Further, boasting 225hp and a peak of 200Nm (from the petrol engine), with no maximum petrol-electric torque output quoted by Ford, the Kuga PHEV feels strong for performance – a 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds is middling by today’s standards, but the crossover regularly feels more potent than that, thanks to its electrically assisted low-range responses, and it has an admirably punchy midrange to go with it. But the Kuga does not fall into this trap, with the engine proving itself to be quite cultured in the main. This particular technical combination has the propensity to make really grating sounds from time to time, as we’ve tried it in various other hybrid cars over the years and they’ve been terribly rowdy when near maximum revs. This makes the Kuga incredibly quiet to travel in, as the suppression of both rumbling tyres and wind buffeting about the cabin is first-rate.Įven the drivetrain in the Kuga is impressive, this despite the fact the PHEV has an efficiency-biased Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder petrol, allied to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). There’s also a bonus in terms of noise levels with the PHEV model, which can ‘drop’ its petrol engine and run on pure electric power more often than you might expect from a plug-in. It manages to smother out most lumps and bumps in the tarmac with reasonable aplomb, while its high-speed ride is controlled and smooth. The flipside is that the Ford can have a firmer ride than many competitors, especially as an ST-Line which comes with Sport suspension, although overall it ranks as a comfortable and refined crossover-SUV. You could probably match the excitement the Ford serves up to its driver if you went for a SEAT Ateca or Peugeot 3008, but everything else feels stodgier than the Kuga. While it might not be the best-handling crossover-SUV in this class, especially as the heavier PHEV model (it weighs a meaty 1773kg in this specification), it nevertheless has more feelsome steering, better body control and a sense of chassis sparkle that many of its competitors do not. For this test drive, we’re sampling the ST-Line PHEV, likely to be a popular choice due to the tax benefits its low CO2 outputs afford to customers.įord knows how to set up a good chassis, whether that be for a dedicated performance car or not, and the Kuga Mk3 is no exception to this rule. The petrol is the only drivetrain available at the first 2 of these, with all 3 powertrain choices offered from ST-Line and up. Pick from a basic 150hp 1.5-litre Ecoboost turbo petrol, or alternatively a 190hp 2.5-litre Duratec hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), or even the range-topping 225hp 2.5-litre Duratec plug-in hybrid (PHEV).Īfter this, there are 5 specifications, running Zetec, Titanium Edition, ST-Line, ST-Line X and Vignale in order of grandiosity. In keeping with the modern-day environmental zeitgeist, the Kuga is not offered with a diesel engine at all and 2 of its 3 drivetrain choices are heavily electrified. It’s arguably the best Kuga so far, though, as it blends some of the chassis verve of the Mk1 with the larger, more refined body of the Mk2, all while eradicating those 2 predecessors’ main drawbacks. This is now the third-generation Kuga, having originally launched in 2008. Indeed, in its grander and more expensive specifications, Ford would probably like you to consider it a roomier, better-value alternative to prestige rivals like the Volvo XC40, BMW X1/X2, Audi Q2/Q3 and Mercedes GLA, to name but a few. Anyway, the Kuga competes in a congested and profitable class alongside the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Honda CR-V, Vauxhall Grandland, Citroen C5 Aircross, SEAT Ateca, Skoda Karoq and so many more. The Ford Kuga is the Ford's midsized crossover-SUV… well, it would be ‘mid’sized, if the company still sold the larger Edge, but as that vehicle was dropped in 2019 in the UK due to slow sales, the Kuga is now Ford’s de facto flagship of this type of machine.
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