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In an interesting move, Ford launched its new Kuga to the Australian motoring media at a major event in Auckland, New Zealand. The idea being to show off the German built SUV in something resembling its country. There are gorgeous hilly areas in NZ that certainly remind us of the southern areas of Germany, so the move was a smart one.
The five-door Ford Kuga wagon has been on sale in Europe, and elsewhere, several years, but it’s immense popularity overseas has meant Australia has been pushed down the waiting list.
Kuga received a major facelift in 2011, one that gives it a strong facial resemblance to the Australian Ford Falcon and Territory, as well as to the European Ford Focus and Mondeo. So it certainly doesn’t look its age.
An all-new Kuga is about to hit the roads of Europe and will reach Australia early in 2013, perhaps even sooner, so there won’t be the same relentless drag-out wait as this time.
Ford is hoping the introduction of the Kuga nameplate, even late in its model cycle, will help sales of the all new Kuga when it is released.
Having sampled the vehicle over several hundred kilometres of glorious New Zealand roads we feel that Ford Oz has certainly made the correct decision.
Prices are $38,990 for the Ford Kuga Trend and $44,990 for the Titanium. These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges.
Ford Kuga comes to Australia in two specification levels, the midrange Kuga Trend and topline Kuga Titanium. An entry level variant may be added to the range when the all-new model arrives.
The Ford Kuga Trend is well-equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels; a two-part rear tailgate that can be opened in its upper section only, or as like a full conventional hatch. There’s Bluetooth connectivity, voice control, a Sony CD 8-speaker system, keyless start/stop, cruise control, leather wrapped steering wheel, front foglamps, roof rails, follow-me-home lighting and capless refuelling.
Ford Kuga Titanium adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a fixed panoramic glass sunroof, dual-zone climate control, leather trimmed seats (the fronts are heated), leather trimmed gear shift, six-way powered driver’s seat, rear privacy glass, rear parking sensors, automatic headlamps and wipers.
Both of the Ford Kugas initially being imported to Australia are powered by the company’s five-cylinder Duratec 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that develops 147 kW of power, and 320 Nm of torque. Peak torque comes in at only 1600 rpm – and stays at that healthy number till the engine is spinning at 4000 rpm. So the great majority of owners will enjoy the efficiency of full torque virtually all of the time.
Ford Kuga Trend and Titanium are fitted with a five-speed automatic transmission matched to an AWD system, the latter using a Haldex in case you want to try them in reasonably serious unsealed surfaces.
The 2013 new model Kuga may come with other engine and transmission options, including a turbo-diesel engine and manual gearbox. Ford Australia is naturally refusing to give away its plans for these future series.
Ford Kuga comes with a five-star NCAP safety rating and has six airbags, ABS brakes including emergency brake assist, stability control and traction control with roll-over mitigation.
During our New Zealand excursion we were impressed by the smoothness of the engine and it’s willingness to hold onto fuel-efficient high gears for a lot of the time.
A major difference between the Kiwi spec Kugas we drove and those being shipped from Germany to Australia is the use of 19-inch wheels on the New Zealand models. Australian suspension engineers have decided the stylish 19s created too-much tyre noise on coarse-chip surfaces.
Having sampled them over there we certainly agree - the tyres transferred quite a racket to the interior as they ran on the coarse surfaces. We will give comments on the Kuga on 17 and 18-in wheels when we review it in Australia.
Other than the tyre noise, and that was only or harsh surfaces, the Kuga was beautifully sophisticated in its ride and handling. It has a real Euro feel to the way it grips the road and is sure to please those who enjoy a sporty feel to their SUV.
Vehicle | Specs | Price* | |
---|---|---|---|
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 |
$6,499
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