Ford Kuga Review & Prices

The Ford Kuga is that rare thing — it’s a family-sized SUV that’s actually fun for the driver when you’ve dropped off the kids. It’s like a CBBC programme that you actually quite enjoy watching yourself — designed for families, but you like it too.

Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising, as after all under the skin the Kuga is still closely related to the Ford Focus hatchback, which has always been at the top of the tree when it comes to driving fun.

The Kuga received a new look in 2024 that included a more prominent grille, and slimmer, higher-set LED headlights that give it a much more up to date look, one that’s more stylish than the rather plain previous Kuga. There are some strong colour options too, so you don’t have to just have predictable metallic grey, and higher-priced versions get some very nice alloy wheels.

Inside, the Kuga has benefitted from a major upgrade, which brings in a big, bright touchscreen — measuring 13.0 inches across — and which uses Ford’s slick SYNC4 software that’s a step ahead of most other screens.

It’s a big improvement from the slightly pokey screen of the previous Kuga, but the downside is that Ford has ditched physical air conditioning controls, which gives the screen slightly too much to do, and which isn’t as convenient when you’re on the move. At least you still get a physical radio volume knob — that’s something.

Overall cabin quality is both good and bad — it’s good in the sense that everything feels well put together, but bad in the sense that a lot of the plastics look and feel rather cheap. Hyundai and Kia both offer a snazzier interior in the Tucson and the Sportage, and so too does Peugeot in the 3008.

That said, space is fine — although it’s no more than fine — and the boot is okay, although again it’s no more than okay, as the Kuga’s boot is big enough for holiday suitcases and a big shop, but alternatives do offer considerably more luggage space if you need maximum storage capacity.

There’s a broad choice of engines — although there are no more diesel Kugas anymore — and you can pick from a basic 1.5-litre petrol engine (which is actually not a bad choice at all), a 2.5-litre self-charging hybrid, or a plug-in hybrid with up to 41 miles of electric range when you plug it in and charge it up.

Overall, the hybrid petrol has the best balance of usability, economy, and performance, but the plug-in hybrid is well worth considering if you have a fairly short regular commute and can charge up at home.

The basic petrol shouldn’t be counted out though, as it’s the lightest Kuga model, and therefore slightly nicer to drive than the other two. There’s a four-wheel drive option for the hybrid, but not for the plug-in hybrid.

Speaking of which, the Kuga really is one of the precious few family SUVs that seems to actually care about the driver being able to have some fun. The Kuga’s steering has a pleasantly sporty feel to it, and it keeps the body well under control when the road turns twisty.

Just bear in mind that the suspension gets stiffer and a little bouncier if you go for an ST-Line or ST-Line X model, and that the CVT gearbox fitted to the hybrid and plug-in hybrid isn’t the most satisfying thing to use. Even so, you’ll be having way more fun behind the Kuga’s wheel than in any of its major competitors.

It’s good value for money, but you can make it even more so by checking out the latest Ford Kuga deals, as well as Ford Kuga leasing deals, available through Carwow. You can also check out the latest used Kugas from a network of trusted dealers, as well as other used Ford models, and if you need to sell your car online, you can do that through Carwow, too.

The Ford Kuga is quite well priced. In basic form, it’s slightly cheaper than the Hyundai Tucson, although oddly the Kia Sportage (mechanically identical to the Hyundai) can be had for as much as £5,000 less than the basic Kuga.

However, the Kuga is in a much better position relative to the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Peugeot 3008, both of which it undercuts by a significant margin. The cheapest hybrid Kuga is slightly more expensive than the cheapest hybrid Peugeot 3008 (there’s no basic petrol 3008) but then the Ford has considerably more power than the French car.

There is an outlier in the shape of the MG HS, which can offer you a powerful plug-in hybrid model for the same price as a basic 1.5-litre petrol Kuga, although the MG is nowhere near as good to drive as the Ford.

The Ford Kuga is one of the most impressive SUVs to drive, but it's a shame there’s no auto gearbox option for the petrol model

In town

There’s a lot to like about being in the driver’s seat of the Kuga, as it’s really comfortable and has the raised position that gives you good vision to the front, so you can judge where the bonnet ends when parking, and it’s also easy to see out of the side windows as you approach junctions. Reversing into spaces is made trickier by the thick rear pillars, though Ford does provide front and rear parking sensors with every Kuga model.

