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Ford Kuga 2012 review

The new Ford Kuga has good looks that should help it hold its own in the congested compact SUV market.

Ford Australia’s new Kuga is based on the Ford Focus platform and has reached us Down Under several years after its introduction in Europe. However, it has the latest facelift and still looks bang up to date.

Value

In the case of standard equipment it hints at its age with no sat nav or reversing camera. Newer rivals offer much more for the money. We will have to wait for the next Kuga generation to pick up on these missing items.

Ford Kuga is available in two specification levels - Trend, costing $38,990, plus on-roads, and Titanium for $44,990. We reviewed a Titanium and although it carries a $6000 premium over the Trend variant we reckon the money would be well spent, not only in equipment levels but also in its upgraded styling.

The Ford Kuga Trend is well equipped up to a point, while the Titanium adds standard extras such as Napoli leather seat trim and silver appliqué details, heated front seats with variable heating, six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, leather trimmed gear lever, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights, rear-view mirror with auto dimming, dual temperature control air-conditioning, rear privacy glass and parking sensors.

In-car entertainment and infotainment features include a Sony single CD audio, Bluetooth hands-free and voice control for a mobile phone, audio and air conditioning.

Technology

The Kuga is powered by the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine from Volvo – it’s found in the Swedish carmaker’s S40 and V50 models – producing 147 kW of power at 6000 rpm and 320 Nm of torque between 1600 and 4000 revs.

An added convenience is Ford’s capless refuelling system which spurns a conventional filler cap that needs to be removed before fuelling. In this case the likelihood of fingers becoming tainted with fuel is reduced.

The system also features a fuel inhibitor that provides protection against misfuelling at the fuel pump by allowing only a nozzle that matches the corresponding fuel type of the car to open and enter the filler neck.

Design

Up front a tall trapezoidal radiator grille is cut in two by a horizontal slash of body-coloured metal extending from the vehicle’s flanks. On either side are swept-back headlamp clusters, which together with a steeply raked windscreen and a shoulder line sloping upwards to the rear, gives the Kuga the impression of a sprinter on the blocks.

The Titanium’s 18-inch alloy wheels fill out flared wheel arches nicely, while the whole thing is topped off by brushed metal-style roof rails adding a touch of class. Plastic mudguards not only save weight but are more resistant to dents than metal ones and are cheaper to fix.

At the rear a skid plate under the rear bumper incorporates sporty twin exhaust pipes and fog lamps. A LED brake light is integrated into the body coloured rear spoiler. The vertically opening tailgate has twin openings – the window itself lifts at the touch of a key fob button, while the whole door can be raised by pressing the same button twice.

With the window open the Kuga can conveniently back up much closer to a loading area. A handy feature in today’s crowded carparks. Inside the cabin the Kuga’s occupants are made comfortable in leather upholstered seats beneath one of the largest panoramic sunroofs on any comparably-sized vehicle. It is fixed and has a special infra-red coating that reduces interior heat absorption.

A two-piece retractable shade adds to cabin comfort but won’t ward off excessive heat from outside as well as a multi-layer insulated metal roof. Stowage includes spots for small items plus dedicated areas for drinks, sunglasses, coins, pens and three 12-volt power outlets. The cargo compartment takes an average 360 litres, which increases to 1355 litres with the rear seat backs folded.

Driving

As well as keyless entry, the engine fires into life at the press of a dash-mounted button. The button must be pushed for two seconds or receive three short presses within two seconds to stop the engine. Taking nothing away from performance, the Kuga got a spurt on when it was called for, in fact at times producing a surprising ‘surge from the blocks’ on setting off.

Superb steering brought the right amount of feel to the driver, making handling no chore. The ride was a bit bumpy on uneven surfaces and the brakes sharp until the driver adapts and tames the pedal. On test, the Kuga we drove came up with fuel consumption of 8.3 litres per 100 km on the motorway, while in town, almost twice that, tipping over the 15 mark quite a few times. Ford claims 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban/highway cycle.

Pricing guides

$10,990
Based on 23 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$6,499
Highest Price
$16,741

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
Trend 2.5L, PULP, 5 SP AUTO $9,900 – 13,530 2012 Ford Kuga 2012 Trend Pricing and Specs
Titanium 2.5L, PULP, 5 SP AUTO $11,660 – 15,620 2012 Ford Kuga 2012 Titanium Pricing and Specs
Ewan Kennedy
Contributing Journalist

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Pricing Guide

$6,499

Lowest price, based on 23 car listings in the last 6 months

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Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.