Ford Kuga review

The base petrol gets a 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine, while both FHEVs (full hybrids, available in FWD or AWD) and the PHEV (plug-in hybrid) get the same 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine. But it’s there that the similarities really end.

While the hybrid only gets a 1.1kWh battery and cannot be plugged into the mains (it’s recharged by the combustion engine), the PHEV gets 14.4kWh unit. As ever, to get the best out of it you need to plug it into the mains: do so and you’ll get a claimed up to 42 miles of electric range. We saw 27 miles real world.

Is there much difference in power? 

The base-spec petrol outputs 147bhp and sees off 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds. Of the full hybrids, the FWD produces 177bhp and manages 0-62mph in 9.1s, and the AWD 180bhp and 8.3s. The PHEV, meanwhile, returns 240bhp and sees off the zero to 62mph sprint in 7.3 seconds.

We’re yet to try the entry petrol just yet – we’ll update this section as soon as we have – but in the FHEV the e-motor’s boost does a serviceable job of keeping engine revs in check without upsetting the CVT ‘automatic’ gearbox. It’s not as moo-ey as a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, by any stretch. In the PHEV, meanwhile, the handover between electric motor and combustion engine is super smooth. 

On the official WLTP cycle the full hybrids claim up to 52mpg (we saw 45mpg real world, not bad going at all) and 123g/km CO2 emissions. The PHEV claims 201mpg (massively dependant on whether you can charge it, and the kind of journeys you make... we got 50mpg) and a paltry 32g/km of CO2.

Does it handle well?

The Kuga steers and rides and handles with agility to make a Qashqai or Sportage or Tiguan look about as appealing as a broken down bus. The Ford feels, well, like a Ford. Like a bigger Puma, and that’s the benchmark in the crossover class. There’s more lean than in a business-like German rival, but it’s a more connected-feeling, well-oiled machine than a Citroen C5 Aircross or Peugeot 3008.

There’s obviously more head toss than a Focus because you’re sat up higher, but it’s by no means ungainly. In fact, it’s very confidence inspiring. Both hybrids do suffer from a slightly dead brake pedal, so judging a smooth stop when balancing regen and actual disc braking takes some learning. There are no paddle shifters on the steering wheel for fake shift steps in the CVT, but you're not missing out. 

The Kuga also features noise cancellation, like those headphones that are a godsend on long flights, and the result is a hefty reduction in the usual SUV-wind din. Special props also go to the adaptive cruise control: the semi-autonomous assisted steer is one of the best we’ve tested, accurately keeping the Kuga in its lane at motorway speeds without the unnerving ‘wandering’ most systems exhibit as they ping-pong between the white lines.