The manual gearbox in the 1.5-litre Ecoboost-powered Kuga has a light action and feels good to use. Take the hybrid model and it has an automatic gearbox with a rotary controller to select gears that’s brilliantly simple. What’s not so impressive is the slightly snatchy feel to the brakes in the Kuga at low speeds, so care is needed not to jolt the car as you come to a halt.

Making up for this is how comfortable the Kuga is over bumps, which takes the edge off even the sharpest potholes, although that advantage starts to erode if you go for bigger wheels and sporty ST-Line suspension.

You also have Pre-Collision Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking to alert you to possible hazards ahead and deal with them, as well as lane assist and lane departure warnings in every model.

On the motorway

If you think the smaller 1.5-litre engine in the Kuga will feel underwhelming on faster roads, think again. It’s a willing performer that pulls strongly from low revs and the manual gearbox is really good to use. The engine is also hushed when on the motorway, and you have adaptive cruise control with speed limiter as standard, plus blind-spot monitoring in every Kuga to make life more relaxing.

The hybrid Kuga with its 2.5-litre engine is quicker off the mark and better at tackling steep motorway inclines. However, you do have to get used to its automatic gearbox, which causes the engine to rev quite hard when you accelerate. Still, wind and road noise are both kept quiet in all Kugas.

On a twisty road

Get on a country road, and the Kuga tackles corners and bumps with Ford’s usual panache. Next to most cars in this class, the Kuga feels really agile and nimble, but the steering has a slightly unusual feel as it wants to return to centre more than in some other SUVs. As in town, it soaks up bumps and ripples like a champ.

The Kuga has more passenger space inside than most alternatives, but you might wish the boot was a bit bigger

Settle into the Ford Kuga and you’ll find it’s got plenty of adjustment in the position of the driver's seat and the steering wheel. Taller drivers might want the seat to drop a bit lower, but most will enjoy the raised view that is, after all, what you want an SUV for.

The seat itself offers plenty of support for your back and legs, and the steering wheel can be altered for how close it comes towards you and its angle. All of this combines to make the Kuga a very comfortable car.

Finding places to keep bottles, sunglasses and other odds and ends is no problem in the Ford. Large door pockets will easily hold a large drinks bottle, and there are two cupholders in the console behind the gear lever. A tray in front of the gear stick is ideal for holding your phone, and all Kugas come with wireless charging. There’s another tray behind the gear lever, though it’s a bit small. To the rear of this is a lidded cubby, while the glovebox is merely average for this size of car. You also get a proper sunglasses holder set in the roof lining.

Space in the back seats

The Kuga’s rear doors open wide, which makes it easy to get in and load smaller kids into their seats. There’s also plenty of room for a rear-facing child seat, while the ISOFIX mounts on the two outer rear seats are simple to locate and use, so no messing about trying to jab a clip into place.

Adults sitting in the back seats will find loads of room for their knees, shoulders and heads, even if you tick the box for the optional panoramic sunroof. That roof helps make the rear cabin feel a lot more airy as it can be a little dingy back there otherwise.

Three adults will fit in the back of the Kuga, but whoever draws the short straw to sit in the middle will have the unpleasant experience of the seat belt clip digging into their thigh. Even so, there’s still decent headroom in the centre seat and even the small hump in the middle of the floor doesn’t rob any foot space.

The rear seats of the Kuga slide back and forth, so you can vary passenger and load space. As for storage in the rear compartment, there are small but useful door bins, pockets in the backs of the front seats, and a fold-down armrest with a couple of cupholders. You also get a coat hook on the door pillar, while the window line is just about low enough for younger kids to see out without craning their necks.

Boot space

It might not be the biggest boot for this class of car, but the Kuga’s is one of the cleverer ones. With the rear seats in their normal position, you have 526 litres of load space (475 in the plug-in hybrid model), which is way less than the gigantic 910 litres you get in the five-seat Skoda Kodiaq, but still sufficient for most needs. It's slightly more than you get in a Nissan Qashqai's 503-litre boot, and the 510 litres in a SEAT Ateca. Not exactly huge then, but it’s enough to be getting on with.

