It is all change at Ford this year with the launch of the Explorer and Capri EVs, so to keep the sparkle in its established Puma and Kuga ICE-powered SUVs, both have been facelifted this year.
We’ve not driven the updated Puma yet, but we have got behind the wheel of its bigger brother – the Kuga. Ford’s popular mid-sized SUV is still available with the choice of petrol, conventional hybrid petrol power, and the petrol plug-in hybrid that we have here.
Design and interior
The biggest changes to the Kuga’s exterior are at the front. There is a brand-new gloss-black grille, revised adaptive headlights and an LED light bar, all of which follows the style of the latest Ford family look.
Elsewhere, Ford has raised the Kuga’s ride height, which we were told was to give this popular, but aging SUV, a more muscular look.
Inside, the second facelift for the third-generation Kuga mostly focuses on a digital makeover. Gone are the old analogue dials, switchgear, and the Sync 3 infotainment system. Instruments are now taken care of by a 12.3in screen, with the previous 8in infotainment screen replaced by a bigger, higher quality 13.2in screen, running the latest Sync software.
There is plenty of interior space front and rear, plus the practicality of a sliding rear seat.
The Sync system itself doesn’t look as impressive as rivals’ systems, but it works well enough – although we think the fixed controls at the bottom for the ventilation system are a backwards step. Our car also benefitted from the punchy Bang and Olufsen sound system.
Performance and drive
The PHEV is only available with the Active, ST-Line, and ST-Line X equipment grades. We tested the latter, and our car certainly had all the standard kit you would expect of a model with a list price of £42,455 before extras. Although, considering this price we wish the interior felt less dated, and a bit more special. One specification highlight fitted to our test car, was the optional Technology Pack, which included excellent and powerful matrix LED quad projector headlights.
The PHEV version of the Kuga pairs the familiar 2.5-litre Duratec petrol engine (now with 240hp) with a 14.4kWh battery and electric motor, brought together with CVT transmission. This equals an official 51.4mpg combined figure, 23g/km CO2 emissions, and a competitive 8% BIK figure. For comparison, the newer Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid in Life spec costs £42,525, has a 5% BIK rating, 9g/km CO2 emissions, and can run in full EV mode for 77miles.
On the road, this Kuga starts silently in full electric mode, and can cover up to 40 miles on EV power alone. When accelerating, it quickly moves from electric to petrol power seamlessly. Despite 240hp, this Kuga feels pretty slow off the mark – although it gets better in ‘Sport’ mode. This is borne out by the warm 7.3 second 0-60mph acceleration figure.
In corners, the usual Ford driver appeal of high grip levels, and the fact there’s very little body roll, shines through. It is a shame about the precise steering, which with its odd self-centering feel deters you from driving it too hard. The ride on optional 20in alloys is on the harsh side.
The PHEV version is still the pick of the Kuga range for fleet, but more modern rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid are a better buy.
Positive: Good to drive, economy gains, interior practicality
Negative: Dated interior, rivals offer more EV range, stiff ride.
Standard equipment: 17in alloy wheels, full LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, 13in touchscreen with Sync 4 with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors, power heated folding mirrors with puddle lights, rear privacy glass, digital colour 12.3in instrument cluster, Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (EATC), sliding rear seats, keyless entry with Ford Power start button, power front and rear windows with global closing, Quickclear heated windscreen, pre-collision assist with autonomous emergency braking, cruise control with speed limiter, lane-keeping aid with lane-departure warning.
Engine: Petrol: 148hp 1.5; Hybrid: 178hp 2.5; Plug-in hybrid:240hp 2.5
Equipment grades: Active, Titanium, ST-Line, ST-Line X
Transmissions: E-CVT
| Model | Ford Kuga ST-Line X 2.5 Duratec PHEV |
| P11D | £42,400 |
| Residual value | 50.2% |
| Depreciation | £21,139 |
| Fuel | £5,751 |
| Service, maintenance and repair | £3,338 |
| Cost per mile | 50.38p |
| Fuel consumption | 51.4mpg |
| CO2 (BIK%) | 23g/km (8%) |
| BIK 20/40% a month | £57/£113 |
| Luggage capacity | 628 litres |
| Engine size/power | 2,488cc + electric motor/240hp |
| Score | 7/10 |
