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Ford Kuga & Edge Vignale Now Available For Order In Europe

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#1 ·
Upmarket Ford Kuga & Edge Vignale SUVs Now Available For Order In Europe
MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016
BY MICHAEL KARKAFIRIS
carscoops.com

The luxurious versions of Ford’s Kuga and Edge SUVs are hitting the market across Europe.

Ford’s new Vignale portfolio of models has the ambitious goal of drawing customers away from traditional premium brands and in order to do so, the Kuga and Edge SUVs are offered in exclusive specs and with high-quality materials, including tuxedo-stitched Windsor leather interiors, unique exterior colors and upmarket detailing that include a Vignale-specific hexagonal grille design.

“Our Ford Vignale range speaks directly to the growing trend for upmarket SUVs and represents the very best of Ford with luxurious design, materials and craftsmanship,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe. “We see great potential to extend the top end of our Ford product range and offer a special experience that meets the growing expectations of our customers.”

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Images courtesy of, and credited to, carscoops.com

 
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#2 ·
Great to see the Vignale sub-marque expanding with new offerings for FoMoCo Europe. I think a lot of folks kind of criticized the idea at first. However, until/unless Lincoln is sold in Europe, this is arguably the more "appropriate" way for Ford to capture luxury car sales in the Old World without a dedicated brand.

These dressed up Kuga and Edge look really nice. However, I'd really like to see the interior updates. While all of the Vignale exteriors make subtle, handsome revisions, its the interiors that get the most visual punch. Let's hope they do it justice.

As an aside, with Caddy's revival in Europe a work in progress, you have to wonder if GM should be doing something similar with Opel/Vauxhall in the short-term? That is, should there be an Opel "Premier"/"Black Label" type of designation for such higher-end models? While they won't sell in huge quantities, they would undoubtedly be profitable (as Ford's expansion of it's own offerings can attest).
 
#4 · (Edited)
Rumor was that the EcoSport (or something very much like it) was on the drawing board for the NAFTA region. They've already "civilized" a version of the EcoSport for Europe, and I think the plan was to use lessons learned/refinements made on that product for our domestic market.

That said, I think that the "urgency" for such a product may have fallen a few steps back in their priority list. As gasoline is still relatively affordable in the US, I'd imagine that getting the new Ranger and Bronco here (with it's fatter margins) ASAP has taken on a bigger focus for FoMoCo N.A.

That said, I can imagine something like the EcoSport taking on a bigger role at Ford in the future --- regardless of gasoline prices.

It seems that the passenger car market is continuing to contract. As the success of the Encore has demonstrated, not everyone in the compact category is looking for a sedan or hatchback. Though one could argue that Buick got the Verano "wrong" in execution, the fact that Buick is cancelling it's entry-level compact can attest to the reality that many people want something more "capable" than an ordinary compact.

Don't get me wrong; I don't imagine that the Focus and/or Fiesta are in danger of being cancelled (like the Verano has). I also don't imagine that the Cruze or Sonic is in any danger. But, I could imagine a future market scenario where a number of middle-aged/elderly/small-family-buyers will select an EcoSport as their daily runabout over a similarly sized Focus (or Fiesta).

And why not? Products like the Trax/EcoSport ride higher and are easier to get into for many. It's easier to package AWD into them for those living the North/Northeast. Small families/seniors enjoy the extra hauling room behind the second row for grocery getting/soccer practice/etc. And in pointing to the bottom line, the car companies would arguably WANT to see this play out since they can charge more for them (compare an entry level Trax to an entry level Cruze [or Sonic] to see the disparity).
 
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#5 ·
I really like that Kuga/Escape with the body color lower molding. They should do that on the Titanium version for NA IMO.
 
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