In terms of size, as a sport utility vehicle, the Kuga is on the smaller side of the spectrum, but things are quite different when it comes to its towing ability.
In terms of size, as a sport utility vehicle, the Kuga is on the smaller side of the spectrum, but things are quite different when it comes to its towing ability.
Until recently Ford had their hands full with the Kuga debacle. The manufacturer claims it has fixed the problem and has updated the current models. That includes technology like better protection for pedestrians in case of an accident, roll stability control, and a rear-view camera – all standard on new models. The latest version of Ford’s MyKey technology also forms part of the upgrade. With this you can, for example, limit your top speed and turn the sound system’s volume off until every passenger in the Kuga puts on their seat belts.
Small engines: The way of the future
You have a choice between two engine sizes: 1,5 ℓ petrol or a 2 ℓ diesel or petrol. The top model diesel kicks out an impressive 400 Nm and you’re not going to struggle going uphill with a caravan. For the tow test we sacrificed the torque because we got behind the wheel of the 1,5 ℓ. Besides the 160 Nm less torque, this model also doesn’t have all-wheel drive – only front-wheel drive. By the way, all the petrol models’ towing capacity is fixed at 1 600 kg and 200 kg more for the diesel models. The 1,5 ℓ is by no means an inferior towing vehicle. Thirty years ago, towing a medium-sized caravan with a 1,5 ℓ petrol engine was unheard of. But vehicle manufacturers started designing smaller and stronger engines. Take, for example, the erstwhile Toyota Cressida Gli-6: In the mid-Eighties this six-cylinder 2 ℓ engine was a decent machine but it only produced 162 Nm. That’s about a third less than the 1,5 ℓ Kuga, whose engine is also a quarter smaller. In those days a V6 3ℓ in front of a caravan was what you wanted. Nobody would have been able to fault a Ford Sierra XR-6 as a towing vehicle. If you compare the XR-6 engine and the Kuga’s 1,5 ℓ, it’s another prime example of how manufacturers are now building smaller and stronger engines. The XR-6’s engine delivered 237 Nm and the Kuga’s slightly better with its 240 Nm. The engine is, therefore, half the size with the same torque. The Kuga’s turbocharger does lend a hand, though.
The towing figures
The test vehicle was fitted with a Oris removable tow bar. The 1 600 kg that the Kuga is allowed to tow is in line with its tare weight (1 660 kg). That means you’re allowed to legally tow most of the caravans on the market. The weight that the tow bar is allowed to carry on the ball also meets the law’s minimum allowed weight of 100 kg. As a rule it’s advisable to try to get a caravan’s nose as close to 100 kg as possible, but it’s not always possible with smaller caravans. In such a case, pack most of your load in front in the caravan. It helps combat sway should the caravan follow its own head when you’re driving faster. Ford recommends a minimum nose weight of 4% of the caravan’s weight. During the test the Romany tipped the scale at 1 060 kg. That means a nose weight of 42,4 kg or more. >
Ford’s 1 600 kg towing capacity limit is quite high for a car of this size, but the tow bar tube (50 mm x 70 mm) can handle it. Its D-value – the weight at which the tow bar’s towing capacity test was done – is 11 kN (1 122 kg). The ball is 47 cm above the ground and a good coupler height for standard caravans. Because the tow bar’s removable part is of the goose neck variety, you won’t be able to fit a drop plate. It’s also very important to adjust the tyre pressure when you tow; especially the rear tyres. Ford recommends a 0,2 bar higher pressure versus the prescribed 2,8 bar. The rear tyres should therefore be 3 bar, but it goes without saying that this extra pressure shouldn’t exceed the specific tyre’s maximum pressure. The test vehicle was fitted with Continental ContiSportContact 235/50 R18 tyres with a maximum pressure of 3,5 bar.
