New Ford Kuga (2012) to debut at Los Angeles Motor Show

2012 Ford Kuga / Escape to debut at Los Angeles 2011 - based on the Vertrek Concept (above)

Ford are to debut the Vertrek based production-ready new Ford Escape at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November, which will be the new Ford Kuga when it arrives in Europe.

Yes, strictly speaking the debut of the new Ford Kuga at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November is actually for the 2013 Ford Escape.

But in the new ‘One World’ of Ford the new Escape – based on the Ford Vertrek Concept from this year’s Detroit Motor Show – will, with just a few changes, become Europe’s new Ford Kuga.

What makes it even more certain that the Escape is much the same as the Kuga will be is news on the engines.

Ford has revealed that the new Escape – and therefore the new Kuga – will only get four-pot engines when it launches. Yes, America is eschewing the V6 in the current Escape – and dropping the hybrid option – and it will instead come with a choice of 1.6- and a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection EcoBoost lumps.

True, there will also be a 2.5 litre four-pot on offer too in the US, but in Europe that will be dumped in favour of an eco-diesel or three, with the 2.0 litre Ecoboost the ‘Performance’ option – we hope.

It is possible Ford won’t even bother with the 2.0 litre Ecoboost as a performance option for the new Kuga and will make do with just the 148bhp 1.6 litre Ecoboost in Europe in addition to a 2.0 litre 161bhp diesel and a less powerful – but more economical – 138bhp version.

But the 2.0 litre Ecoboost would make a great replacement for the 2.5 litre 5-pot petrol in the current Kuga, which delivers 187bhp but is quite thirsty and kicks out 244g/km CO2.

By contrast, a 2.0 litre Ecoboost lump in the 2012 / 2013 Ford Kuga could deliver anything up to 240bhp with lower emissions and better economy than the current 2.5 litre manages.

We’ll live in hope.