Escape

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

When we hear the word Kuga, we usually can attribute it to the way people from Brooklyn, NY pronounce the word cougar. This time though, our spy shots show the all-new Ford Kuga prepping itself for arrival in showrooms in the near future. Even though it's camouflaged, the photos reveal the prototype closely resembling the design of the Vertrek concept car, which made its debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January. The upcoming Escape replacement may or may not keep the Vertrek name in the U.S, but it will likely remain the Kuga in Europe. Photos courtesy of AutoExpress.

Through the bandages, we can see that the concept's front end has made it into production. The upper grille opening looks very slim, while the rear maintains the concept's angular-looking taillights. Distinctive camouflage attempts to hide the real sloping lines of the rear hatch. The interior will keep the overall theme of the concept, with the instrument panel resembling that of the Focus. The concept featured a four-seat configuration, but the production model will be a more practical five-seater. It will also feature a larger wheelbase than the Focus with more legroom and luggage capacity. Ford says it offers up to 20 percent extra space.

Under the hood, the Escape/Kuga will generate power from the latest 1.6-liter EcoBoost gasoline turbo engine with stop-start technology. It will likely feature the same four-wheel-drive system as the current European model and will feature Ford's latest version of SYNC, along with active parking, a blind sport alert and traffic sign recognition. The new Escape replacement will launch in early 2012 and will likely have its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show this January.