Facelifted Ford Kuga without stickers

Earlier this year, an uncamouflaged revised Escape, known in Europe as the Ford Kuga, surfaced in the United States. It was then very likely a ‘Kuga’ ST-Line. With its body-colored bumpers and wheel arch edges and large light metal, it looks relatively sporty. This time we’ve got your hands on an Active.

Ford Kuga (Escape) ST-Line (spy shots)

This is again the American brother of the Kuga, although the SUV intended for the European market will hardly deviate from this. Also now we see a Ford Escape with a completely new front. The SUV exchanges its convex headlights placed high above the grille for meaner looking ones. The snapped Ford is significantly less richly equipped than the previously snapped ST-Line. For example, there is no LED strip between the headlights of this Escape Active, but a regular chrome strip. The Active also has to do without fog lights or chrome-colored decoration in the bumpers. In addition, the car in the photos has simpler headlights, more modest light metal and various black plastic elements. We encounter the black parts in the bumpers, around the wheel arches and on the flanks. Also on the back of this Escape Active, the handle that used to be in the middle of the tailgate is missing. The changes at the rear are also much less drastic than at the front.

Of course, Ford also takes care of the interior of the Kuga, but to what extent is still unclear. On the motor level, we expect the return of the plug-in hybrid powertrain and it is not inconceivable that the 155 hp mild hybrid 1.0 appears in the Kuga. We expect Ford to pull the curtain on the updated Kuga this year.

Ford Kuga (first generation)

Ford Kuga

Since the Dutch market introduction of the first generation Kuga in 2008, Ford has sold more than 15,000 units in our country over three generations. The Kuga had its peak year in 2021, when 2,850 units left the showroom. Ford also supplied a variant with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder of the first generation Kuga. The second Kuga appeared in 2012 and was succeeded by the current model in 2019. The current Kuga is the first to also be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.