The Kuga’s boot is useful too. It has a floor that sits flush with the load sill, so it’s easy to slide heavy items in and out. Four tie-down points let you secure loads in the boot, while a 12-volt socket means you can run a fridge to keep your holiday snacks and drinks cool. There are also remote handles set into the side walls of the boot to release the rear seats when you want to free up more space.

With all of the back seats dropped down, you have up to 1,603 litres of cargo capacity. The floor isn’t completely flat, but it’s not a major problem to fit in longer, bulkier loads.

The Ford Kuga’s big new screen is impressive, but it’s just a pity the quality of some materials isn’t a bit higher grade

As standard, the Kuga comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, which has crisp and clear graphics and works pretty well. You can adjust the information being displayed, and the screen background changes according to the driving mode you’ve selected.

Also standard is the new 13.0-inch touchscreen, which replaces the old, rather small 8.0-inch screen of the previous Kuga. That old system used aged software, although it was fairly easy to find your way around. The new screen is far more slick and sophisticated, and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A six-speaker stereo is also standard, but higher-spec versions get a very impressive Bang & Olufsen stereo which is really good.

However, while the touchscreen is good in and of itself, there’s a problem — the arrival of the new screen means the departure of the previous Kuga’s physical air conditioning controls, which is a real shame as using on-screen controls for heating and cooling is just never as convenient. Boo!

The other big disappointment in the Kuga’s cabin is the feel of some of the plastics lower down in the dash, seats, and centre console. Next to a Hyundai Tucson or Peugeot 3008, the Ford just seems like it’s been put together from cheaper materials.

There are three engines to choose from with the Kuga, and they are quite distinct. Take the 1.5-litre Ecoboost petrol motor and it comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as the only transmission option. It offers fuel economy of up to 44.1mpg, along with carbon dioxide emissions of 145g/km. That's comparable with a similarly specced petrol-powered Nissan Qashqai or VW Tiguan.

For those picking the Kuga with the 2.5-litre engine and hybrid set-up, you can look forward to average economy of 52.3mpg and 123g/km CO2 emissions. That’s similar to the diesel engine that was previously offered in the Kuga, so it will keep business users and long-haul drivers happy.

The plug-in hybrid is the most powerful of the bunch, and at 243hp is much more brisk. Its official economy figure is just over 200mpg, but Ford quotes a more realistic 50mpg for longer journeys on a flat battery.

It’s worth remembering that several Kuga models are priced above the £40,000 barrier, so will incur the expensive car supplement in Vehicle Excise Duty road tax in years two-to-six. The plug-in hybrid has the best Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax costs for business users.

To keep you safe should the worst happen, the Ford Kuga comes with twin front and side airbags for those in the front, as well as full-length curtain airbags to protect all occupants. The front passenger airbag can be deactivated so a child seat can be fitted, and there are ISOFIX mounts attached to the two outer rear seats.

Parking sensors are fitted to the front and rear of all Kugas, and every trim comes with cruise control. You also get lane departure warning and lane keep assist, and autonomous emergency braking with pre-collision assist to warn of oncoming dangers. However, you need to step up from the entry level Zetec version if you want a rear-view camera as standard, as well as a driver fatigue warning. All of this earned the Kuga a five-star rating in safety tests by Euro NCAP.

The Zetec trim misses out again if you want to add the optional Driver’s Assistance Pack to the Kuga. It comes with a front parking camera, adaptive cruise control with traffic sign recognition, blind spot warning, active parking assistance, and Ford’s clever rubber door guards that pop out to protect the edges of the doors against car park knocks as they open.

The current Ford Kuga enjoys a strong reputation for reliability, though the plug-in hybrid model has been subject to more than one recall for significant problems with its battery. Across the wider Kuga range, there have also been recalls for a possible problem with the fuel heater system and the telematic system that could affect the car’s SOS call that automatically contacts emergency services in the event of a collision.

All Kugas come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty included as new. When you buy the car, you also have the option to upgrade this to four years and 80,000 miles or five years and 100,000 miles for an additional cost, but even then there are others — notably Kia — who offer considerably longer warranties as standard.

The Ford Kuga didn’t feature in the most recent Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own list, but the mechanically related Focus did, finishing in a lowly 46th position, with a poor rating for reliability and quality.