Is the Ford Kuga suitable as a modern family car?

Families used to dream of a van. But meanwhile SUVs are on the wish list of parents in particular. Therefore Ford provides more space and variability for the new edition of the Kuga.

The SUV wave rolls inexorably and washes more and more established models from the market. At Ford, this affects, among other things, the C-Max, which primarily served families as a convertible MPV and has since been discontinued.


In return, however, the people are taking the lavish transport needs of families all the more into account. Because when the third generation of the Kuga is launched at the end of April at prices starting from €26,300, it will not only become fancier, smarter and more economical, the off-road vehicle also offers more space and variability.

New format for more space

The Kuga shines in every dimension. The wheelbase grows by two and the length by nine centimeters, and the car is also almost five centimeters wider. With a length of 4.63 meters, this creates noticeably more space, especially in the second row. Even the headroom gets a bit bigger, although the overall clearly drawn Kuga turns out a bit flatter. And because the back seat can be moved by two hands, everyone can find their own individual compromise between knee space and trunk volume. So you can either cross your legs comfortably in the rear, or the trunk grows by around 100 to 565 liters and steals the show from some station wagons.

The space available in the front row has hardly changed, but the driver is looking at a new dashboard: there are digital instruments, a large touchscreen next to it and extensive online networking. But compared to the competition, the Kuga with its many switches and jagged operating landscape still looks a bit plain.

Growth without side effects

The driver does not have to fear the disadvantages of the new format. Neither when parking, because cameras all around provide a perfect overview and assistance systems take over maneuvering at the push of a button. Even while walking, because the Kuga has become more stately, but has also become sportier and from some perspectives now looks almost a little like Porsche. And certainly not at the gas station. Because with the generation change, the Kuga moves to the platform of the new Focus, saving up to 90 kilograms despite the growth.

Three hybrid variants on offer

In addition, Ford is driving a consistent course of savings under the hood: That is why there are three different hybrid models in addition to conventional petrol and diesel engines with 88 kW / 120 PS to 140 kW / 190 PS. The company is upgrading its best-selling diesel with 110 kW / 150 PS with a 48-volt system and an electric starter generator to create a mild hybrid. And for the first time there will also be a full hybrid based on the largest petrol engine.

The literally most exciting engine variant is the plug-in hybrid that Ford offers with the Kuga in Europe for the first time on a grand scale. To do this, the they combined a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor and a 14.4 kWh buffer battery. Without having to be particularly gentle with the accelerator pedal or having to select pure electric mode from the driving programs, the SUV buzzes electrically most of the time and rarely starts the petrol engine: at a speed of up to 135 km/h. The 97 kW / 132 hp electric motor also masters the job on its own – and in the best case for a maximum of 56 kilometers. If you still don’t want to run on fuel afterwards, you have to plan a stop of 6 hours at the household socket or 3.5 hours at the wallbox.


Even if the Kuga buzzes sparingly and relaxed through the city as a Stromer – a longer outing in the country can be a little unsatisfactory. Because the 165 kW / 225 hp system output raise expectations that the drive, which has been consistently designed to save, can hardly meet. Certainly not with a tough CVT automatic. Therefore it takes 9.2 seconds to reach 100 km/h.

Conclusion

It has become more spacious and variable, looks better and offers more alternatives under the hood than its direct competitors – this makes the new Ford Kuga the ideal family car in the SUV era and a worthy van replacement. Now only seats six and seven are missing – but Ford will soon bring another SUV and get the big Explorer from the USA.

Author: Nabeel K
Email: nabeel@wheelsjoint.com



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