Ford Kuga 2014 News

Ford has recalled 8878 examples of its Kuga mid-size SUV over a potential fire risk.

A safety notice regarding a potential oil leak has been issued by Ford in Australia and concerns 4450 of its Kuga SUVs.

Speaking this week at a media event this week, Ford Australia boss Graeme Whickman confirmed the facelifted Kuga arrival.“The vehicle will be arriving on our shores in early 2017, with some rather significant upgrades,” he said.As to what those upgrades will be, Whickman said he’d reveal more closer to the launch, but buyers can expect new technology such as the latest version of Ford’s Sync3 multimedia system and advanced safety equipment like a lane-keeping system and self-parking function.The most obvious change is to the exterior styling with the facelifted car adopting the new Ford family chrome-look grille with restyled bumper and headlights, plus a new treatment to the vehicle’s tailgate and taillights.While year-to-date sales of the Kuga in Australia are slightly up, mid-size SUV segment leaders the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 are achieving at least five times the sales as the Ford. Whickman believes it may be Ford’s fault for not marketing the Kuga better.“I think our biggest challenge is frankly getting awareness of the product. It’s probably a vehicle we haven’t put enough energy behind,” he said.“Given that we’re sitting on 12 or 13 nameplates it’s sometimes hard to make some decisions around investment …”Ford used the SUV strategy event to make several announcements – the biggest being the arrival of an SUV based on the Edge in 2018 which will partially fill the gap left by the soon-to-be-discontinued Australian-built Territory.Also announced was a two-wheel drive five-seat version of the Everest large SUV coming in early 2017 and a Shadow special edition of the EcoSport small SUV which is now in showrooms.

Sausages are sizzling, the hessian fences are up and those weird inflatable statues are flapping in the breeze: it's clearance sale time at new-car yards across Australia.

New Honda Jazz sets new benchmark for rear view cameras: $14,990.

Ford says their capped price service offer, MyFord, has been successful in bringing thousands of owners back to the brand -- 13,000 in 2013 alone. So they're taking the offer further, raising it to seven years and 135,000km from the six years/105,000km that rolled out in 2011.The revised program -- available on vehicles built from 2007 -- has been extended to cover brake pad replacements and rotor machining across the range except the sporty FPV, ST and XR5 variants and the light commercial Transit van. All eligible models will have front pads capped at $259 and rear ones at $219, except the rear-wheel drive Falcon and Territory rear pads, which will be capped at $259. Machining is capped at $88.Ford has also announced a year's free membership and roadside assistance with state motoring organisations -- NRMA, RACV, RACT, RACQ, AANT, RAA and RAC -- at participating dealers with the sale of any new car, except FPV and Transit.“The addition of the Auto Club Program is another customer-focused offering that Ford owners will enjoy,” Ford Australia general manager, customer service division, Stephen Kruk, says. “Customers expect this level of certainty from their dealers and we’re happy to say that since it was introduced in July 2011, the program has been very well received by our customers.”Owners can check the maximum price for a service, and all terms and conditions at www.ford.com.au/myfordcps.  MyFord Capped Price Servicing is available on the following vehicles.Ford Fiesta – WQ, WS, WTFord Focus – LS, LT, LV, LVIIFord Mondeo – MA, MB, MCFord Falcon – BF, BF FPV, BF MkII, BF MkII FPV, BF MkIII, FG, FG FPV, FG MkII, FG MkII FPVFord Escape – ZD, ZCFord Econovan - JHFord EcoSport - BKFord Kuga - TE, TFFord Territory – SY, SY F6X, SY MkII, SZFord Ranger – PJ, PK, PXFord Transit – VM, VNThis reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.

