SPY PHOTOS: Ford Lifestyle 4x4 SUV

First pictures

Caught testing near the Arctic Circle, here are photos showing a first prototype of Ford’s Focus-based, all new, so-called lifestyle SUV, developed from the concept car Iosis + X.

The Iosis + X was first displayed at the Paris Motor Show last autumn, and Ford’s European President John Fleming announced there that in 18 months time Ford will come on the market with such a cross over production car.

The new SUV is based on the Focus C1 platform and will get a similar sporty look as the Mazda CX-7. Nothing is known yet about the name of the new car, and the prototype in the photos is still heavily disguised to conceal the final styling.

The car has been designed in Europe, and the Cologne license plate on the prototype is proving this. The newcomer is scheduled for release at this fall’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and upon its debut on the market, it will meet a large number of competitors, which are not easy to beat. BMW has its X3, Opel has the Antara, Audi is preparing the Q5, Volkswagen will release the Tiguan, Mercedes has the GLK coming and finally Toyota is already very successful with its new RAV 4.

Power for the SUV is expected to come from the known fuel and diesel engines used in the Focus and S-Max, ranging between 130 and 220 HP.