Ford Kuga SUV Imported to India for R&D Purposes

A single Ford Kuga has been brought to India for research and development purposes. The market for SUVs in India has been expanding rapidly and after the success it enjoyed with the old Endeavour and more recently with the EcoSport, Ford will be looking to increase the size of its SUV portfolio in India.

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Ford boasts of an impressive range of SUVs, especially in America where the F-Series pickup has been outselling all other vehicles in America for several decades. In fact, 2015 saw the American brand sell more F-Series than the combined total of all its other products in the US. Hence, looking at the company's history of repeatedly producing some excellent SUVs and UVs, increasing the strength of the segment in India is a logical step and could be extremely lucrative given India's newfound love for big cars.

The single Ford Kuga SUV that has landed in India features a 2.0-litre diesel engine with a manual gearbox. Performance figures of the Duratorq engine are to the tune of 147bhp of power and 370Nm of torque. Internationally, the engine is also available in a more powerful tune which makes 177bhp of power and 400Nm of torque. A 4X4 version of the car is also available as is the option of choosing an automatic gearbox.

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If Ford does choose to bring the Kuga to India, the car will slot into its Indian line-up seamlessly between the affordable EcoSport and the more premium Endeavour which has been confirmed to go on sale in the sub-continent this January. Considering the price range of the EcoSport and Endeavour in India, the Kuga is likely to come bearing a price range that reflects its position in the company's family of SUVs. The imported car has been reported to have cost the company Rs 16 lakh although localisation of parts would see its cost come down substantially. If launched, expect the Kuga to cost anywhere between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 15 lakh which would see the Mahindra XUV500 and Hyundai Creta lined up in its cross-hairs. The car may be showcased at the 2016 Delhi Auto Expo which would give us a better idea as to what plans Ford has with the Kuga in India. Besides launching the new Endeavour this month, the iconic Ford Mustang will also make its way to India this year after being showcased at the upcoming Auto Expo.