Ford Kuga sales increased by 16.6% to 61,146 units.

Source: http://www.ford.com/