Driving report: Ford Kuga - practical, inexpensive and with pep

With the second generation of the Kuga, the US crossover model finally arrives in the city and presents itself more and more as a family car - practical, inexpensive and yet with pep. With the 180 PS strong Topdiesel namely the driving pleasure is not on the track. With the strongest diesel under the hood starts the new Kuga at a base price of 31.750 Euro.

The Ford Kuga is more than ever as a family car

Test Ford Kuga 2.0 “4 × 4” Titanium

The second generation of the Kuga is a complete new development. The front features a swinging apron pulled up to the sides. Prominent the brand emblem is bordered by long lines, the lateral rounding of the headlights continues in a straight bead along the entire length of the vehicle before it drops arcuately at the tail lights again. At the rear, the headlights ensure a strong appearance.

The roof rails are firmly attached to the roof. That improves the aerodynamics. The car is also four millimeters narrower and eight millimeters lower than the first generation. The optimized wind slippage has a positive effect on fuel consumption (5,2 liters in the standard test) and exhaust emissions (135 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer). In general, its off-road look is no longer so distinctive - the Kuga, which is only available as a five-seater, is more urbanized today, which corresponds to its actual purpose as a family car.

In the interior, the high level of materials, such as soft-touch surfaces and the processing quality, ensure a dignified ambience. We like the controls, which are slightly inclined towards the driver. The basic equipment includes automatic air conditioning and cruise control with speed limiter, seven airbags and hill start assist. The fittings provide the driver with a lot of useful information, and the on-board computer display never looks overloaded. On the other hand, we are amazed when we see the five-inch display with the navigation device.

In terms of flexibility and assistance systems, the Kuga has significantly increased. Thanks to a new folding mechanism for the rear seat, the cargo volume grew to a proud 1653 liter. At full seating, which comfortably seats five people, very good 456 liters still fit in the trunk. The three-seater bench in the rear has a practical entry aid, the doors open wide.

The technology package already available for the entry-level version at an additional cost of 1300 Euro includes the Active City Stop system, which prevents rear-end collisions up to a speed of 30 km / h. Also on board are an assistant for the blind spot, a lane assistant including fatigue warning as well as a high beam assistant and a traffic sign recognition system.

The sovereign and new 180-PS diesel, which has just been added to the engine program, provides a good deal of driving pleasure. With a torque maximum of 400 Newton meters between 2000 and 2500 revolutions, the unit can provide a noticeable boost at any time. It is combined with a short-stepped six-speed manual transmission or a power-shift automatic. Especially for the European taste, the steering is designed extremely spur proof. In conjunction with the small turning circle in the city is a very relaxed driving and parking possible.

The Kuga, which is available both as a front-wheel drive and with electronically controlled four-wheel drive system, is available from a price of 24.800 Euro. For this Ford offers a front-wheel drive 1.5-liter petrol engine with 150 PS. The diesel engines in turn start with a front-wheel drive unit with 120 PS and the six-speed manual transmission for the price of 26.900 Euro.

The price differences between the four equipment lines Trend, Sync, Titanium and Individual are kept moderate. In the case of the most powerful diesel, for example, the difference between the Trend basic equipment and the Individual top equipment is just 5000 euros. A Sony audio system including AppLink, bi-xenon headlights front and rear with headlight cleaning system and dynamic headlight range control, a Park Pilot system for front and rear and a styling package are already included.

Technical data: Ford Kuga 2.0 l “4 × 4” Titanium

Photos in the article and cover picture: Stefan Beckmann