The Ford Kuga is a compact crossover SUV (C-segment) manufactured by Ford since 2008 mainly for the European market, and now in its third generation. Both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are offered. The Kuga was originally European-designed and sold in Europe and a few other markets, but beginning in 2012 for the 2013 model year it was marketed in North America as the Ford Escape. Name The vehicle name, Kuga, may refer to another Ford automobile, the Mercury Cougar. The final Mercury Cougar from 1998 to 2002 was sold outside of the United States as the Ford Cougar. Kuga means plague in Serbo-Croatian and Slovenian. Its sales are reportedly lower in the region due to the unfortunate naming choice. First generation (C394; 2008) The Kuga went on sale in the first half of 2008, and was built at Ford's plant in Saarlouis, Germany. In the United Kingdom, emphasising the car's premium market aspirations, only high end Zetec and Titanium specifications are offered. The combined fuel consumption is and the CO2 emissions are 169 g/km. It is based on the C1 platform, which also forms the underpinnings of the Ford Focus and Ford C-Max. The first-generation Kuga was presented in September 2007, having its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Engines Petrol 2.5 L Duratec turbo I5, Diesel 2.0 L Duratorq, 2.0 L Duratorq, AWD and powershift models Worldwide markets A report from 20 July 2007 indicated Ford executives were considering the prospects of sales in North America. This idea was later scrapped, after they determined the car could not be sold both competitively priced and at a profit in the United States, due to the current dollar-to-euro exchange rate. On 24 July 2008, WDIV-TV announced that Ford was reconsidering bringing the Kuga to North America after all. On 22 October 2009, news leaked that Ford would build the Kuga at its Louisville plant, possibly as the 2012 Ford Escape. On 23 June 2010, Ford announced it would end production of the second-generation Escape in 2011 in anticipation of the Kuga's North American launch as the next-generation Escape. The Ford Kuga has also been available in Argentina since 2010; in Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand since 2011; and in Australia since March 2012. A facelift was released at the end of 2010, after being revealed in July 2010. The redesigned Kuga formed the basis for the 2013 Ford