Kuga a contender

Ford"s new SUV contender, the Kuga, comes into the market with lofty ambitions based on performance, economy and price. Ford believes the Kuga will take the market by storm and it arrived on the Irish market in time for the July VRT changes with a signal of its ambitions based around its low CO2 exhaust emissions rating. The Kuga may not be hugely different than the large number of mid-range SUVs on the market on face value, but it is. The design is strong and distinctive, and while it"s modern, it also brings an impression of style that"s classically modern Ford. I have to say that I instantly liked the new Kuga style. That good feeling towards the Kuga was further confirmed by the performance of its 2.0 litre turbo-diesel. This engine delivers the goods in more ways than one. It has a relatively high power output at 136bhp coupled with good torque levels at 320Nm to give it a good acceleration performance for the all-wheel-drive version of 10.7 seconds in a 0 to 100km/h race. That compares well with the competition, where the Citroen C-Crosser and Peugeot 4007 are at the top in terms of acceleration performance from bigger 2.2 litre engines. The much more expensive BMW X3 is the only other performance rival of note. The Kuga makes a big impression when it comes to economy, though. This new Ford diesel engine is no slouch in the performance stakes while, at the same time, it excels in economy. The official rating for the SUV is 6.4 litres/100km (44.1mpg) and that was noticeable during my test drive. That economy level is ahead of its nearest rivals in the form of the popular Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and the thrifty entry model Mitsubishi Outlander. Low fuel usage delivers a low CO2 rating and the new Ford comes with the lowest CO2 figure in the bulging mid-range SUV sector. The Kuga has a CO2 figure of just 169g/km, bringing it into the Band D for car tax with a low annual tax rate of just €430. All of the other SUV competition models are in the higher bands, with some -such as the Suzuki Vitara - creeping into the Band F with annual road tax bills of €1,000. This improved Ford diesel engine has the potential to deliver in terms of running costs as well as servicing costs. Ford recommends a 20,000km service interval, which is once a year for most drivers - and that"s for a diesel engine. The other compelling reason why the Kuga is a real SUV contender is price. Ford has pitched it at a level where it leaves others embarrassed. The entry-level Kuga all-wheel-drive (AWD) model comes with a starting price of €34,400, before delivery charges. That"s just marginally more expensive than the entry level Jeep Compass and better value than everything else on the market. Ford offers a two-wheel-drive version of the Kuga at even keener pricing, starting at €32,565. And as there are no distinctive 4x4 badges to spot the difference, this option will attract drivers who want to stay on the tarmac. That value is not just skin deep. Ford offers an impressive safety package in the Kuga, confirmed by its high rating in recent EuroNCAP crash tests. The standard features on the Zetec models included electronic stability programme, six airbags as part of Ford"s Intelligent Protection System, air conditioning, 17-inch wheels, six-speaker remote radio CD, electric heated door mirrors, front fogs, trip computer, keyless start with Ford Power button, body colour rear spoiler and leather steering wheel. The higher specification Titanium models come with the above but also 17-inch alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, cruise control, partial leather trim, tinted glass, automatic wipers and headlights and auto-dimming rear view mirror. The Titanium offer is the expensive extra, adding more than €4,500 to the price, and I"m not sure if that"s worth it for most drivers. I had the Titanium version with AWD as the test car and, for general road driving apart from a gravelly patch, failed to engage the AWD ability. That will be the case for most drivers as the system engages automatically with a clutch-type drive when one of the front wheels slips. The AWD capability might be useful for trailer-pullers when the going gets tricky. The Kuga will deliver a towing performance that"s at the top of its game at 2.1 tonnes with a braked trailer. Only the new and more expensive Volkswagen Tiguan can marginally beat that. The Kuga will score well in driver position and comfort. The only downside for me was a significant level of road noise. Rear legroom is not the most spacious and I expected a better level of rear seat adjustment. The boot is spacious for this sector, too, and the boot door splits for easier loading. The overall Kuga offering makes it one of the best SUVs around. It scores on style, performance, economy and value; there"s no better measure of motoring value.