[Auto] Ford Kuga

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It has been several years since the third-generation Ford Kuga arrived, and it’s fair to say it has been a big success for the brand’s European exploits. Back in 2019, it arrived as part of the brand's belated multi-pronged attack on the ever-growing SUV sector. 

With there having been a Kuga on the Blue Oval’s books since 2008, it was effectively the brand’s only credible crossover offering if you exclude the rather undercooked Ford Ecosport.

 

The second-generation car arrived in 2013 and was a product of the global One Ford policy that meant it had to work as well in New York as it did Neasden.

It has since grown in size yet retained its predecessor’s ability to entertain its driver. After a slow start, sales finally took off, and in its past couple of years on sale, it finally hit its stride, becoming Ford’s biggest-selling SUV.

The new Kuga still wins people over from the Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008, all of which have outsold it in the past, and Ford has since softened the car’s exterior design, made the interior more spacious and added economical mild- and plug-in hybrid powertrains to the range. 

But is it enough for it to fire it up the rankings? We’ve put it through its paces in our in-depth road test to find out. 

 

The Kuga has a versatile powertrain line-up, including conventional combustion engines and hybrid systems.

 

The range opens with a 1.5-litre Ecoboost turbo petrol engine mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

This version produces 147bhp and 177lb ft, with a 0-62mph sprint of 9.7sec. 

Drivers who want a bit of electrification can choose the 2.5-litre Duratec full hybrid, which sends 187bhp and 147lb ft through a CVT. It’s a touch faster than the Ecoboost, hitting 0-62mph in 9.1sec. 

At the top of the range is a 2.5-litre Duratec plug-in hybrid, with 221bhp, 147lb ft and up to 40 miles of range on electric-only power.

The PHEV version is the most po[CENSORED]r, accounting for a third of all sales, which is likely down to its favourable benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rating and perceived savings on the road.  There was also a diesel available at launch, but Ford axed it by the end of 2021, due to slow sales.

 

The Kuga’s front grille may be larger than on the old car, but its hard-edged scowl has clearly diminished, Ford having sculpted a more friendly and [CENSORED]ceous demeanour in response to owner feedback.

In the metal, it’s an attractive car, and in this hue you could even claim it bears a faint resemblance to the Aston Martin DBX – if you squint a little.

The bodywork is underpinned by the same excellent and usefully stiff C2 platform used by the Ford Focus, and this has allowed the Kuga to grow 89mm in length and 44mm in width, with Ford claiming it offers class-leading rear leg room. The roofline also sits 20mm closer to the ground than before.

More significant changes are hidden from sight. The previous generation was limited to traditional four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, and now of course there are also the hybrids. 

It’s the PHEV we’re testing here. Using a 187bhp 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, a 109bhp electric motor and a CVT, the system is similar to that used by Toyota, and with a 14.4kWh battery pack housed along the floor of the car’s midriff, it offers an electric-only driving range of 39 miles.

Predictably, the 90kg that Ford says the C2 platform saves compared with the old Kuga is swamped by the weight of this hybrid equipment, and the most efficient Kuga is therefore easily the heaviest, at 1844kg – enough to give its suspension (MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link at the rear) plenty to think about.

 

 

The Ford Kuga may externally mimic the look of a car from one of the world’s most enduringly stylish car companies, but this illusion doesn't survive entry into the cabin.

Nothing about the monochrome materials or foolproof architecture is immediately disappointing, and the propped-up driving position and supportive ST-Line sports seats of our test car strike a good balance between making you feel connected to the road and sitting high above it.

 

However, closer acquaintance throws the cheaper interior plastics into sharp relief, and it’s clear some corners have been cut. The upper door cards, for example, are trimmed in soft-touch artificial leather in the front but brittle-feeling plastic in the back, despite sharing the exact same design.

Rivals from Mazda and Peugeot in particular are warmer, more interesting to behold and more pleasant to spend time in.

There are also some interesting plastic textures, such as the brushed finish on the transmission tunnel, and the touch points in our mid-ranking example are of decent quality.

The Kuga does better in terms of occupant comfort and space. Despite the hefty A-pillars, this is an airy cabin, with plenty of leg and head room whichever part of the cabin you’re sitting in.

This is particularly true in the rear, because the bench can slide 150mm fore and aft, although as such you will sacrifice some boot space to maximise leg room.

That boot space is reduced somewhat for the PHEV from the get-go, falling from 645 litres in the regular models to 581 litres with the seats slid fully forward, but the boot floor does at least conveniently sit flush with the broad boot lip.

Storage space elsewhere is good, although not quite up to the cavernous standards of the Skoda Kodiaq. Larger door bins would be helpful, but there is at least plentiful storage for keys, phones and so on.

Ford Kuga infotainment

The Kuga uses Ford's Sync3 infotainment software, which will seem faintly futuristic to anybody familiar with the Sync2 software of older models, especially because it’s paired alongside a 12.3in digital instrument display for cars with ST-Line trim and above.

It uses an 8.0in touchscreen that sits proud atop the dashboard (too proud, perhaps), although usefully there’s still some physical switchgear mounted just below, which makes quick adjustments easy.

Among the ranks of non-premium SUVs, the set-up is slick but still not of the best resolution, and neither are the menus as streamlined as we would like.

A rotary controller like the one in the Mazda CX-5 may have helped in this respect, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can at least be used through the display. A premium Bang & Olufsen sound system comes with Titanium trim and above.

 

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