South Africa was largely an afterthought for Ford’s first-generation Kuga, having only reached our shores at the tail-end of its lifecycle just 18 months ago.
The bad news for previous local Kuga buyers, in terms of resale value, is that the new Kuga was launched in SA last week; but this time it’s pretty much at the same time as the rest of the planet.
Dubbed as a Smart Utility Vehicle, as opposed to a Sport Utility Vehicle, the latest Kuga is designed using Ford’s kinetic design theme and gets an athletic silhouette with finishes that include a sharp windshield angle, sleek roofline and bold wheel arches. The car is also longer, lower and narrower than its predecessor, but offers more all-round interior space despite the weight being kept the same.
Inside, buyers can expect upmarket soft touch surfaces and metal finishes, and comfy contoured seats. Rear seats fold for storage, and highlights include an umbrella holder, second-row floor bin, and a tailgate that opens and closes with a swipe of your foot under the rear bumper.
THE RANGE
Three trim levels are on offer - Ambiente, Trend and Titanium - with baseline highlights being heated side mirrors, foglamps, 17” alloys, keyless start, Ford’s Sync connectivity and entertainment system, and steering controls. As you climb the spec-level ladder you start gaining features such as auto-folding mirrors with puddle lamps, rear-parking sensors, leather seats, higher-end audio, climate control and an LCD screen.
Range-topping buyers will enjoy 18” alloys, Xenons back and front, rain-sensing wipers, and that fancy tailgate-opening system.
There’s also a fancy new Sync app for your smartphone, but strangely no satnav offering in the range.
MOTORVATION
The new Kuga gets a new, greener engine range, made up of a 1.6-litre turbo (Ecoboost) petrol, with two outputs (110kW/240Nm in the front-wheel drive and 134kW/240Nm in the all-wheel drive) and a two-litre turbodiesel making 120kW and 340Nm. The lower-output petrol gets a six-speed manual, the more powerful version gets a six-speed auto, while the diesel gets Ford’s six-speed Powershift (dual clutch) ’box.
Claimed consumption figures are 6.6 litres per 100km, 7.7 litres per 100km and 6.2 litres per 100km respectively, with greener tech including an Eco Mode, Gear Shift Indicator and quite a novel Active Grille Shutter which opens and closes to reduce drag (and fuel consumption).
ASSESSING THE SITUATION
Ford’s latest AWD system is quite fancy too, assessing conditions 20 times faster than the blink of an eye and moving power between axles (there’s a cool display setting showing the system in action).
A system called Curve Control monitors steering input and slows the vehicle down if it senses too much cornering speed (similar to ESP but with a body roll sensor), while Torque Vectoring Control acts as an electronic limited-slip diff on any wheel. Towing capability is rated at 1200kg for the diesel and 300kg more for the petrol.
Safety levels are also quite impressive with the Kuga enjoying not only a five-star Euro NCAP rating, but an 88 percent score which is the highest yet achieved by a midsized SUV.
That rating is largely thanks to the loads of safety tech which, dependent on trim level, includes active park assist (which will parallel park for you), blind spot information system, active citysStop (will maintain a following distance in traffic at speeds of up to 30km/h), lane-keeping aid, roll stability control, trailer sway control, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.
STRONG STUFF
The body structure is made from ultra-high strength steel, with special additional reinforcements, and there are seven airbags, anti-lock braking, emergency brake assist and electronic stability control as standard kit.
I sampled the 110kW petrol in the Cape last week and came away suitably impressed. Even though it’s front-wheel driven and the lower-powered of the petrol range, the Kuga was peppy and engaging to drive with laudable road manners. Build quality is good, there’s not much road noise - even on gravel - and you feel safe and secure in that raised driving position. The look is modern, and all those safety nets and optional toys are a treat.
PRICES
1.6 EcoBoost Ambiente Manual FWD - R289 900
1.6 EcoBoost Trend Manual FWD - R324 900
1.6 EcoBoost Trend Auto AWD - R364 900
1.6 EcoBoost Titanium Auto AWD - R398 900
2.0 TDCi Trend Powershift AWD - R384 900
2.0 TDCi Titanium Powershift AWD - R418 900
Price includes a four-year or 120 000km warranty, a four-year or 80 000km service plan on petrol derivatives and a five-year or 90 000km service plan on diesel derivatives. - Star Motoring
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