Ford Puma SUV will be accompanied by new generation Kuga and mild-hybrid versions of Focus and Fiesta at an event in Amsterdam
Ford will reportedly display two new SUVs next week as part of the latest strategy to concentrate more on SUVs and crossovers sticking by the global trend. The American auto major has gone as far as eliminating sedans from its lineup in the United States. The expanded portfolio includes a new generation Kuga with a PHEV and brand new small SUV.
The latter will be slotted between the EcoSport and Kuga in the international markets and it could be christened as Puma. It will be manufactured at Ford’s manufacturing facility in Romania for European sales where the EcoSport is also produced. Ford is targetting customers wanting a compact SUV with more features and sportier appeal compared to the EcoSport.
The unveiling ceremony will be hosted in Amsterdam the coming Tuesday. Ford will take the opportunity in front of the media to reveal its big plans regarding SUVs, commercial vehicles and the electrification future. Ford recently teased an all-electric crossover and it will be launched next year.
However, it won’t be present in the upcoming event while other sources indicate that it would. In the waking of the industry’s gradual transformation towards electric mobility and the need to have a sustained future, Ford has been streamlining its operations and narrowing the platforms being used.
Cutting down jobs is part of the plan too as employees in Germany and the United Kingdom are facing the heat. Ford has also been skipping global motor shows to prevent the expenditure and thus events like the upcoming “Go Further 2019” carry plenty of importance. Despite enduring good sales, Ford could not turn its European sales into profits yet and the SUVs contribute only a fifth of the total volume.
Amidst quitting Russia, Ford will also be shutting down a couple of production plants and an engine factory there. Besides the Puma and new Kuga, Ford will also debut mild-hybrid versions of the 2020-bound Focus and Fiesta. They will use a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with 48 V integrated starter/generator allowing for brake energy recovery and boost in power.