If you live in the US, you may not have heard about Ford's latest line of sport-tuned models. The line, appropriately named the ST-Line, was unveiled with Fiesta and Focus models. The ST-Line models slot below the regular ST versions and come with tuned 1.0 and 1.5-liter engines for the Fiesta and Focus respectively. The purpose of this line is to offer the sporty looks of the ST cars with a mild performance boost. ST-Line cars comes with a honeycomb grill, rear diffuser, unique wheels, sport seats, sporty interior trim, and sport suspension.

Ford has just given the Kuga SUV (which Americans will recognize as the Escape) the ST-Line treatment. The Kuga ST-Line will get bigger 18- or 19-inch wheels, chassis tweaks, tuned suspension and steering, and a lowered ride height. Engine specs have not been announced yet, but FWD and AWD will be available. Our main takeaway is that the ST-Line needs to find its way to the US market. The Fiesta and Focus ST are extremely cool, but their increased price and lack of an automatic option make them a bit of a tricky sell to non-enthusiasts. We would love to see Ford sell these "halfway" ST models that offer sporty looks and driving feel, but cost a little less and are a bit more practical for the average car buyer.