If Ford South Africa had its way, we'd be writing a little preview about the 'new' Ford Kuga that's due to arrive on our shores shortly, but what would be the point of that when that vehicle's replacement has just been unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show.
This all-new global SUV will go on sale in the USA as the Escape and in Europe as the Kuga next year - with obliteration of rivals like the RAV4 and Tiguan at the forefront of its 'to do' list.
A Ford South Africa spokesperson has also confirmed that this new Escape/Kuga will be launched in South Africa but could not give any timeline, which is probably Latin for “as soon as Europe's stock of the old Kuga runs out.”
The American model will be offered with a choice of two petrol engines, namely 1.6-litre EcoBoost and a 2.5-litre four-cylinder units, and you can expect Ford to announce a range of diesel engines when the vehicle makes its European debut at the Geneva show next year.
Power is channelled through all four wheels via Ford's new 'Intelligent' 4WD system that receives data from 25 external signals (everything from wheel speed to steering wheel angle) and can vary the torque via an electromagnetic clutch.
With practicality being an important factor in this neck of the woods, the Escape has been given a spacious five-seat interior that's well-littered with gadgets.
Its key party trick is a 'hands-free power tailgate' - all you need do is pretend you're playing Wii by performing a gentle kicking motion beneath the rear bumper and the tailgate will lift.
Other novel goodies include the MyFord Touch infotainment system with voice command, parallel parking assistant and blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert.
Versatile too, the Escape has rear seats that can be folded flat very easily - head rests fold down at the touch of a button and the seat folds and dives at the tug of a handle.