2013 Ford Kuga Launch Review
2013 FORD KUGA REVIEW
What's hot: Polished peformance from diesel, solid handling, tech-laden Titanium
What's not: A bit exxy, petrol auto needs work, puzzling gaps in equipment list
X-Factor: No more five-cylinder fun, but the Kuga's now a far more practical proposition
Vehicle Style: Small SUV
Price: $27,990 - $47,740
Engine/trans: 110kW/240Nm 1.6 petrol manual FWD | 134kW/240Nm 1.6 petrol auto AWD | 120kW/340Nm 2.0 diesel auto
Fuel economy listed: 6.7 l/100km (Ambiente 1.6 FWD) | 7.7 l/100km (Ambiente 1.6 AWD) | 8.0 l/100km (Trend & Titanium 1.6 AWD) | 6.3 l/100km (Trend 2.0D AWD) | 6.4 l/100km (Titanium 2.0D AWD)
OVERVIEW
There's an all-new Ford Kuga in town, arriving in Australia just 14 months since the already ageing first-generation model debuted here.
That first model was a bit of a curio. Its turbocharged inline five made it a cracking drive, but with only two model grades and a $38,990 starting price, it lacked the broad appeal needed to capture a meaningful slice of the medium SUV segment.
It needed a diesel, it needed a 2WD entry model, it needed more fuel-efficient powertrains and it desperately needed an interior overhaul.
The new Kuga delivers all these things.
The price of entry has also plunged to $27,990, and there’s now plenty of equipment on offer - particularly in the $47,740 Kuga Titanium TDCi flagship.
But is it more than 'just a jacked-up Focus'? More importantly, can the Kuga justify its relatively high cost compared to competitors like the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander and Kia’s excellent Sportage?
To answer those questions, we put the 2013 Ford Kuga through the wringer at its local launch this week.
THE INTERIOR
The second-gen Kuga makes massive strides in quality, ergonomics and comfort.
While its predecessor was saddled with a bland, dated interior design, the new Kuga borrows heavily from the Focus to deliver a dashboard that’s eye-catching and functional.
The base model Kuga Ambiente gets some antiquated monochrome LED displays, but the Trend and Titanium model grades have much larger colour LCD screens with very slick graphics.
Plastics are of a generally high grade, and most switchgear - particularly the indicator stalks - feel very premium.
Front seat comfort is great thanks to a pair of supportive and well-cushioned seats, although there’s no height adjustment for the passenger in the Ambiente, nor is there a powered passenger seat in the top-dog Titanium.
The seating position is quite high though, and all-round visibility is excellent.