West Lothian Courier

01506 656551 Kuga is X-tra special

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Loaded with kit the Titanium X sits almost at the top of the Kuga range and is popular with Ford customers.

Along with the rest of the range it received a major refresh at the start of this year to help it stay in contention with the rest of the Crossover pack.

The changes were hardly drastic but they were important as the Kuga was trailing the opposition in some areas.

The third generation is now more spacious and comfortabl­e and much improved on the first model that arrived back in 2008.

Faced by some very tough competitio­n the Kuga is now larger and designed to be a global car.

Now with a front grille similar to that of its larger Edge sibling, the Kuga also boasts new lights front and rear and a new rump with a different tailgate which is electric in this model.

Powered by the familiar 2.0-litre diesel, this version is capable of 124mph and reaches 62mph is 10 seconds flat. It is a smooth performer when combined with the PowerShift automatic box and even with all-wheel-drive the claimed combined figure is 54.3mpg.

New torque vectoring has been introduced to improve traction and stability and this means that the Kuga remains one of the best driving cars in its class

It cruises comfortabl­y at alloys, climate control, navigation, full leather, heated driver and front passenger seats, cruise control, power tailgate, a Quickclear heated windscreen, hill start assist, keyless entry, parking sensors and a raft of all the latest safety equipment.

If you wish you can add a retractabl­e tow bar with electrics for £625 and an appearance pack which includes silver roof rails and rear privacy glass for a further £425. Some scratchy plastics let the interior down a little bit but overall the Kuga is still a contender thanks to its sharp dynamics.

At £32,845 this version is not cheap but most Ford outlets will have good deals on offer.

 ??  ?? New model The upgraded Kuga offers more space and comfort
New model The upgraded Kuga offers more space and comfort

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