Moving ahead
The hugely popular Ford Kuga now ticks even more boxes for family motorists, reckons GILES BLAIR
CHECK out the Ford Kuga and you’ll soon realise why you see so many of them on the road.
And the latest generation of the blue oval badge marque’s family SUV really has moved things up a gear in every respect.
It has a more curvaceous, upmarket design, a superior interior and an efficient range of powertrains. Yet it is still competitively priced and able to deliver decent running costs.
A great example is the high-end, sporty looking ST-Line X Edition with the 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine under the bonnet.
Mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox operated by an upmarketlooking rotary dial and an intelligent four-wheel-drive system, it’s a treat.
Furthermore, a centre console switch offers five drive modes – normal, sport, eco, slippery and deep snow/sand – that alter acceleration, steering and handling systems to provide optimum control.
I found the Kuga had great road manners whether driving normally around town, cruising along the motorway in eco mode or gunning along the back roads in the sport setting.
The steering felt nicely weighted, the braking was smooth and efficient and the car remained firmly planted even on some rutted surfaces.
SUVs are often prone to wallowing around corners because they are so high-sided but that only happened rarely with my test car.
The driving stats are decent, too, with the sprint to 62mph from a standing start taking 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 129mph.
With 190PS and 400Nm of torque on tap, it certainly felt like it had the grunt to transport a family with ease.
But you’ll also find that the fuel needle doesn’t move readily, with an official average of 47.9mpg and CO2 levels of 156g/km.
I like the less angular look of the new Kuga, which resembles its smaller
Puma sibling, with a deep grille and more rounded headlights.
But the ST-Line body styling kit means there are still some striking features. These include the fog light housings, sharp creases on the bonnet and doors, 19in five twin-spoke alloys, rear spoiler and large brushed stainless steel exhaust pipes.
The interior is equally sporty, with quality Sensico faux leather and suede-effect heated sports seats with red stitching that comfortably hold you in place.
I also appreciated the chunky Sensico perforated sports steering wheel, diamond patterned door cards and wood-grain effect finish on some of the dark plastics such as the centre console.
Adding to the upmarket feel are an increased use of soft-touch materials around the cabin and the large panoramic sunroof.
There is ample space for four or even five adults inside and rear sliding seats mean you should be able to accommodate both the kids and the holiday luggage fairly easily.
That flexibility provides a boot space ranging from 412 to 526 litres laden to the parcel shelf and a whopping potential of 1534 litres with the rear seats folded.
I’m a big fan of the Ford SYNC 3 infotainment system with its easyto-use, three-way-split, eight-inch, colour touchscreen, full smartphone integration and clear, intelligent sat nav mapping.
It also includes wi-fi connectivity f up to 10 devices, a premium B&O sound system and a fully digital, customisable 12.3in instrument cluster.
I particularly liked the way the dia colours changed when you altered th driving modes.
Among the list of creature comfort are keyless entry and start, hands-fr powered tailgate, auto lights (includi high beam) and wipers, dual-zone automatic air con, as well as a wirele phone charging pad.
Other aids include auto hold, cruis control with speed limiter, driver alertness monitor, lane keep assist, a anti-collision system, and front and rear parking sensors supported by a reversing camera.
I would add the £1100 optional Driver’s Assistance Pack with front camera, adaptive cruise control with traffic sign recognition and stop/go feature, blind spot alert, intelligent speed assist and active park assist.
But anyway you look at it, this Kug priced from £37,490 on the road, giv rival family vehicles a real run for their money.