Ford Showcases New Kuga and New B-MAX at Rip Curl Pro Portugal Surf Event
- Ford displays new Kuga and new B-MAX at Rip Curl Pro Portugal surf event
- New Kuga and new B-MAX are designed to support active lifestyles; new Kuga introduces automatic hands-free tailgate for easier loading; B-MAX ingenious Easy Access Door System offers class-leading opening
PENICHE, Portugal, Oct. 18, 2012 – Ford is showcasing new Kuga and new B-MAX models at the 2012 Rip Curl Pro Portugal event.
Both the new Kuga SUV and new B-MAX compact multi-activity vehicle are this week on display at the Portuguese round of the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour in Peniche.
“Surfers make extreme demands on the vehicles they use, both in terms of where they can go and what they can carry,” said Miguel Branco, marketing manager, Ford of Portugal. “New Ford innovations – both on Kuga and B-MAX – deliver on those demands.”
The new Kuga on display will help drivers reach the most out-of-the-way locations with an intelligent all-wheel drive system; and make transporting bulky items easier with the first-in-segment hands-free automatic tailgate that enables Kuga customers to open and close the tailgate simply by waving a foot beneath the rear bumper.
The new B-MAX features an Easy Access Door System that creates a 1.5 metre unobstructed opening and can transport objects up to 2.34 metres long. As such, it easily swallows the 1.86 metre surfboard used by Australian surfer Mick Fanning, who is performing at the event.
“For surfers it’s all about getting to the right place at the right time to catch the waves,” said Fanning. “It’s incredible that I can fit a full-sized surfboard in a small car like a B-MAX or, in the case of the Kuga, load it without having to fumble around opening the tailgate by hand.”
New Ford Kuga and B-MAX are available to order throughout Europe this autumn.
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 168,000 employees and about 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com/.
Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 51 individual markets and employs approximately 66,000 employees. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford of Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 22 manufacturing facilities, including joint ventures. The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.