Ford Kuga 2016 Review

Ford Kuga Titanium
Road Test

Good packaging, excellent dynamics, competitive pricing and a strong national dealer network don't seem to add up to much for Ford's Kuga. It is as good as mid-size SUVs come, but this is not reflected in sales. With before on-roads pricing starting at $27,990 and topping out at $47,190 for the Titanium diesel (and $45,190 for the EcoBoost petrol version tested here), the Ford is right in the middle of the mix, yet is practically invisible on the sales charts.

It appears Ford Australia really needs to go back to marketing school.

Although the company has an enviable line-up of cars from which to choose after the last locally-produced Falcons and Territorys roll off the line, the pending and ensuing roll-out of promising new models doesn't appear to be having much impact on actual sales figures.

And nowhere is this more evident than in the mid-size Kuga SUV – an impressive competitor for Mazda's CX-5, Toyota's RAV4 and Nissan's X-TRAIL that has now been with us since 2013, yet trails every one of its major rivals in one of the most hyperactive market segments.

In terms of market impact, the Kuga looks puny, not only against its competitors but also within its own ranks where it is outsold hugely by the Ranger ute and even the declining Territory SUV.

This must be a disappointment at Ford. When the Kuga was launched in April 2103 it was rightly touted as a proper competitor for the reigning Mazdas, Toyotas and Nissans in the mid-size SUV segment.

No less than when it was launched it remains, as we said in a 2014 review, "more than just another entrant in a viciously contested category and will play an important role in the company's market ambitions as it transitions from being a manufacturer to a full-line importer."

That the car slid from a peak of 5874 sales in 2014 to 4344 in 2015 is depressing – even if it looks to be clawing its way back in year-to-date figures for 2016 where sales to the end of April crept up slightly, if not spectacularly, from 1157 to 1515.

But we come today to praise the Kuga, not to bury it.

Benefitting from a minor re-jig in 2015, the Kuga is now more than it was, even if prices have moved slightly upwards, by between $200 and $500 depending on variant.

The Titanium 2.0-litre GDTi EcoBoost petrol model, for $200 above the pre-update model, gains some improvements such as a standard 8.0-inch colour touchscreen for the newly-added Ford SYNC2 connectivity system with "enhanced voice control", traffic monitoring, a Wi-Fi hotspot and two USB ports.

This is on top of existing Titanium gear including a hands-free tailgate, active park-assist, power glass sunroof, climate-control, Sony sound system, part-leather seats (heated up front and including driver-only 10-way power adjustment) and, also for the driver only, a front knee bag that's standard across the five-star ANCAP Kuga range.

But, even at Titanium level, it's necessary to spend an extra $1600 on a Technology Pack to get adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistant, blind-spot detection and auto high-beam. Worth the spend, and a reduction on the price originally asked for essentially the same pack, but one still wonders whether some elements should be factored in as standard – particularly AEB.

Underlying all this is a fully independent suspension using MacPherson struts up front and Ford's Control Blade system at the rear to provide an admirable balance of ride comfort and on-road dynamics. The on-demand AWD system (standard on Trend and Titanium and optional on Ambiente) distributes power between the front and rear wheels to where it's best utilised. Normally, with fuel efficiency as a prerequisite, it runs in front-drive mode.

The petrol Titanium gets a regular six-speed automatic transmission as standard, unlike the diesel that uses Ford's dual-clutch Powershift transmission. Here there is a bit of disparity, not in terms of on-road torque, but certainly in terms of fuel efficiency and emissions.

The diesel, as you'd expect, fares a lot better in both, quoting 6.4L/100km and 168g/km respectively compared to the petrol Kuga's 8.8L and 204g. These figures rate the petrol Kuga at the upper end of the spectrum compared with, say, CX-5 Akera (7.4L/100km and 172g/km), X-TRAIL Ti (8.3L/100km and 192g/km) and RAV4 Cruiser (8.5L/100km and 198g/km).

That said, the Kuga's 2.0-litre Ecoboost engine dramatically out-powers them all with its 178kW and surging 345Nm of torque – around 100Nm more than the aforementioned competitors.

Not surprisingly, the Kuga thus delivers very strong acceleration, both from a standing start and when under way. It's smooth too, and quiet, and the conventional six-speed auto, though not as brisk as the diesel's dual-clutch transmission, shifts with welcome authority.

The only downside is the manual gear selection switch on the shift lever which is neither intuitive, nor easy to use because you have to fumble around with your thumb to find it. A couple of shift paddles on the multi-function steering wheel would have been nice.

As for the electrically-assisted steering, it is – like most Fords these days – quick, nicely weighted, accurate and responsive, more sporty hatch than mid-size SUV in character. It is complemented by the fluid suspension that copes with most of the stuff thrown at it on regular roads and easily swallows mid-corner bumps without being thrown around.

In-cabin, the Kuga Titanium is cosy, spacious and quiet. Accommodation is comparable with the best of its competitors and the well-shaped and supportive front seats are good for a long stint at the wheel. Maybe not so good for the front passenger though, as, unlike the 10-way power adjustment provided for the driver, it's all done by manual manipulation.

Driver controls – apart from the manual-shift button – are generally easily understood and easily lived with. We did like the improved voice control functions even if at times we might just as well have been speaking another language. We didn't always understand each other.

And, similar to other Fords we've driven recently, the traffic monitoring system was usually way too intrusive, often warning us of impending grid lock when we were already well immersed in it.

The Kuga's luggage area is pretty capacious, with 406 litres of space available if all seats are up, and as much as 1603 litres ready – via a quick, double-fold action – for swallowing bikes, surfboards, luggage and the like if only two are embarking on a trip. Only the Nissan X-TRAIL is notably more generous.

Our continuing disappointment at the disconnect between quoted ADR fuel consumption figures and reality was reflected in the Kuga's averaging around 9.8L/100km on test, much of which was conducted with a loaded up car on country roads. Better than some, but worse than others, it illustrated that ADR consumption figures are best treated as merely a comparative guideline.

Looking at its competitors, the turbo-petrol Kuga is officially at the more consumptive end of the scale and is slightly disadvantaged by Ford's requirement that it runs on premium unleaded fuel. The 60-litre fuel tank suggests a range of barely more than 600km.

Summing up, it's clear Ford has more than just an average competitor in what should be, for it, an important market segment. The Kuga is as impressive on the road as it is a practical mid-size SUV in terms of equipment, packaging and pricing. It also has the benefit of massive dealer representation around the country.

But the sad fact is that, despite being on the market for something like three years now, it is falling well short of its sales potential. With just 1515 cars registered at the time of writing this story in May 2016, the Ford Kuga is trailing a pack in which it should be among the leaders.

Was that the marketing school bell?

Note that interior pictures for this review are for indicative purposes only, and do not show the upgraded eight-inch SYNC2 screen.

2016 Ford Kuga Titanium pricing and specifications:
Price: $45,190 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 178kW/345Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 204g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Mazda CX-5 Akera (from $47,410 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota RAV4 Cruiser (from $44,490 plus ORCs)
>> Nissan X-Trail Ti  (from $45,190 plus ORCs)