The driver has 10 seconds to cancel the call if police and ambulance are not required, but if the line is silent the car will give 000 operators its GPS co-ordinates to send help. The system is so sophisticated Ford is training emergency services across Australia on what it sounds like and how it operates. The technology is standard on all new Ford Kuga SUVs, which start from $28,000. The only requirement is that a Smartphone is connected to the car via Bluetooth - and that the crash happens in mobile phone range. Nevertheless, Ford hopes the technology may save lives. “Time is of the essence in critical situations and every piece of technology that can help save lives or reduce injuries is a positive," said Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead Phipps. Holden had a similar customer assistance system from 2001 to 2010, but it was subscriber based and required drivers of crashed vehicles to press a button to enlist help. The Ford system is automatically triggered when airbags deploy. The Kuga is among a growing number of cars making it increasingly difficult to have a crash. As with a number of cars from Volvo, Volkswagen and Subaru, the new Ford Kuga will brake automatically to avoid rear-ending another car in low-speed traffic. The top-of-the-range model will also steer straight if you wander from your lane, warn you of cars about to overtake you, and automatically dip the highbeams as other vehicles drive towards you at night. For mums and dads on the run, the new Ford also has a tailgate that can be opened with a deft swing of your foot (similar to kicking a soccer ball), providing the key is in your pocket or within 1 metre of the car. It’s handy for those with their hands full, or with little ones to watch. But for all the gadgets, the car that Ford describes as the “Smart SUV” does not come standard with a rear-view camera - even though most leading and cheaper SUV competitors have it standard across the range. A rear camera is only available on the top-line Ford Kuga which starts at $44,000, whereas the Mazda CX5, Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V and Nissan Dualis have a rear camera on all models, which start below or near $30,000. Up to two-dozen infants die in driveway incidents each year and hundreds more are seriously injured. Up to 80 per cent of cases involve an SUV or ute - even though they only account for about one-third of vehicles on the road. When asked why Ford had not made a rear camera available even as an option on the most affordable versions of its latest family car (as its rivals had done), the sales and marketing representative for Ford Australia, Brad Brownwell, said: “Part of the philosophy was … to get people to go up to the .” The Ford representative downplayed the safety benefit of rear-view cameras. “You don’t want people to not look in their mirrors and just stare at the little and throw the car in reverse. You’ve got to be aware of your surroundings. Some areas wouldn’t say that is a safety feature. In the US you can’t classify (a rear view camera) as a safety feature. It’s a benefit, it’s a surprise and delight.” This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

The changing story of Ford is being told at AIMS. Once synonymous with a big, plain Australian family car, the local branch of the Blue Oval brand is embracing Ford’s sophisticated international product and technology. Called the “One Ford” strategy, it looks pretty good. Heading that act is the best engine of 2012 – the EcoBoost 1.0- litre – which will first be seen here in the Ford Fiesta, followed by the EcoSport sub-compact SUV. The turbocharged threecylinder engine will be sold in two specifications – 74kW/170Nm and a high-output 91kW/170Nm. Fuel consumption should range from a diesel-like 4.8-5.0 litres/100km. Ford spokesman Neil McDonald says the “replacement for displacement’’ engine won’t disappoint in terms of performance or economy. In that respect, it’s much like the 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine already powering the Mondeo and Falcon. If sheet metal is more to your liking than what’s under the hood, there’s the first look at the EcoSport, new Ford Kuga, Focus ST hot hatch and the Ford Fusion. The Fusion is the US-designed version of the next Ford Mondeo, which gets here late next year. The new car rides on the existing chassis to its rear suspension to one like that used by BMW and Audi. The result is expected to be an improved ride over the already good balance between comfort and performance in the existing Mondeo. The sloping “fastback’’ roofline was penned by British designer Chris Hamilton and Ford is using a scalloped roof lining to ensure the striking styling doesn’t restrict rear headroom. A bigger boot and updated styling mark the arrival of the second-generation Ford Kuga (above). A foot-activated automatic tailgate is among the neat touches this compact SUV brings to the market segment that’s attracting record numbers of buyers. Active park assist and a blind spot warning system are also expected to be part of the package, based on the European and US models. The Kuga is expected to go on sale with 2.0-litre turbo diesel and petrol powerplants. If the Kuga’s not compact enough, try the EcoSport, which is based on the Fiesta small car and is expected to be priced under $25,000.  

Ford’s engineers tailored, tuned and calibrated each component and aspect of the ride and handling to ensure the Ford Kuga carries the Blue Oval family pedigree for strong driving dynamics.