Ford Kuga Review (2020-present)

Ford has hit a rich vein of form with its SUVs. The Puma has the measure of most rivals, and the latest Kuga has many of the same qualities; it drives well, it's affordable to buy and run, and it's practical. A rival for models such as the Vauxhall Grandland X and Peugeot 3008, the Kuga is a compact crossover model that aims to deliver the style and practicality of an SUV with the lower running costs and ease of use of a traditional hatchback.

The original Kuga made its debut in 2008 and was based on the same platform as the second generation Ford Focus, meaning it was great to drive. It was replaced in 2012 by a slightly bigger second-generation machine that was closely related to the American Ford Escape.

Neither version set the sales charts ablaze, and it wasn’t until the current car arrived in 2020 that the Blue Oval finally had a machine that finally took the fight to the class leaders. Packing bang-on-trend hybrid powertrains and cutting edge infotainment it was able to cash in on the current SUV sales boom.

Inside, the Kuga offers the space and practicality a family of four or five will need. The lofty driving position gives a good view out although the thick front pillars can get in the way slightly at junctions.

There's plenty of head and legroom for a tall driver, and enough adjustment to the seat and steering wheel for those of smaller stature to be comfortable too. All models have lumbar adjustment for the driver's seat, including the entry-level Zetec.

However, it's a shame the dash isn't better finished. Plusher plastics would help the Kuga steal a few more customers from prestige SUVs. It's not badly put together, just a little too hard and shiny in places.

In the back, there's room for adults to be comfortable so long as the seats are all the way back on their runners. With the seats slid forwards legroom is tighter, but the boot capacity does improve.

Most models have a 475-litre boot with the seats all the way back, dropping to 411 litres for the PHEV plug-in hybrid. That's competitive rather than class leading – a Skoda Karoq has 521 to 588 litres for bags, a Mazda CX-5 has 506 litres of boot space.

Ford has forged a fine reputation for making cars that are great to drive, regardless of whether they’re superminis or SUVs - and the Kuga is no exception. It’s not as nimble as the smaller Puma, but the steering is direct and well-weighted and the Ford dives into corners with surprising enthusiasm. As you’d expect, there’s some roll, but overall body movements are very well controlled, allowing you to attack your favourite road with confidence.

Yet the Kuga’s party trick is to combine this driver engagement with genuine comfort, the well-tuned suspension offering a plush ride over most bumps and potholes. There’s a little fitness at low speed, but it’s never uncomfortable and overall occupants are unlikely to be shaken or stirred. Noise levels are low too, with very little roar from the road or rustle from the wind, helping make the Kuga a soothing long-distance cruiser.

When it comes to engines, the star turn is the plug-in hybrid model, the first time the Ford Kuga has been offered with petrol-electric power. With a combined output of 225hp from the petrol engine and the electric motor, the Kuga PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) can accelerate briskly but will still achieve better than 200mpg, according to the official figures.

There are also conventional petrol and diesel versions. Petrol models are powered by a 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine with 120hp or 150hp, depending on the state of tune. The entry-level 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel engine has 120hp, rising to 150hp for 2.0-litre EcoBlue mild hybrid. The range-topping engine is a 190hp 2.0-litre EcoBlue. All the diesels promise fuel-sipping mpg.

If you prefer to give your clutch leg a rest, the 120hp diesel is available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as well as a six-speed manual. The 190hp diesel is only available with the auto 'box, while the PHEV uses a CVT auto transmission.

Despite being an SUV, almost all Kuga models are front-wheel drive for the sake of lower emissions and better fuel economy. The exception is the 190hp diesel, which has the 4WD to go with the SUV looks.

You’re not exactly going to be short of toys in the Kuga, with even the entry-level models getting all the kit you could reasonably need. The range kicks off with the Zetec, which packs air-conditioning, a heated windscreen, electric windows all-round and front and rear parking sensors. Moving up to the Titanium Edition adds LED headlamps, a powered tailgate, climate control, a reversing camera, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and keyless entry to name just a few things.

