The continuing decline of the dollar that has fallen 18 percent against the Euro this year has lead Ford to the decision to move production of its Kuga compact SUV from Europe to the U.S., or at least that is what Bloomberg reported citing three people familiar (but not named) with the plan. The news site claims that Ford will shift production of the Kuga from its factory in Saarlouis, Germany to Louisville, Kentucky in the U.S. starting from October 2011.
One of the 'insiders' told Bloomberg that as many as 80,000 examples of the Kuga a year will be exported to Europe.
Aside from making the members of the United Auto Workers union extremely happy (and the opposite for those working in Germany), Ford's move would also mean that the cool looking compact SUV would finally make its way to North American dealerships.
In Europe, Ford's VW Tiguan challenger is offered with a 200HP 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five gasoline engine (with both automatic and manual gearbox options), and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel with 136 horsepower. However, it is very likely that Ford will add new powertrain options in the very near future as the company has already announced a new family of of 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol units.
Via: Bloomberg
