… Ford Kuga 2.5 Duratec FHEV …
Introduced in 2008 the Ford Kuga was seen as a pretty decent compact SUV. Back then the manufacturers realised there was a market for such vehicles, a growing market. Fast forward 14 years and SUVs are now the car of choice for many families.
In that time, the Ford Kuga has also grown up, not in size, but in range. Not just petrol and diesel options but hybrids and full electric in a variety of trim specifications. Trying to pick your ideal car from the Ford options list is not a task to be taken lightly.
The entry level Kuga comes with a 1.5 Ecoboost petrol engine or a 2 litre diesel engine, but there are mild and full hybrid versions plus the petrol hybrid rechargeable option or the full electrically powered vehicle.
Personally I wouldn’t have a fully electric vehicle unless I had a home charger as the public charging infrastructure is barely able to fulfil current needs let alone increased demand. For most folks taking their first steps towards a ‘cleaner greener’ future the mild and full hybrids would appear to be the best bet.
The Kuga’s range includes 1.5, 2 litre and 2.5 litre diesel and petrol engines with mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The ‘mild’ hybrids don’t really do much, they just assist the Stop/Start function with their starter generators whereas the ‘full’ hybrids will allow some short term running on electric power but only at low speeds.
As for the ‘plug-in hybrid’ that does make a noticeable difference and depending on vehicle and spec might give somewhere between 30 and 40 miles of purely electric running before recharging it at home or a plug-in charger. For some folk that means the school runs and commute can be done without burning any petrol or diesel.
In the case of the appraisal vehicle this had a 2.5 litre Atkinson cycle four cylinder petrol engine working in conjunction with an electric motor backed up by a compact 1.1kWh battery. Together, the two motors deliver a maximum of 187 bhp which is fed to the front wheels by a CVT transmission.
That makes it sound as though it will be pretty quick but past experience has shown that not all CVT transmissions are quick responders to the need for speed! In this case the nought to 60 mph dash will take nearly ten seconds although the car will top 120 mph in unrestricted territory.
On the other hand, the Kuga is not designed to be a sports car, more a sports holdall with room for five and a decent enough boot to carry all their kit or holiday essentials.
The one big thing in its favour is, it drives and handles really well. Even with CVT, the Kuga can maintain an impressive cross country pace with minimal roll while the motorway cruise can be entirely relaxing.
The 2.5 Duratec FHEV test car was actually an ST-Line Edition model which means it had an extra 1200 quidsworth of extras on it including a delightful flat bottom leather rimmed steering wheel with red stitching and the matching black and red leather sports seats plus alloy pedals. The 19 inch alloys were a bit over the top and with their 225/55 Continental Premium Contact 6 tyres, some of the road imperfections were fed through to the cabin. However, the suspension itself absorbed most of the undulations, but you have to admit, it looked good on those big wheels. So you pays your money and takes your choice.
Over and above the ST-Line extras, the test car had a further £3000 worth of additional equipment which included the ‘Chrome Blue’ body paint finish, the Driver’s Assistance Pack with multifarious ‘driver aids’, Technology Pack with LED quad projector headlamps and a Heads-Up display, wireless charging and a proper spare wheel, although it was one of those skinny mini jobs, but still more reassuring than the now standard puff and go temporary ‘fixes’.
Towing capacity is pretty reasonable at 1200 kgs and much preferable to fully electric versions. We know that electric vehicles can tow, but how far? The harder an electric motor works, the quicker the battery drains and range reduces.
Fuel economy isn’t too bad. On one 106.5 mile trip which included urban and city centre driving I managed 26.2 miles on pure electric power, otherwise average fuel consumption was around 43 mpg. However, that can be improved upon depending on where you live and how you use the vehicle.
There’s a lot to like about the Ford Kuga FHEV and the average motorist will be perfectly happy with a CVT transmission. It does the job smoothly and easily, but it wouldn’t be the first choice for a sporting motorist.
Its’ comfortable, roomy, practical, reasonably quick and eminently likeable.
Ford Kuga 2.5 Duratec FHEV
Review Date: 08 Feb 2022
Price: £36,995 (as tested)
Engine: 2.5 litre, 4 cylinder petrol with electric motor, 187 bhp
Performance: 0-62 mph in 9.1 secs, flat out at 122 mph
Economy: 48.7 mpg
Emissions: 132 g/km
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