You'll need to imagine a bigger set of inverted commas over the word 'new' when referring to Ford's Kuga SUV.
This is a new product in that it recently went on sale in South Africa - and significant in being the first compact 'softroad' SUV to be sold by Ford in this country.
But it's also quite an old product - so old, in fact, that its replacement (the 2013 Ford Escape) has already been unveiled overseas. This means that, inevitably, the Kuga will not be sold on our market for very long, although Ford South Africa won't confirm when the new Escape will reach our shores.
So why launch a new model in South Africa so late into its life cycle, rather than waiting for its replacement? While we suspected that Ford of Europe is trying to relieve itself of some late-model-cycle stock, the Ford South Africa representative I spoke to insists that the company simply "can't wait" to enter the segment.
Enough of that for now, though, because the good news is that as long as you don't mind buying a vehicle that should be replaced in the next year or two, the Kuga actually seems like a great buy.
Of course, it slots in at the premium end of the segment (with pricing just shy of the R400K mark) so it's not exactly an affordable entry into the softroading clan, but it does offer more features for the money than the equivalent flagship petrol equivalents from Honda, VW and Chevrolet.
Despite its age, the Kuga is also a rather handsome offering and the perceptive quality inside is mostly impressive - although many of the bits and pieces inside will remind you of the previous Focus that this SUV is based on.
There is only one engine option and that's not going to satisfy those concerned with economy, but if you've got a penchant for performance then its 2.5-litre Duratec turbopetrol engine will be right up your alley.
It's not frugal, with claimed combined fuel consumption of 10.3 litres per 100km - likely to be far worse in the real world, but it does list the word 'fast' in its portfolio.
It's basically the same Volvo-sourced five-cylinder engine that was found under the bonnet of the previous Focus ST, except it has been tuned to suit the requirements of an SUV - so power is down slightly, to 147kW at 6000rpm, but peak torque remains identical at 320Nm from 1600 to 4000rpm.
Sure, the extra height and weight means you're not going to revel in hot-hatch performance, but it's still rather quick by SUV standards and unlike its rivals, it has a turbocharger to make it almost altitude-proof.
Ford claims a top speed of 202km/h and a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 8.8 seconds and after our three-hour dash on the splendid roads around Elgin, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch in the Western Cape yesterday, I don't feel any inclination to disagree with these figures.
Stomp the pedal from anywhere in the rev range and the five-speed automatic gearbox responds on a dime and the SUV leaps forward enticingly. It's brisk off the mark and overtaking is child's play.
On that note, and a downer for enthusiastic drivers, is that Ford appears to have tuned the steering for the soccer moms that want it light. While it still has a positive feel, it's not as communicative or as well-weighted as the steering system in the previous-generation Focus.
Handling, given its higher centre of gravity, is still rather good and the standard intelligent all-wheel drive system makes it safe and stable.
Ultimately, the Kuga is an ideal family vehicle that combines strong performance and practicality. Features like the split tailgate, reasonable rear legroom and second row underseat storage add further to its family-pleasing credentials. The 360-litre boot, however, is a bit on the small side.
It's also a breeze from the helm thanks to keyless start, cruise control, Bluetooth with voice control and an electrically-adjustable driver's seat.
These features, in addition to leather trim, are standard on both Trend and Titanium versions, but only the latter has dual zone climate control, rear parking sensors, reverse sensors and automatic headlights and windscreen wipers. The Titanium also replaces the Trend's 17-inch allow wheels with a spunkier 18-inch design.
Adding to the peace of mind brought by its five-star EuroNCAP rating, standard safety features on both models include six airbags, active electronic stability control and anti-rollover mitigation.
Slotting in at the high end of the softroader spectrum, the Kuga costs R375 000 in Trend form and R395 000 in Titanium guise.