Ford Kuga 2016 News

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

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.

The new-car market is set to break two records. It’s on track to become the biggest June to date

Ford’s latest Kuga update adds a reversing camera across the board and SYNC2 multimedia for Trend and Titanium variants, amid minor price rises.

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.

The Ford Kuga compact SUV will go on sale in March in two trim levels to give the Blue Oval brand a competitor in a segment Ford Australia president Bob Graziano says is increasingly important to all car brands. "Kuga marks a name change from Escape but has newer technologies, improved safety and performance and Ford's corporate kinetic design DNA," Ford Australia president. "Our strategy with the Kuga is clear - build awareness of the nameplate ahead of the launch of the all-new model approximately 12 months later." The SUV will be powered by a 2.5-litre turbo Duratec V6 engine with 147kW and 320Nm and compete with likes of Toyota's RAV4, the Nissan Dualis and Holden's Captiva range. The Focus range will also be expanded with the launch of the Focus ST, powered by a 2.0-litre engine. "It stakes its claim as Ford's first truly global performance car," Graziano says. The ST will replace the existing XR5 Turbo and will top the Focus range until the next RS model arrives Down Under.

They are the Kuga all-wheel drive and S-Max people mover. Both are compact models built off the mechanical package of the Focus and could be easily added to the Ford Australia family, provided there is a case for solid local sales. However, of the pair, the Kuga is more likely as it could swing in as a replacement for the ageing Escape. Ford's group vice president, Derrick Kuzak, is enthusiastic for the pair but carsGuide understands Ford Australia cannot go it alone. It will need the endorsement of a least one other Asia-Pacific market to get the nod. Kuzak says Ford is looking at its options for both vehicles but they would need a sound business case for Australia. Also, whether Kuga was a replacement for, or separate model, to the Escape was another issue. “Escape has a very loyal following with millions of customers globally so we need to pay particular attention to those customers,” he says. “We just need to ensure that customers are there today, when they're coming; as well as what we need to do to make a business case.” Kuzak says that the advantage of having potential for either Kuga or C-Max locally could be built off the same supply base that will feed into the locally built Focus. “You've got the platform, the supply base not only for the platform but interior and the rest of the vehicle,” he says. “So you've got the scale already started for the platform as well as a manufacturing facility you'd like to put more capacity in. “When you've made the business case for the first vehicle it's a lot easier for the rest of them to follow.” The Kuga is 27mm shorter than the Escape, 50mm lower but 17mm wider and has a 70mm longer wheelbase. At present it is available in Europe with the same 100kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel as the Focus. However, next year the range will be expanded with a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo, an engine shared with Volvo. A key driver for the car is that like the Territory, it is available in either front or all-wheel drive. The Kuga has a high level of standard equipment in Europe, including electronic stability control with combined anti rollover mitigation, anti-skid brakes and an intelligent all-wheel drive system that distributes torque up to 50/50 front and rear. The all-wheel drive system is from Haldex, which also supplies Volvo. Ford says the Kuga delivers best-in-class CO2 figure of 169g/km. It has a roomy interior and luggage area that can fit from 410 litres to 1355 litres when the rear seats are folded flat. By comparison Ford describes the five-seater C-Max as a “multi-activity vehicle” but in essence it is a sporty wagon. In Europe it is available with three four-cylinder petrol engines, a turbo-diesel, LPG, CNG, and bio-ethanol.