It doesn’t get any kind of power boost, but features exterior mods and a stiffer suspension setup
The Kuga, also known as the Escape in the US, has just gained a styling and performance upgrade pack calle ST-Line. It gives the car sportier exterior visual cues, while also giving it slightly different suspension to make it better at cornering.
On the visual side, the Kuga ST-Line features gloss black-finished exterior trim bits, a more aggressive front grille design and unique-design 18- or 19-inch rims finished in Ebony Black among other less significant changes; oh, and it gets ST-Line exterior badging too.
Inside, it features different design sports seats with part-leather cladding (complete with contrasting stitching), sporty looking black headlining and a “special two-layer metallic-effect Deep Space paint on the centre console.”
On the suspension front, Ford has opted to lower the Kuga ST-Line by 10 mm, while bestowing it with thicker antiroll bars and stiffer bushes which “help to reduce unwanted movement in the suspension system, while spring and damper rates are fine-tuned to deliver comfort and performance. Ford’s Electronic Power Assisted Steering system also features a revised calibration to deliver a tighter, more responsive and sporty feel.”
The model will debut across European showrooms “later this year,” where it will sit alongside another special edition model, the luxurious Kuga Vignale, as well as the new-for-Europe Edge.