Pure indulgence
The Kuga’s tailgate is similar to most other sport utility vehicles’ and opens upwards. That’s all fine and dandy but not all of them close that easily. With some you struggle because there isn’t anything to grab hold of when you need to pull the door down. In terms of this, the Kuga is ahead of the game because it has a round bar to the right in the door that you can easily grip. The two front doors’ inside handles look similar, and it’s a clever design. This model is R70 000 shy of half a million, and you can see the frills when you open the door: From the electrically adjustable driver seat to the beam angle of the lights with no less than nine settings. The steering wheel looks like it would be at home in a Boeing’s cabin. You literally can’t fit more buttons on it: From the standard radio settings right through to the lane assist and even gear paddles that stick out like ears behind the wheel. The dashboard has four analogue meters. The rev counter is on the left, with the speedometer on the other side and the fuel and temperature gauges smaller and in the middle at the bottom. The computer screen is above the smaller meters and has the same amount of detail as the steering wheel. You can choose between a number of screens depending on what info you want to see. There’s also a screen with comprehensive info that shows everything at once: From the odometer, the average and current fuel consumption, and how many kilometres you can still travel before the tank is empty. Ford takes seat belt safety seriously. The computer knows when someone is sitting on a seat and is not buckled in and even sounds an alarm when someone unbuckles while the car is moving. A graphics displaying all the seats will show who is and who isn’t wearing their seat belt. Two USB sockets are hidden away in the compartment between the two front seats, and there’s a 12 V socket at the gear lever. Behind the compartment – where the rear passengers are – is another 230 V socket. Where the 12 V socket uses a 180 W fuse, the rear socket is restricted to 150 W. That means its safe to plug in a cellphone or tablet charger but your daughter’s hair dryer will mean the end of the socket’s fuse. So don’t just plug in any equipment here. Ford also warns to not plug in tube TVs, vacuum cleaners, compressor-driven freezers or electric blankets.
(So you can’t snuggle under your electric blanket watching TV and vacuuming while you wait for an ice-cold beer. – Ed)
The reverse screen in the Kuga looks exactly like the one Ford uses in the Ranger bakkie. It has index lines that show the line in which you’re reversing. In the middle – between the two outside lines – is a dotted line that indicates the middle of the lane. You can use this to reverse accurately if you aim the dotted line at the caravan’s coupler. Just like the Ranger, the lines disappear once you’ve hitched a caravan; the Kuga, therefore, knows you’re about to tow. When you connect the caravan’s light plug a note flashes on the dashboard saying the blind spot sensors will be switched off because of the caravan on the tow bar. When you reverse, the rear sensors still sound, but you can switch it off. The kids each have a tray table that folds out from the back of the front seats. A cupsized round hole will prevent spills when dad slams the brakes unexpectedly.
I love the grille that Ford puts on their vehicles these days; that counts for the Kuga as well. The driver seat is electrically adjustable. I like sitting high and you can set this one surprisingly high. Inside, the Kuga is painfully neat and you get a sense of durability that you usually associate with German vehicles. When the car wants to bring something to your attention, it simply shows a symbol on the dashboard. It also shows a typed out message like “passenger door open”. It makes your life easier because you know exactly what the problem is. The information on the screen is comprehensive, and besides all the standard readings – like the current fuel consumption – the computer also warns you when you’ve been driving for too long and then suggests you take a break.
The Kuga is surprisingly quiet inside; you don’t even hear the engine. The model is basically full-house and you’re spoiled with all the luxuries. Yet you can’t see in which gear the automatic gearbox is. If you use the paddle shifts, though, it does show you what gear you’re changing to. The reverse screen is a bit deep in the panel, especially at the bottom. And this is the spot where you have to press the screen so it makes it a bit uncomfortable. The 1,5 ℓ engine is small, but with the 240 Nm the acceleration doesn’t disappoint. The gearbox changes fast, but there’s a slight hesitation when you put your foot down. Its Lane Keep Assist works well. When you come too close to the white or yellow line, the computer lightly adjusts the steering so you don’t cross the line. You can’t, however, hand over full control to the Kuga, because as soon as you take your hands off the wheel, the computer will give you a warning. It takes time getting used to the front-wheel drive, and you feel it specifically where you put your foot down in a turn and the engine pulls the steering forward. The Kuga has disc brakes on all wheels, which means having to stop quickly is not a problem. I like the Kuga and would buy one.