In this article we continue our scrutiny of the new Ford Kuga mid-sized SUV, which Ford hopes will spearhead its SUV sales domination in Europe.
From the initial design, the Kuga was engineered to be as visually appealing up close as it is from a distance, with spaces between panels no wider than 0.5mm. The craftsmanship inside emphasises feel and touch through use of a soft instrument panel and soft door upper roll. Particular attention was paid to deleting exposed fasteners on moving parts like the tailgate, sun visors and glove box. The Kuga also features an opening panorama roof.
The Kuga offers more space for luggage than the current car and a luggage compartment that can be accessed more easily. Ford’s hands-free tailgate can be opened or closed simply by making a kicking motion beneath the rear bumper; you may get some funny looks but it’s bound to be useful when your hands are full!
The luggage compartment offers 46-litres more space than the current model, while the rear seats fold flat in one easy movement.
Road and wind noise have been significantly reduced compared with the current Kuga, to help deliver one of the quietest cabins in the segment. Improvements were delivered by using elliptical acoustic mirrors to measure elements that can influence the noise and vibration inside the car.
“We’ve evolved the vehicle to incorporate more space and a faster silhouette, a more precise execution and a higher quality feel,” said Martin Smith, executive design director, Ford of Europe.
Prices start from £20,895.
