· 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
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.
