Ford Kuga (2024-) Review

Introduction

The Nissan Qashqai may be credited with pioneering the family SUV market, but the truth is that it wasn’t far ahead of the original Ford Kuga. And these days, the two cars joust for pole position in this competitive market alongside the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan, Seat Ateca and the Peugeot 3008.

But while there may be lots of established competition, and lots of great cars that provide it, the Kuga has long been among the best, thanks to its winning combination of affordability, handling and capability. For years, it has been among the best cars to drive in the class, and that has earned it plenty of success. But now a new model has arrived, and it needs to do more than just drive well if it wants to continue enjoying its position among the very best in the business.

At a Glance

The latest-generation Kuga’s basic exterior design is little different from that of its predecessor, but there are subtle differences. A new front-end design, for example, with a new grille that places the Ford logo in the centre, while the new Active trim level, marked out by its rugged body cladding, is expected to be a hit with customers.

Inside, things haven’t changed dramatically either, although there are changes. Ford’s latest iteration of touchscreen technology is joined by a digital instrument display, and both systems inhabit massive screens that look and feel very modern. As before, quality isn’t quite as impressive as in a VW or a Seat, but it’s a match for the likes of Nissan and Renault.

Space is fairly adequate, too, with plenty of space for people and luggage, while Ford is offering the Kuga with a wide range of powertrains that are designed to offer something for everyone. As is so often the case, diesel power has been eschewed in favour of petrol and hybrid options, but there’s a choice of power outputs and customers can pick between pure petrol, plug-in hybrid and ‘full’ or ‘self-charging’ hybrid systems.

The most appealing aspect of the Kuga, however, has long been its road manners, and the new model is still well above average on that front. But as rivals have improved, the Kuga has lost its edge slightly, although it seems that may be slightly intentional. Ford appears to have traded cornering skill for comfort, and that has made the Kuga more pliant, which will appeal to some customers and dissuade others.

Key Features

The more recent versions of the Kuga have become very attractive cars indeed, with something a little Aston Martin-ish about the design. And though Ford has clearly tried to steer away from that comparison with the new grille, there’s no doubt the Kuga is a classy and modern-looking car, particularly in ST-Line form, with its sportier style. But the Active is a popular choice, too, thanks to its rugged cladding that gives it a little more air of an off-roader, and with all-wheel-drive as an option, it isn’t just writing cheques the underpinnings can’t cash.

Speaking of the Kuga’s underpinnings, the driver experience has long been the Ford’s major selling point, but the latest-generation car feels a little more comfort-orientated, taking the edge off the ride at the cost of handling precision. That move will appeal to many customers – particularly those who just like to drive around town or on the motorway – but keen drivers might have preferred previous generations of the Kuga when it comes to driving dynamics.

Range & Batteries

In plug-in hybrid forms, the Kuga comes with a 14.4kWh battery, which doesn’t sound that big these days. However, it’s roughly on a par with that of the Hyundai Tucson, and it’s enough for an official electric range of more than 40 miles. In the real world, you’re probably looking at 30-35 miles of range, but that’s still more than enough to do the school run, head to the shops and even for a short commute. If you can charge the battery regularly, it might well be enough to prevent you from using the petrol engine on a surprising number of days. But as with all plug-in cars, whether that’s realistic will depend on your lifestyle and your home situation.

Performance & Drive

Ford is offering the Kuga with a broad spread of engines, but the latest-generation car goes without a diesel option. That might irritate some — particularly those using the Kuga on long journeys with any kind of regularity — but a choice of petrol and hybrid engines is seemingly the modern way.

The base option in the Kuga range, then, is the 1.5-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 150hp and sends it to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. It may not sound like much, but it’s enough for a top speed of 121mph, which is perfectly adequate in a car of this size. You won’t have any trouble keeping up with traffic.

If you would prefer a bit more power, though, Ford will offer a choice of hybrid powertrains that combine petrol and electric power. The first of these is the 2.5-litre ‘self-charging’ or ‘full’ hybrid (FHEV) option, which has 180hp and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Sending the power to the front wheels, the system effectively offers an almost infinite number of gear ratios, which means you’re always in the right gear at the right time. At least in theory.

A similar transmission is also used in the more powerful all-wheel-drive version, which for some reason gets 183hp from its 2.5-litre hybrid system. CVT transmissions are not known for their immediacy or accuracy, but both the front- and all-wheel-drive versions of the Kuga have adequate amounts of get-up-and-go.

But the most powerful option is the plug-in hybrid, which combines the 2.5-litre petrol engine with a 14.4kWh plug-in battery and electric motor tech to allow the car to run either as an electric vehicle for up to 42 miles or as a more conventional hybrid. It too uses a CVT to manage the combined power output of 243hp, and it’s available in front- and all-wheel-drive forms.

