If you have your heart set on a new or lightly-used Kuga, you need not be concerned about engine problems, or more specifically, flames! The new range of engines don't have that issue and Ford went above and beyond to ensure that the Kuga is now as safe as can be.
The local Ford Kuga line-up is as follows:
Ford Kuga 1.5T (110 kw / 240 Nm) Ambiente, R433 500
Ford Kuga 1.5T (132 kW / 240 Nm) Ambiente auto, R449 600
Ford Kuga 1.5TDCi (88 kW / 270 Nm) Ambiente, R460 300
Ford Kuga 1.5TDCi Trend, R492 300
Ford Kuga 1.5T Trend auto, R494 900
Ford Kuga 2.0T (177 kW / 340 Nm) AWD ST Line, R600 700 (tested)
Ford Kuga 2.0TDCi (132kW / 400 Nm) AWD ST Line, R617 000
How child-proof is the cabin?
Ford's cabins are generally solid and built to last, and the Kuga is no exception; little fingers won't easily do much damage. Older children will enjoy operating Ford's SYNC3 touchscreen / media system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto in the Trend and ST Line derivatives. (The Ambiente variant also has SYNC3, but not the 8-inch colour touchscreen.)
A leather interior is king when you have children, especially if they eat in the car regularly. Bear in mind that full leather seats are only standard in the mid-range Trend models. The flagship ST Line models have partial suedette/leather seats that is meant to feel like Alcantara suede in sports cars, so this is not the model I would go for as a family car. ST line variants are also rather pricey and more geared towards the spirited driver.
Related: Ford Kuga 2.0T AWD ST Line: Fiercer than it looks
Interior space and comfort
The Kuga's cushy and spacious interior is one of its strong suits. Two car seats can be installed on the outer rear seats without any fuss, thanks to easily-accessed ISOFIX anchorage points. The rear doors open widely enough and the Kuga's ground clearance of 197 mm (or 193 mm in the ST models) also help in making this exercise frustration-free. I wouldn't say the rear bench is wide enough for a third baby seat in the middle, however.
There's plenty of room in the rear for adults if the car seats are not required anymore.
Can you fit a pram into the boot?
Yes, you can, and then some. The Kuga's load volume can swallow 456-1653 litres and is quite sufficient for the modern family's needs. And if you're the sporty/outdoorsy type, you'll be glad to know that you can fit your bicycle into the boot without having to remove any wheels (when the pram is not in the boot, of course).
Related: New vs. old Ford Kuga: The top 4 differences
How safe is the Kuga?
The Kuga gets a five-star safety rating from EuroNCAP which says it all, as their safety standards are on the more stringent side. Every Kuga has seven airbags, cruise control, voice control, ABS, EBD, brake assist, hill-start assist, drive-away self-locking doors, and traction/stability control. If you have more money to spend on extras, safety packs that include semi-autonomous tech can be specified on flagship models as well.
The Driver Assistance Pack for the ST-Line adds Adaptive Cruise Control, Advanced Active Park Assist, Blind Spot Information System and Lane Keeping Aid. Integrated Sat-nav is optional.
Drivability
The Kuga is a comfortable, easy drive. All Kugas feature lumbar adjustment for the driver's seat, and satellite switches on the steering wheel. Once you've found your ideal driving position, the Kuga is very easy to live with on a daily basis.
Suspension is on the softer side, unless you opt for the flagship ST Line models with sport suspension which has also been lowered sligthly. For family friendliness, the 1.5T / 1.5DCi leather-clad Trend models can't be beaten. The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol models offer enough grunt but the diesels are going to save you plenty at the pumps. Should you insist on having more power at your disposal, the flagship diesel model will give you the best combination of performance and fuel economy but it's also the most expensive model in the range. The petrol-powered ST Line model is a little too thirsty for our liking, but if you can easily afford it, then why not?
Fuel economy
You can be sure that your everyday usage figure in the Kuga will be higher than the manufacturer suggests - automakers tend to be a bit ambitious when it comes to how economical their cars are. All Kugas feature stop/start technology and there's also a driving monitor that awards you with a score for how efficiently (or not) you were driving.
Longterm fuel economy results are a mixed bag - some owners reported an average of up to 12 litres per 100 km in the 1.5T automatic models, and the 2.0-litre Kuga I had on test was even thirstier. If you want to save on fuel, I would go with a diesel Kuga instead; the 1.5 DCi would certainly be a better bet. Martin Pretorius compares the available engines in his article below.
Related: We compared Ford Kuga engines, and the efficiency crown goes to...
Reliability
The whole engine-fire debacle was an expensive exercise and Ford has learnt their lesson. To prevent any future mishaps, Ford has taken all the precautions and measures to ensure good behaviour from the Kuga. All new Kugas are sold with a 4-year/120 000 warranty and 6-year/90 000 service plan. Service intervals are every 15 000 km and roadside assist is included.
Overseas reliability surveys revealed that the petrol-powered Kugas are some of the most reliable large SUVs you can buy.
Verdict
The Ford Kuga is an excellent all-rounder for adventurous families and as far as safety and convenience are concerned, you can't go wrong. It's also generously specified with all kinds of creature comforts.
In my opinion, the best family-buy in the lineup would be the Ford Kuga 1.5TDCi Trend, R492 300 or the Ford Kuga 1.5T Trend auto, R494 900. If you're money-savvy, you would check out lightly-used models on our site for some great deals.
Competition in this segment is fierce, however, and you should certainly also take the Nissan X-Trail, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5. and Toyota RAV4 for a test drive as well. We also like the Opel Grandland X, Peugeot 3008, 5008, and the Citroën C5 Aircross.
Related: Ford Kuga vs Kia Sportage vs Hyundai Tucson - Here's our winner
Pre-owned models: what you need to know
If you're buying used, be careful: The 1.6-litre models from 2012 to 2014 are the ones that are best avoided; more specifically, 1.6-litre models bought between 15 December 2012 and 20 October 2014. Owners of cars that had indeed caught fire were awarded R50 000 each by Ford Motor Company South Africa. FMCSA also had to pay a hefty fine.
If the car in question was bought outside of this time frame, then you don't have to worry. 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre models weren't affected either.
The latest range of Kugas were launched in 2017 and there is no 1.6-motor in the local lineup anymore.
On the upside, those of us with limited budgets can pick up a pre-loved Kuga up for next to nothing. My search on AutoTrader yielded some rather (pleasantly) surprising results on cars that aren't even older than 5 years, and have low(ish) mileage. I managed to find a model for R150 000 which is ridiculously cheap, considering everything that the Kuga has to offer!
For the full list of specifications for the latest range of Kugas, download the Ford Kuga brochure here.
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