Launched this accomplished June, the Kuga is a compact, five-seat crossover advised by Englishman Martin Smith, who larboard General Motors to accompany Ford in aboriginal 2004. He and his aggregation created an aerodynamic yet affable skin, which is accentuated by accessible auto as ample as nineteen inches. Stylish and fashionable, the fresh crossover from Ford of Europe is about the aforementioned breadth as a Ford Escape, but it sits astride a 2.8-inch-longer wheelbase.
The continued amplitude amid the axles helps accommodate a commendably ample cabin, although the chubby rear end encloses a rather baby burden authority (maximum accommodation is 47.9 cubic feet). For passengers, there’s affluence of berth space, first-rate ergonomics, and premium-feeling materials. The rather afflictive and unsupportive seats are the alone letdown. Ford offers a host of choice extras, including a ample bottle sunroof, keyless ignition, a acrimonious windshield, dual-zone air-conditioning, and a advancement camera.
The Kuga buyer’s best cogent option, though, is all-wheel drive. Ford chose a progressively capricious AWD arrangement that employs a Haldex clamp to administer the armament amid the axles. A brake-operated basic limited-slip cogwheel optimizes the side-to-side torque flow.
Like abounding European Fords, the Kuga uses the awful able modular C matrix-the base of the Mazda 3, the Volvo S40, and added North American products. It’s a solid, driver-oriented belvedere that blends alarming administration with acceptable ride comfort. The car-based Kuga is chargeless of fun-killers like boundless anatomy roll, awkward steering, absorptive brakes, and terminal understeer. Instead, it invites you to analyze its strengths, such as sure-footed roadholding, active grip, and accomplished all-wheel-drive traction, which makes all the aberration on glace blacktop and through bound corners. At added than 3500 pounds in AWD guise, the Kuga is no featherweight, but it nonetheless covers arena with activity and effortlessness. Just about the alone austere activating check is the boundless vertical anatomy movement on asperous freeway sections, which can abuse the contrarily categorical accelerated directional stability.
In Europe, Ford offers alone one agent in the Kuga, a 136-hp, 2.0-liter agent four-cylinder that pumps out 236 lb-ft of torque. The agent is abundantly frugal, accomplishing 37 mpg in the European analysis aeon in both front- and all-wheel-drive models, giving the Kuga a ambit of some 550 miles. Its acceleration, however, is not absolutely rocketlike (0 to 62 mph in 10.7 seconds), and it runs out of beef at 113 mph. The Kuga comes able alone with a six-speed chiral transmission-no automated is available. However, a additional agent choice-a 2.5-liter, 200-hp, gasoline-burning five-cylinder-due after this year, will action both chiral and automated transmissions. When the U.S. archetypal goes into production, Ford acceptable will add a 145-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, additionally gasoline-powered. A balmy amalgam may chase suit, but Ford is still mum on the timing. Another achievability is a continued seven-seat Kuga that would affection an continued wheelbase and a best rear overhang.
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