Ford's current efforts to offer as many SUVs to the public as it possibly can stands in contrast with the company's policy of a decade ago. It took until 2008 for the first Kuga to enter the market, long after many other manufacturers had joined the fray, and by the time it was replaced five years later it had fallen well down the wish list of anyone who wasn't a dedicated Ford fan.
The new model was appreciably better, but Ford clearly wasn't satisfied with it, as can be inferred from the fact that the range was revised not long afterwards, in October 2014. There were no suspension changes, but it might have been better if some had been made, since the Kuga still struggles with sudden bumps in the road the way it did at the UK press launch two years ago.<_o3a_p>
Another flaw is one that bedevils many recently introduced Fords, namely over-soft front suspension which causes a pitching motion that's evident even on motorways.<_o3a_p>
A more positive characteristic of modern Fords is also evident. The clutch action and gearchange are slightly laborious, and can't be rushed, but they make it easy to get from one ratio to another very smoothly. If the car jerks when this is happening, you have no one to blame but yourself.<_o3a_p>
The boot capacity in UK-spec Kugas is 406 litres. It's greater in other markets where the car is fitted with a tyre repair kit rather than a spare wheel, but that doesn't happen here. Quite right too.<_o3a_p>
Folding down the rear seats is straightforward (the reverse process requires more effort, but not a great deal) and extends the luggage space to a useful 1,603 litres. Accommodation in the back isn't bad, though it would have been better in the test car without the foldaway plastic tables on the front seats, which can limit the legroom for taller passengers.<_o3a_p>
The 161bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine is also available in 138bhp form, and if you don't like diesels you can have 148bhp or 178bhp 1.6-litre EcoBoost turbo petrols instead. The 161bhp unit is good and gives reasonable performance to a tall car with a kerb weight of nearly 1700kg. It's also a bit noisy - or, to be more precise, soundproofing isn't as good in the Kuga as it is in, for example, the Mondeo.<_o3a_p>
Four-wheel drive is standard with this engine, though this is definitely a lifestyle off-roader whose abilities shouldn't be overestimated, particularly (he said from bitter experience) on very muddy ground.<_o3a_p>
According to the EU test, this Kuga can average 49.6mpg. The trip computer told me I was getting 39.7, and measurements suggested that it was optimistic by about 2mpg, slightly more than what I've found to be normal in Fords. Beating 40mpg is possible, but it requires work.<_o3a_p>
Despite the recent upgrade, the interior has a distinct last-generation feel to it, with older-style instruments and inferior graphics compared with the new Focus and Mondeo. I imagine this will be revised fairly soon. More positively, the materials seem to be of higher quality than they were two years ago, when you could make the upper door trims rattle just by tapping on them and there were sharp edges all over the place.<_o3a_p>
Kuga list prices start at just under £21,000, but in Titanium X form with this engine it costs £28,765. In fairness, you get quite a lot of equipment for that, such as leather upholstery, heated front seats and a panoramic sunroof which are not available on lesser models.
However, the test car's price was inflated by the addition of various optional extras. Key among these was a pack that's standard on the Titanium X Sport but adds £750 to the price of this car and includes DAB digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, a reversing camera and emergency assistance.
Rear parking sensors add a further £275 and a detachable towbar £625 more. For another £900 you can have a Driver Assistance Pack consisting of features such as Active City Stop, Driver Alert and Traffic Sign Recognition.<_o3a_p>
With these goodies and a few others, a similar Kuga would cost £32,210. That's £2,210 over an important psychological barrier, and while I can see why you might pay a sum in the high twenties for one of these cars, venturing into the thirties is a step too far, and will continue to be so until Ford makes further improvements.<_o3a_p>
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