Another one of those Ford Motor Company vehicles you can’t have, in addition to the excellent Euro Focus; Mondeo; and S-Max, the Ford Kuga represents all that Ford’s North American-market vehicles aren’t. Cool, hip, trendy, efficient, fun. If it’s a positive characteristic for a possible American-branded Honda CR-V competitor, the Kuga offers it.
Well, take a notch off the efficiency meter for this post, but only slightly. See, Ford is suggesting that the new 2.5L five-cylinder in the Kuga makes for a “performance flagship”. While certainly more economical than a V8 Explorer, this Kuga will most assuredly be the least economical of all Kugas currently on offer. On the other hand, with 197 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, the Kuga should be plenty fun to drive.
Surely UK auto scribblers will deride anybody who buys a taller vehicle and doesn’t opt for diesel. We, if given the opportunity to buy a Kuga at all, wouldn’t likely be offered a diesel derivative and the thought of a handsome little urban crawler with 236 lb-ft of torque would be lovely regardless of the 2.0L turbodiesel and its 36.6 mpg available Across The Pond.
As you’d expect, a basic Kuga is less expensive than a well-equipped Focus saloon sedan in the UK but can rise steadily. The Kuga 2.5L with a 5-speed automatic? Think 4-cylinder BMW 3-Series diesel, and you’ll get the pricing picture.
