Ford Kuga production is set to increase by 10% this year to cope with an increasing demand throughout Europe. As a result, production of Ford’s latest smart utility vehicle is expected to reach 100,000 units annually for the first time. Demand in the UK is helping drive Kuga’s production growth. Since it was launched at the end of last year, over 8,000 orders have been placed as families switch to SUVs in favour of conventional saloon cars.
Ford has said it expects to sell more than one million SUVs in Europe in the next six years with SUVs accounting for 10% of all Fords sold in the region by 2016. Ford Kuga UK sales and share were both up in March 2013, compared with last year. The all-new Kuga SUV will be launched in Malaysia soon and will later be followed by the next generation Ford EcoSport, a smaller utility vehicle popular in the U.S. and other markets.