Ford motor company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and has taken the world by storm – it’s the fifth biggest auto producer in the world! The 2017 Ford Kuga SUV definitely portrays how far Ford has come and how well they’ve adapted to the changing market over their 114 years of production.
The original Ford Kuga definitely didn’t make much of an impact on anyone except those who bought it – and regretted it. It wasn’t nice looking and it wasn’t the friendliest to drive either.
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Appearance
This model here is the 2nd generation of the Ford Kuga which was released in 2013 and then had a face-lift in 2016, which was much needed in my opinion. This stunning 2017 Ford Kuga ST-Line I had the pleasure of driving has definitely improved from the original. It has an attitude.
The 18″ black machine polished alloy wheels are stealthy looking in combination with the halogen lights with black bezel unique to ST Line models. Tinted windows, black roof rails, twin exhaust, aluminium pedals and dark headliner only add to the attitude. There is a variety of 11 colours on this model but only two are standard – the magnetic colour on the model I drove was a premium colour (but worth the extra cash if you ask me).
How is the 2017 Ford Kuga to drive?
Well, not only does the Kuga look good, it feels good. I went a lengthy 4 hour drive through the mountains to really push it to its limits and it surprised me immensely. Even with the ST Line sports suspension, it was a comfortable ride along the uneven terrain. It really flowed through the winding roads.
Thanks to the 2 litre Duratorq diesel engine I had in this model, the hill sprints were a walk in the park. The Ford Kuga AWD and 180ps as standard with this engine – it really did feel like I was in a park rather than the mountains. So much fun! The best part had to be that I didn’t use much fuel at all. With a combined consumption of 54.3mpg, it’s inexpensive to do long, scenic journeys as I did. However, If that engine doesn’t take your fancy then you have 3 variations of Ford Kuga 1.5 EcoBoost petrol engines you can also choose from. The Ford Kuga towing capacity (braked) starts from 1500kg – Please do your own research for towing capacity.
Technology and Infotainment
The Ford Kuga is so intuitive. Keyless entry and keyless start mean no more fumbling around with a key. You don’t even need to find your key, just know it’s in your pocket/bag and you’re good to go! The automatic lights and rain-sensing wipers were also very convenient as there were some low-visibility areas of my drive and the light sensors automatically adjusted my headlights to suit. Same with the window wipers, when it rained the wipers came on accordingly. I didn’t need to take my hands off the wheel!
Also great for some weather conditions is the heated front screen, heated front seats AND heated steering wheel! Cold leather and freezing fingers in the winter is a thing of the past. There is dual climate control but that is almost standard throughout all cars nowadays. I also had active park assist which meant the car would park itself in 2 different ways and also assists you out of a space as well! Even more impressive than that – Ford’s park assist can fit you into a space only 20% bigger than the car!
Boot Capacity
It’s great having the gesture tailgate.
Just swipe your foot under the car and it opens the tailgate for you. This can sometimes take a while to find where the sensor is but once you’ve got it – you’ve got it! This really is a great feature if you’re hands are full and you can’t get to your keys or press a button. It was equally as useful when I had to pick up some tyres for my friend. And as you can see, there was no problem with space in the boot. The boot space is 1928L with the seats folded.
Is the 2017 Ford Kuga a safe car?
As you all know, safety is paramount in my eyes. With this Kuga you get lane assist which will alert you when you drift over the white lines. Of course, I trialled this and the car actually corrected itself. Yes, the car steered back into lane! Ford emergency also comes as standard across all Ford cars. This will alert emergency services to your location if you’re in an accident (so long as a phone is connected).
On top of all that convenient tech, the Infotainment system in the car is sophisticated yet user-friendly. The 8″ LCD touch screen was easy to use. It has large icons making them easy to press when driving. The Bluetooth feature also allows for phone calls and even text messaging! It reads texts out loud to you and you can speak out loud to reply. The car then ‘types’ it for you and sends it from your phone.
The new SYNC 3 system is Fords most recent program in their cars – and it’s the best yet. It comes with applink and allows you to control almost everything with your voice – even the SatNav! Just speak where you want to go and it creates the route for you!
The Ford Kuga ST Line has come far. With a very attractive appearance, technological advancements and safety while maintaining great value for money, It definitely deserves a place in the best family SUV category. Perfect for family road trips! There is always some great PCP finance offers on the Kuga, too. To find out more about PCP finance, click here.