If we’re really honest, the CVT isn’t brilliant. The system tries to mimic a conventional automatic, but it does so quite clumsily, and though it could theoretically be quite smooth if it so wished, the computers make it a bit lumpy and sluggish at times.

But though the gearbox is hit and miss at best, the Kuga still drives quite tidily. The previous-generation Kuga was one of the best-handling cars in its class, and though the new model isn’t quite as good as before – particularly in Active trim – it’s still nice enough to drive. The steering isn’t especially feelsome, but it’s precise, and the body control is pretty good, despite Ford’s obvious efforts to make the Kuga more comfortable.

You see, the old car handled well because while the ride was acceptable, it was a bit firm in places, so Ford has seemingly traded some of the dynamic verve for a bit more suppleness. And it has worked. The Kuga is a pleasant car to drive around town in, thanks to slightly softened suspension and the refinement of the electric motor. And it’s pleasant enough on the motorway, too, even if the CVT means getting up to motorway speed is sometimes noisier than it needs to be.

Charging

Because plug-in hybrid versions of the Kuga come with relatively compact batteries, they can be charged quite quickly without using a massively powerful charging point. Using a conventional three-pin domestic plug, the Kuga will be fully charged in around six hours, while that falls to three-and-a-half hours if you have a 7kW domestic ‘wallbox’ charging point. That means you should be able to charge overnight very easily, and if you have a wallbox at your place of work, you should even be able to fill the car’s battery while you’re working.

Running Costs & Emissions

On paper, the plug-in hybrid versions of the Kuga are the most efficient, with ridiculously high three-figure official consumption figures. In the real world, you’ll never achieve anything even vaguely approaching the 313.9mpg Ford claims its plug-in cars are capable of, but if your lifestyle suits the powertrain, it can be very efficient. If most of your journeys are short, and you can charge the battery regularly, you could well find you call on the petrol engine very rarely, with the electric motor taking the strain instead.

If, however, you tend to do longer drives, you might find the hybrid or even the petrol versions of the Kuga are a bit more efficient on the road. The front-wheel-drive hybrids manage about 50mpg on the official economy test, and you’ll probably be looking at real-world economy in the high 40s. Happily, there’s only a fractional penalty — less than 10% — for choosing the all-wheel-drive version, while even the basic petrol Kuga will manage economy in the low-to-mid-40s.

But for those choosing a Kuga as a company car, the plug-in hybrids are a bit of a no-brainer. CO2 emissions in the low-20s mean you’ll be paying a pittance in company car tax, and those savings will almost certainly seal the deal regardless of the mileage you’re going to cover.

Interior & Technology

The Kuga’s cabin hasn’t changed all that dramatically, so it’s still relatively well made and fairly modern, albeit without quite the same level of attention to detail or style you get from an equivalent Volkswagen or even Mazda. But then they’re brands with semi-premium aspirations, and Ford is more of a mainstream contender. Nevertheless, the Kuga’s major touchpoints all feel robust and solid, and the seating position is excellent.

Part of the reason for the Kuga’s modern feel, however, is the introduction of a new central touchscreen that’s absolutely enormous. The 13-inch screen stands proud of the dashboard and runs Ford’s latest operating system, which means the interface is relatively self-explanatory and contemporary. Perhaps it doesn’t feel as snazzy as some, but that just means it’s more user-friendly, with menus that are easy to navigate and icons that are easy to read.

Like so many other brands, Ford has transferred the climate control tech into the touchscreen, but this is far from the worst implementation of such tech we’ve seen. The temperature controls are easily accessible, and though they’re more distracting than the old way of doing things, with buttons and dials, at least they aren’t hidden away as some cars might.

Then there’s the digital instrument display, which is standard across the Kuga range and provides a clear and modern design, even if the customisation options aren’t that impressive. Nevertheless, the most important thing is that you can read it easily and all the information you want is there for you – on those two fronts, it scores very highly indeed.

Boot Space & Practicality

Family SUVs such as the Kuga are largely chosen because they’re more spacious than equivalent hatchbacks, and the Kuga certainly fills that brief. To aid it, it comes with sliding rear seats that allow you to trade boot space for rear passenger space, so you can have up to 562 litres of cargo capacity while all five seats are upright. That’s pretty good going, and the 1,534 litres of space you get when the seats are folded is also fairly respectable. However, it isn’t class-leading, and a VW Tiguan will give you more capacity.

