Introduction
The Vertrek was a concept car released by Ford back in 2011. The car was the predecessor for the ongoing Kuga and it went into production nearly unchanged. Recently rumors about a new concept started to surface. This would be released as the 2018 Ford Vertrek and it would showcase how the upcoming Kuga could look like. Even though Ford didn’t say anything about the car just yet, it is quite clear the direction they are heading into. Ford is looking to expand and improve their roster and the current Kuga is not really up to date. The Vertrek would be the perfect chance for Ford to see how the market would react to a vastly different car.
In detail
This new car is expected to be based on a modular platform similar to the one underpinning the upcoming Focus. This would allow Ford to offer a wider and lower car than before with a longer wheelbase. The end result should be more space inside the cabin and better on-road performance.
source:automobilemag.com
So far it looks like the Vertrek could boast a fully independent suspension system, standard all wheel drive and a hybrid powertrain. As the car is expected to be a concept, it won’t have a price but its production version, the Kuga, shouldn’t be much different from the ongoing model.
2018 Ford Vertrek Design
The older car was loosely based on the Focus and the same is expected to happen with the upcoming 2018 Ford Vertrek. Even though so far no spy shots have been seen, it looks like the Focus will definitely spawn a crossover. The Vertrek is expected to be the concept of that crossover so it would only be natural for it to have very similar design cues to the Focus.
source:automobilemag.com
Expect it to get a more stylish front grille than before and also get a lower hood. The car could get things like flared wheel arches, a roof-spoiler and massive alloy rims in order to look as muscly as possible. Over its predecessor, the Vertrek may look more like a four-door coupe crossover than an SUV. This has been the trend with its rivals as well so Ford may follow this trend in order not to remain behind.
The interior
While we would love something special, it is quite likely the concept will not get an interior. However, its production version is expected to get an identical cabin to the upcoming Focus. Expect it to boast a really clean center stack, the top-mounted infotainment screen as well as rectangular air-vents.
source:automobilemag.com
The car may receive a digital instrument cluster and a full set of safety features. The big change over the ongoing model is expected to be the driving position and the available amount of space. Most rumors suggest the car will come with more headroom and legroom than before despite not being much larger.
The performance of Ford Vertrek
The 2018 Ford Vertrek is more than likely going to boast a hybrid powertrain. So far there is still very little information about it but it seems Ford is developing a new hybrid system for their future cars. This could use a small 1.0 to 1.5 liter 3 cylinder EcoBoost engine offering between 100 to 180 horsepower. This engine would be able to run in a modified Atkinson cycle in order to be more efficient than the regular powertrain. The engine would get an electric turbo-boost system as well as a small electric motor strapped to its crankshaft. The end result should be a hybrid system capable of providing more torque at lower RPM with less fuel consumption. The electric motors would give the car energy recovery and it would even allow it to run in full electric mode for short amounts of time.
Video
