2008 Ford Kuga

[inteller]

is this the same platform that the LR2 and future XC60 are to be based upon?

[stealth999x]

It makes sense as a Mercury--

 

Mercury Kuga

 

 

for those who want a Cougar its close

[Watchdevil]

It makes sense as a Mercury--

 

Mercury Kuga

for those who want a Cougar its close

 

It even has the upswept quarter window design of the 1983-88 Cougar models...

 

They just had to bastardize the spelling of Cougar huh... Like a pair of blingin' sneekers... Whats next... Thundabird?

 

But close my ass... A COUGAR the Kuga is not...

[Watchdevil]

How old are you again?

 

try again:

 

1971 Pontiac Ventura

 

 

1971 Chevy Nova

 

 

Nova Omega Ventura Apollo

 

They are as different from each other as the Fusion/Milan/MKZ(ephyr) triplets. They were a little more than badge jobs. They all had unique hoods, grilles and lights up front while the front fenders were modified stampings of the Nova's for the Ventura/Omega/Apollo to accept the grille and header panels specific to each added brand. . THe body shells were identical with only taillamp and rear filler panel variations.

 

Lest not forget:

 

Thunderbird/Mark IV

Maverick/Comet

Pinto/Bobcat

Torino/Montego/LTD II/Cougar/Elite/Thunderbird

Granada/Monarch/Versailles

Fairmont/Zephyr/Granada/Cougar/LTD/Marquis

79-86 Mustang/Capri

 

Most cars before the 1970's shared platforms and greenhouses with feedom of design for front ends, bodysides and rear ends. Intermediate and compact cars generaly had longer body cycles with more modest changes from year to year. The 1970's brought the end of complete styling changes every year for full sized cars and most cars had longer body design cycles with grille and trim changes on some and a lot of carryovers unchanged on others.

 

 

I have always said cars have a generalized similar look in each decade they are made. For me I have to look very hard at cars built before 1950 to distingish the makes.

 

Also in every decade, there have been badge engineered cars of different makes and models that were the same save for different front and rear end treatments.

 

There have also been innovative forward designs that one make initated and everyone else copied. For the early 1950's it was slabs sides and integrated fenders. Later it was tailfins, hardtops with no pillars, extravagent and complex greenhouse designs, very ornate details, lots of chrome, two tone paint. Later in the 50's everyone switched to dual beam headlamps. The Rectilinear look took over during the 60's with stacked headlamps to follow mid decade. Closing the 60's and well into the 70's, everyone adaped a fusilage look. Most of the 70's defined luxury and style with bladed fenders, prominent powerdome hoods with coffin-nosed grilles, padded roofs and opera windows. There was also the adaptation of rectangular headlamps. The 1980's downsized and made everything boxy following the influence of imports like Volvo and Mercedes. The mid-80's adapted the aero-look with rounded corners and jellybean shapes as well as flush areodynamic headlamps. The 1990's took the jellybean shape and made everything a virtually grilless smooth hooded blob while making headlamps with clear lenses. The end of he 1990's inititated a return to angles, straight lines, arches, edges, bolder grilles and projector or HID style headlamps. The current decade uses more bling styling devices like large chrome wheels and low profile tires, more chrome detailing, lots of circles in lamp detailing, cleared out taillamps, bold outrageous chrome grille and trim details and lots of wood and aluminum trim detailing. The 2000's also brought in a lot of retro-style for some vehicles. Sedans, CUV'sand SUV's all look relatively like copies of each other with insert brand grille and badge on the front. The only vehicles with distinction are mostly niche vehicles that rely on specific styling for image.

 

I embarrased myself earlier today when at work I approched a Toyota head on with the hood up on a Toyota without being able to see the sides and thought it was a Camry though it was a Corolla.

 

By the way has anyone noticed that the Lincoln Zepyhr/MKZ nods to the Lincoln Versailles with the same basic taillamp shape but enlarged?

 

Lets see the Versailles was set apart from the Granada/Monarch with a Mark styled grille and specific hood, a Continental tire hump decklid, a thickly padded roof (formal, squared off and extended for 1980 only), parts-bin Lincoln specific wheels, four wheel disc brakes, first use of halogen dual quad headlamps, clear coat paint... Funny how history repeats itself...

 

I recently found a picture of a custom two door Versailles which started as a Granada coupe with all the Versailles specific parts bolted in place. For some reason I liked it. That would be a hot rod lincoln custmized just right because the plaform is based on the Maverick which was in turn based on the Falcon which the Mustang was also based off of, so you could do anything to the Verasilles that could be done to the Mustang.

Edited October 8, 2007 by Watchdevil

[MKII]

is this the same platform that the LR2 and future XC60 are to be based upon?

No, the Kuga is on the same platform as euro Focus (C1)

LR2 & XC60 is on the EUCD, same as new Mondeo, S-Max, Galaxy, Volvo 80,V70/XC70 & future S60.

[apexpredator]

This is based on the same chassis as the LR1 and Euro Focus (C1)

 

I think this vehicle would sell very well here in the US virtually unchanged from its current configuration. Give us a TDI version, a decent gas version, and then a performance version with say the 3.5L Twin Turbo.

 

And just to screw with everybody and to go along with Fords love of bringing back dead name plates, how about calling this a Bronco? That would sure piss off the purists.

[jtstakelin]

The perportions don't seem right. looks kinda like a vue. Maybe this would work for mercury?

[Edstock]

and then a performance version with say the 3.5L Twin Turbo.

 

AFAIK, the chassis will not fit a V-6 of any kind.