That said, the Kuga’s cabin is pretty roomy, particularly with the back seats in their rearmost position, allowing more than enough space for four adults to sit comfortably. But that cuts the boot space to a miserly 412 litres, which is less than you get in a Peugeot 308.

Safety

Although the Kuga has been tweaked quite noticeably, the basic structure remains much the same as before, so we don’t expect Euro NCAP to re-test it any time soon. Not that there’s any pressing need to do so, because the Kuga scored solidly when it was last tested, receiving a full five-star rating.

And the new model should perform equally well, not least because it has even more standard safety equipment than its predecessor, with a huge amount of driver assistance technology included as standard. Even base models get autonomous emergency braking, cruise control and lane-keeping assistance to help keep the car in its lane. There’s a rear-view camera included, too, as well as parking sensors at the front and rear.

Go for an Active version and you can add to that with blind-spot monitoring that warns you if another vehicle wanders into the hard-to-see areas over your shoulders, and something called Cross Traffic Alert, which tells you if a vehicle is approaching when you’re reversing — useful for backing out of parking spaces, for example.

Like so many other modern cars, the Kuga also comes with a speed limit warning system, which attempts to detect the speed limit and tell you if and when you exceed it. However, we use the word ‘attempts’ because the system isn’t as accurate as you might hope, and you can find it badgering you for travelling at a perfectly legal speed. Turning it off is easy enough, but it is still an irritating process.

Options

Ford is essentially offering the Kuga with a choice of four different trim levels, with the Titanium trim — once reserved for mid-range models — representing the starting point for the new Kuga range. At least the level of equipment is more befitting a mid-range car than a base model, with 17-inch alloy wheels, a digital instrument cluster and satellite navigation all thrown in, along with climate control, a reversing camera and a heated windscreen, which is a godsend in winter. And with keyless engine start, lots of safety tech and front and rear parking sensors, it’s a specification that really doesn’t want for much.

Nevertheless, Ford has persisted with three more upmarket models, starting with the Active. Available solely in hybrid forms, it has a more rugged exterior look thanks to its silver body cladding, while 18-inch alloy wheels, a power-operated tailgate and a B&O sound system are thrown in. There’s a 360-degree manoeuvring camera, too, and 12-way power-adjustable seats with more upmarket upholstery.

Alternatively, you can choose one of the sportier-looking Kuga models, such as the ST-Line, with its sporty body styling, red brake callipers and large rear spoiler. It gets sports suspension, too, but otherwise the specification is largely similar to that of the Active.

Finally, the range is crowned by the ST-Line X, which comes with 19-inch alloy wheels and the ST-Line’s body styling, as well as a panoramic glass roof, a heated steering wheel and heated seats in the front and rear.

Once you’ve chosen your specification, Ford will let you choose all the usual personalisation options, including a choice of six different colours. Most of them are greys, whites and blacks, but Ford is shaking things up a bit with Bursting Green, which looks particularly good on an Active, and Desert Island Blue, which is arguably better suited to the ST-Line models.

Rival Cars

As ever, the Kuga finds itself competing in one of the toughest sectors of the new car market, with a fleet of other family-sized SUVs vying for customers’ affections. Perhaps the most obvious of these is the Nissan Qashqai, which is now offered with clever E-Power hybrid technology and slightly more emphasis on driver engagement. It remains a popular choice, and with good reason.

Other popular options include the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, two closely related alternatives that share similar technology but very different designs. Both look cool and modern, while still offering lots of cabin space and impressive quality, as well as decent value.

And there’s yet more competition from the French trio of the Peugeot 3008, recently updated to be one of the most stylish cars in the class; the Renault Austral, a newcomer that’s spacious and cool; and the Citroen C5 Aircross, which successfully majors on comfort and space.

And we still haven’t mentioned the brilliant-to-drive Mazda CX-5, or the Volkswagen Group’s efforts: the practical Skoda Karoq, the semi-premium VW Tiguan, and the cool Seat Ateca. Nor have we mentioned the fractionally more left-field Cupra Formentor, or the latest Vauxhall Grandland, which is an enormous improvement on its predecessor.

We should mention some premium alternatives, too, because the modern leasing market allows you to pick up the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q3 and BMW X1 for significantly less money than you might expect. The same goes for the Lexus LBX, and the Volvo XC40.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Kuga was always an entertaining and interesting car to drive, but it has added to those qualities with a more modern look and a greater choice of powertrains, as well as some different design options that give it a bit more character. It also means it’s more customisable, and it’s easier to find a version that suits you to a tee. It was a great family SUV before, albeit a bit too dependent on picking the right version, but the new model will be an upgrade for most customers.

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Ford Kuga.

**Correct as of 02/01/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £2,475.72 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.