The current Ford Kuga has been around since 2012, but Ford has finally seen fit to update the car with a new look and extra equipment. Can it keep the crossover competitive against a spate of more modern rivals? We’ve driven it to find out.
Staying fresh is key in the Kuga’s class, as the mid-size SUV segment is one of the most popular in Europe. It rivals the SEAT Ateca, Peugeot 3008, Renault Kadjar and Nissan Qashqai among others - and with new contenders appearing regularly, there’s a huge amount of choice for buyers here.
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The old Kuga was starting to look rather dated, especially next to cars such as the recently-launched 3008 – so the new car’s updated grille, new lights and reshaped tailgate are a big plus. They’re up to date with the sharp-looking Edge, and give the smaller SUV more presence on the road.
Unfortunately, it’s not the same story on the inside. While the changes in the cabin are welcome - the new SYNC 3 touchscreen display is a big improvement over the fiddly old system - newer cars such as the SEAT and Peugeot are miles ahead of the Ford’s dated, cheap-looking design.
The materials in our Titanium-spec test car were of good quality, and the leather trim improves things, but there’s too much scratchy black plastic and the button-heavy dashboard seems even uglier than before thanks to the neat, clean designs in newer rivals. It is easy to use, which beats the 3008’s fiddly touchscreen system, but the Ateca proves that buttons and switches can help the dash look good as well as being functional.
The seats – electrically operated in our car – are comfortable, however, and it’s easy to find a good driving position in the Kuga. While we’ve not tested the new model in the UK yet, ride quality over the rutted Slovenian roads on our test route was pretty good – plus road noise is hushed, with only some wind noise intruding at higher speed.
Yet while there’s some body roll in corners thanks to that comfort-focused suspension, the Kuga is still good to drive. The steering is well-weighted and consistent, the gearshift is smooth and satisfying and there’s plenty of grip.
That’s only likely to improve if you opt for one of the more powerful engines with four-wheel drive, but we’d avoid that option as it adds to the cost of the car and puts on extra weight, which means you’ll be paying more at the fuel pumps as well. Some buyers might need the extra traction, but if you’re interested in a Kuga as a school run special, then you’re best off with a front-wheel drive model.
We tested a 148bhp 2.0-litre TDCi diesel model, which returns a plausible 60.1mpg and emits 122g/km of CO2. That’s much better than the higher-power 178bhp AWD model, which claims 54.3mpg and 135g/km. Better yet, there’s a new front-wheel drive 1.5-litre diesel with 118bhp that manages 64.2mpg and only 115g/km. That’s still not as economical as the 1.6 diesel in the new 3008, which also boasts 118bhp, yet returns 70.6mpg in mixed driving.
Still, aside from slightly high fuel consumption, we can’t complain about the 2.0-litre engine in our car aside. It’s reasonably quiet, smooth and powerful, with plenty of torque for in-gear overtaking. It’ll be decent for towing, too, with 370Nm of torque and a maximum load of 2,100kg.
The Kuga still has a big 456-litre boot, while the rear seats fold down easily to reveal a 1,603-litre load area that’s nice and flat. The Renault Kadjar has a bigger standard load space, but total volume with the seats folded is actually a bit smaller. There’s plenty of rear legroom in the Kuga, too, so it still makes for a practical family car.
On the equipment list you’ll find toys such as adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a touchscreen sat-nav, powered tailgate, electric heated seats, a heated steering wheel and some neat alloy wheels. It’s a generous spec count, actually, and at the right price it’s one of the Kuga’s biggest selling points.
- Model: Ford Kuga Titanium 2.0 TDCi 150 FWD
- Price: £25,945
- Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl diesel
- Power/torque: 148bhp/370Nm
- Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 10.1 seconds
- Top speed: 121mph
- Economy/CO2: 60.1mpg/122g/km
- On sale: Now