If you fancy something a little sportier, the ST Line Edition features all the same equipment as the Titanium Edition, but adds a racy looking bodykit on the outside and some bespoke ST-Line logos and trim on the inside. The ST Line X Edition adds heating for the steering wheel and seats (front and reat).

Adding a little luxury is the Vignale, which gets a hexagonal quilted leather trim for its seats, while on the outside there’s a unique grille and trim, plus metallic paint is standard. Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system is fitted to every trim level. The 8.0-inch touchscreen is mounted high so the driver doesn't have to look far from the road. It's compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus is a doddle to use.

As you would expect of a new design, the third-gen Kuga's safety standards are excellent. The Ford has a five-star rating from the crash test experts at Euro NCAP. An autonomous emergency braking system is standard across the board, as is lane departure warning and lane keeping assist.

For a company car driver looking for the lowest benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax, the PHEV has to be first choice. With a maximum electric range of 35 miles and an official CO2 figure of 32g/km, it sits in the 10% tax band. Even allowing for the relatively high of the PHEV compared with most other models in the Kuga range, company drivers will be quids in. A PHEV driver's tax bill will be around a third of what you'd pay running the 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol, and just over a quarter of the BIK bill for the 187bhp diesel.

In other words, anyone seeing the Kuga on their company car list would be crazy to pick anything other than the plug-in hybrid.

For private buyers the choice is less clear cut, not least because the PHEV is quite pricey, costing more than all but the 187bhp diesel.

However, for the right user it will be cheap to run. Anyone with a relatively low daily mileage and somewhere to charge the car at home or at work will be able to go long periods without needing to use any petrol. The official combined fuel economy figure is 201.8mpg. That compares very well with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV's 139.7mpg.

Long motorway drives don't play to the plug-in hybrids strengths. High-mileage drivers will almost certainly use less fuel if they choose one of the diesels. The 187bhp 2.0 EcoBlue comes with an automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, but still returns 46.3-47.9mpg on the combined cycle.

If you can live without 4x4 ability and don't mind changing gear for yourself, the 148bhp 2.0 EcoBlue mild hybrid will be more fuel efficient, with an official combined figure of 54.3-56.5mpg.

The 118bhp 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel will be slower but posts similar economy, with a combined figure of 54.3-55.4mpg. That's for a car with a manual gearbox, versions with an automatic gearbox are a little thirstier. The 118bhp 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol achieves 41.5-42.2mpg in Zetec spec. More highly specified cars with larger alloys use a little more fuel.

Although it's the thirstiest version, the entry-level petrol will be the cheapest to insure, sitting in group 10 of 50. That's two groups lower than the equivalent VW Tiguan. The higher powered EcoBoost petrol is in group 14 to 19, depending on the trim level.

Insurance groups for the diesels start from group 14, rising to group 21 for a top-spec 187bhp EcoBlue 4x4. The PHEV sits in group 19 to 21 depending on the spec.

As priced in mid-2020, every Kuga costs less than £40,000 so avoids the Vehicle Excise Duty surcharge that owners of more expensive cars have to pay after the first year on the road.

In this Ford Kuga review we're mostly concentrating on the Kuga as a new car. But if you are looking for a used Kuga, it's worth knowing that the Ford Direct and Ford Approved used schemes come with warranties lasting up to 24 months.

It's early to make any firm judgement as to the third-generation Kuga's reliability, but there are few horror stories told about the previous generation. It generally finishes midfield in owner satisfaction and reliability surveys. For a family SUV that finishes closer to the top of such polls, consider a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.

The new Kuga is a more complex car than its predecessor, with mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, and a non-plug-in hybrid on the way. Time will tell if these hi-tech cars are trouble-free or not.

Like all Ford passenger cars, the Ford comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty that can be extended at extra cost. That length of warranty is pretty much the minimum you'd expect of a new car. It's considerably shorter than the five-year, 100,000 mile warranty for a Toyota RAV4 and a seven-year, 150,000-mile warranty for a SsangYong Korando.