Ford Europe’s “Vignale” family of well-appointed, upscale models just got a little bigger with the introduction of the Ford Kuga (Escape) Vignale and Ford Edge Vignale. Both vehicles will bring premium materials and upmarket aesthetics to the market in an attempt to lure crossover buyers away from the usual luxury automakers.
“Our Ford Vignale range speaks directly to the growing trend for upmarket SUVs and represents the very best of Ford with luxurious design, materials and craftsmanship,” says Ford Europe VP of Marketing, Sales & Service Roelant de Waard. “We see great potential to extend the top end of our Ford product range and offer a special experience that meets the growing expectations of our customers.”
Like the Ford Mondeo Vignale before them, the premium Kuga and Edge models are adorned with rich familial touches like a unique, hexagonal grille pattern, high-quality exterior finishes like polished aluminum and dark gloss, and sumptuous Windsor leather throughout the interior. Also like the Mondeo Vignale, both of these new crossovers feature plenty of high-tech driver aids and creature comforts such as Active Noise Control, which reduces unsavory noises in the same manner as a pair of noise-canceling headphones.
Going after upscale customers in the crossover/SUV space is a sound strategy for Ford; according to IHS data, sales across Europe in that segment grew from 6 percent of total passenger vehicle sales in 2005 to 23 percent last year, and are expected to reach 27 percent in 2020. What’s more, of the more-than-100,000 Ford Kugas sold in 2015, four out of five were top-spec Titanium models, indicating that the demand for an even-more-premium Vignale model would be there.
Of course, it helps that premium vehicle models tend to yield fatter profit margins than non-premium vehicles.
“Our customers have high aspirations, and they want more from Ford,” says Ford Europe Chairman and CEO Jim Farley. “With Ford Vignale, we can offer them the absolute best of Ford in terms of luxury and personal service.”
Online vehicle configurators for the new Ford Kuga Vignale and Ford Edge Vignale are now live, available on Ford’s dedicated Vignale-brand website.
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