11:05PM - 02.03.'16
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News Source: autoblog.com
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To vie for upscale customers overseas, Ford doesn't have Lincoln, it has the Vignale line. The Mondeo (known to us as the Fusion) has been the only model to date to get the luxury treatment, but that all changes here in Geneva, where Ford has arrived with several new production models to bolster the Vignale range – and came with a new concept as well. What you're looking at is called the Ford Kuga Vignale Concept, but it's essentially the European version of the new Escape we saw in LA – with some lipstick on – now marking its European debut in Kuga form. Ford resisted the temptation to blow it up bigger, but fitted it with new sheetmetal to look more like the larger Edge (which is now reaching Europe as well) and equipped it with new feature like the latest Sync 3 infotainment system. To dress up the Vignale version, the automaker sprayed it with a special coat of Palazzo Pearl and fitted it with dark chrome and gloss black exterior trim. Where it really stands out, however, is inside, where Ford has swaddled it in high-end leather – geometrically quilted and top stitched – complemented by Alcantara trim, frock-lined storage compartments, and other high-end touches. Think that's all a little over the top for a Ford Escape? Maybe it would be on this side of the Atlantic, but rest assured that they haven't lost their minds at Ford's European headquarters in Cologne. The automaker reports that four out of every five Kugas it sold last year were specified in the top Titanium trim, suggesting that there's still room to nudge it further up-market. So don't be surprised to see it approved for production. In the meantime, Ford is expanding its Vignale lineup with upscale versions of the S-Max minivan, Edge crossover, and Mondeo wagon to join the existing sedan, all featuring a similarly luxurious treatment – but with a Blue Oval on the nose instead of a Lincoln badge. |
