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Walkinshaw Performance works their magic on a Ford Kuga SUV. A Ford Kuga, even a lowered one, doesn’t normally turn heads. One with Walkinshaw Performance badging does the trick though. The tuning house is spreading the love with its aftermarket affections and has chosen the Blue Oval’s base product to showcase its wares.
That’s a role reversal for a company traditionally associated with go-fast Holdens but Walkinshaw Performance general manager Tony Harris is adamant it’s not sacrilege so much as strategic positioning. “We aren’t just about Holden or Commodore,” Harris says.
“Walkinshaw is a full-house performance shop and we intend to keep growing the business. GMH will still be a major part of that but the SUV market is where all the movement is and like the Captiva, the Kuga shows that we can work on any vehicle that fits in with our criteria.”
Those criteria include having a sporting focus, delivered in this case by the five-cylinder turbo engine, solid driving dynamics and a premium European look.
“Kuga buyers have already chosen something different, we’re now giving them the option to take it up a notch. Taking a car to the next level while still delivering a full warranty is an untapped area and one that Walkinshaw sees a lot of potential in,” Harris says.
It costs $5750 to transform the donor $44,490 Kuga Titanium into a WP edition. The kit was developed by Irmscher in association with Ford in Germany and is primarily intended to improve the look and handling of the mid-sized SUV.
The WP model rolls on 20-inch Irmscher rims, and a lowering kit reduces the ride height by around 40mm. A set of polished sidesteps completes the dress-up package. The engine hasn’t been chipped or remapped - given there are only going to be 80 vehicles, it wasn’t cost-effective - but the throttle response module has been sensitised to the point where it’s touchier than a first night lap dancer.
Imrscher is a core supplier for Walkinshaw Performance and the two share common traits. Both aspire to develop products to original equipment standards and both have a history of developing aftermarket gear for General Motors vehicles. Just as Walkinshaw sees a future beyond Holden, so too has Irmscher looked farther afield than its traditional tie-in with the troubled Opel/Vauxhall brand.
The German tuners have developed an RC Line for Peugeot owners and are now selectively courting Ford buyers in segments where the Blue Oval doesn’t have its own halo cars. The One Ford global platform policy lets Walkinshaw apply that expertise to local vehicles.
A beefy set of wheels always accentuates a car’s look - it’s the same reason that concept cars generally have rims that fill the entire guard. It works well on the Kuga, toughening up the already smart styling and giving the SUV a more purposeful stance on the road. The sidesteps are a highlight and make you wonder why Ford doesn’t have a set in its accessories catalogue.
WP hasn’t touched the interior and it is here the car’s 2008 origins are starting to show. The switchgear is still good, but the alloy centre-stack is button-heavy compared with its competitors. As you’d expect from a mid-$40,000 vehicle, the fitout includes leather upholstery, soft-touch plastics on the dash and doors and a panoramic sunroof.
The Kuga is a five-star car but far from top of the class. ANCAP noted that protection for the driver’s legs in the offset front crash was marginal and rated the car at 32.69/37. The more modern design of the Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi Outlander both earned higher marks.
The Kuga makes good use of what it has in the real world, though, with great grip and handling backed by ABS brakes with brakeforce distribution to help avoid a crash and then six airbags if things do go pear-shaped.
The 40mm trim in ride height improves the road-holding as much as it does the looks. Given the donor car was already a pacesetter, it puts the WP Kuga well ahead of the SUV pack in terms of driving dynamics. Less movement in the suspension and the tyre sidewalls makes the ride firmer but not to the point of bouncing the occupants around.
The Toyo rubber also has prodigious levels of adhesion, wet or dry and makes this one of the few fun SUVs to drive. The recalibrated throttle also gives the impression this car has more toe than the standard Ford. It doesn’t - outputs are still 147kW/320Nm - but it doesn’t take nearly as much movement of the accelerator to access that grunt.
Gran probably won’t enjoy feathering the throttle around the carpark but will appreciate the off-the-line surge. There’s still room for five and the two-piece tailgate makes loading a breeze, even if it does need a motor or bigger struts to make opening/closing less of a chore.
The WP Kuga isn’t so much a bolt-on kit as a bolt out of the blue. Walkinshaw has been smart in looking to satisfy the demand for stand-out SUVs and the Kuga fits the bill perfectly. It also means it’s almost certainly not the last Ford to earn the makeover treatment from the high-profile tuners. Expect the portfolio to grow - WP admits it is talking to other car makers about developing custom vehicles. Stay tuned.
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trend | 2.5L, —, 5 SP AUTO | $10,890 – 14,850 | 2013 Ford Kuga 2013 Trend Pricing and Specs |
| Ambiente (FWD) | 1.6L, —, 6 SP MAN | $9,680 – 13,200 | 2013 Ford Kuga 2013 Ambiente (FWD) Pricing and Specs |
| Ambiente (AWD) | 1.6L, —, 6 SP AUTO | $9,240 – 12,980 | 2013 Ford Kuga 2013 Ambiente (AWD) Pricing and Specs |
| Titanium | 2.5L, —, 5 SP AUTO | $12,760 – 17,050 | 2013 Ford Kuga 2013 Titanium Pricing and Specs |
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