FORD has revealed the new Ford Kuga heading its push in the SUV market, offering a more technologically advanced, refined and sportier redesign with more driver assistance technology and lower CO2 emissions making it more attractive to business users.

Innovations include Ford’s new SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system, new driver assistance technologies, an ergonomic and comfortable interior and a new 120PS 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine.

The bold and sporty new Kuga debuts at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It will offer Ford’s Perpendicular Parking technology that helps drivers park hands‑free in spaces alongside other cars; an enhanced version of the Active City Stop collision avoidance system at speeds up to 31mph, and Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System for optimised visibility in low light.

Further sophisticated technologies include Hands-Free Tailgate and Ford Intelligent All Wheel Drive.

Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe, said: “New Kuga offers cutting-edge new features and technologies that will help drivers stay connected, comfortable, safe and stylish on the road.

“The sophisticated redesign has given Kuga a fresh and modern feel, while SYNC 3 enables drivers to communicate with their vehicle and connected devices in seamless ways that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.”

Ford is launching the new Kuga and the larger Edge SUV this year, after introducing an updated EcoSport last year. Ford is bolstering its SUV line-up just as it has been predicted by industry sales analyst IHS that sales in the SUV segment are poised to increase to 27 per cent of all vehicle sales in Europe by 2020.

New Kuga and the Edge are among five all-new or redesigned Ford vehicles that will compete in the SUV and crossover space in the next three years.

Kuga spearheaded the company’s SUV expansion in the UK after first going on sale in 2008. 2015 sales for the full year were 32,936, up 35.2 per cent, compared with 2014. EcoSport sales also grew to 11,315 in 2015, securing fourth place in the small SUV segment. Ford expects SUV sales to treble in the UK in 2016 compared with 2013.

Bakaj said. “Demand for SUVs is stronger than ever, and Ford is expanding its range to offer everything from rugged models with true go‑anywhere ability to sporty models designed to suit urban lifestyles.”

The new Ford Kuga will allow drivers to control audio, navigation, and climate functions plus connected smartphones using simple, more conversational voice commands, with Ford’s new SYNC 3 connectivity system. Simply by pushing a button and saying “I need a coffee,” “I need petrol,” and “I need to park,” drivers can locate nearby cafés, petrol stations or car parks, and find train stations, airports, and hotels.

Kuga drivers can operate SYNC 3’s 8-inch touchscreen in the same way that they use their smartphones. A new interface features larger, easier to operate buttons and enables pinch and swipe gestures for the first time.

iPhone users can activate Apple CarPlay, the smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in the car allowing drivers to make phone calls, access music, send and receive messages, get directions optimised for traffic conditions, and more while they stay focused on the road. Android users can activate Android Auto. Software can be updated over-the-air via Wi-Fi.

SYNC 3 also delivers SYNC AppLink for customers, enabling voice-activation from the driver’s seat of a range of smartphone apps that for the first time now includes MyBoxMan, HearMeOut, AccuWeather, Cadena Ser and Los 40 Principales.