At the launch of the revised Ford Kuga range in September 2017, Ford Southern Africa executives admitted that the company had considered dropping the range after incidences of earlier-generation Kugas catching fire, and exhibiting a general tendency to run too hot.
Ford said that the problem was restricted to the 1,6-litre turbocharged petrol model, and a number of steps were taken to ensure that there was no repeat of this extremely serious problem. Ford was also persuaded to continue with the( updated) Kuga range, after customers of then-existing models indicated they would definitely sign up for the latest model.
Go here for a Kuga launch report of the revised model released in September 2017.
A new 1.5 turbo-petrol was introduced
The most significant change in many people’s opinion was that the old troublesome 1,6-litre turbo petrol engine was replaced with a new 1,5-litre engine, also of turbocharged petrol design. Other improvements to ensure that Kugas ran nice and cool in summertime South African conditions included a revised radiator grille with improved airflow to the radiator.
Since those earlier reports of “unintended combustion” there have been no reports of Ford Kugas showing undue tendencies to overheat or catch fire.
New-car sales of the current Kuga
As for sales, the revised Ford Kuga has been moderately successful. The mid-sized SUV has been selling at the rate of some 75 units a month, taking into account average sales from May to August this year. The Kuga’s price range starts at just under the R400 000 mark for the entry-level model and rises to just over R570 000 for the top model.
The model range
The Ford Kuga is currently available in a choice of 7 different models. The range is as follows:
Ford Kuga 1.5T Ambiente R391 900
Ford Kuga 1.5T Ambiente Automatic R405 700
Ford Kuga 1.5 TDCI Ambiente R429 200
Ford Kuga 1.5T Trend Automatic R452 200
Ford Kuga 1.5 TDCI Trend R459 200
Ford Kuga 2.0T AWD ST Line Automatic R552 400
Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCI AWD ST Line Automatic R570 900
Kuga competitors
Competitors for the Ford Kuga include the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX5, Opel Grandland X and Volkswagen Tiguan
Most popular and least popular Ford Kuga models
Getting official Kuga model-derivative model sales figures from Ford was not possible for the purposes of this article. However a Ford source (who did not wish to be named) confirmed that the most popular Kuga trim level amongst customers is the mid-range Kuga 1.5T Trend Automatic model (R452 200). This uses the improved 132 kW petrol engine developing 132 kW and 240 Nm of torque, giving a 0-100 km/h time of 10,1 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h.
The least popular model on the sales front is the 2.0T AWD ST Line Automatic (R552 400). This is the all-wheel-drive petrol model, developing 177 kW and 340 Nm. It has impressive performance figures of 0-100 km/h in 7,8 seconds and a 212 km/h top speed. But because it is relatively pricey, and all-wheel-drive is generally considered to be a feature that is not really necessary in these tarmac-orientated SUVs, sales are slowest in this derivative. The same applies, to a lesser degree, for the most expensive model, the 2.0 TDCI ST Line AWD.
So which Kuga model depreciates quickest?
Used-car sales prices follow the laws of supply and demand. So the trim that will depreciate fastest is the least-popular, second-most-expensive model, the 2.0T AWD ST Line Trend. The model that holds its value best is the mid-range model, the Kuga 1.5T Trend Automatic.
Here you can find our current offerings of over 300 pre-owned Ford Kugas available on AutoTrader.