Ford Kuga Review 2024

The new Ford Kuga ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people. Whether you’re a high-mileage business person, a school-runner, or a weekend outdoors warrior, the Ford Kuga makes a lot of sense. Our biggest gripe is the lack of a seven-seat version.

As well as the likes of the ever-popular Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5, there are a number of other rivals out there to the Ford Kuga if you're looking at a family SUV. 

There's the very capable Hyundai Tucson, while those looking for a seven-seater should check out either the Skoda Kodiaq and Peugeot 5008. If you're looking for something a bit more premium, then we reckon the BMW X1 or Volvo XC40 could be right up your street. 

Fit and finish are okay - ish - but the Kuga still lags behind some of its rivals in the sector. The material on the top of the dash isn’t quite on the same plush level as, say, a Peugeot 3008, while you don’t have to look too far to find cheaper plastics in use. Plus, there’s the usual excuse for a carpet in the boot that makes it impossible to vacuum.

You could always go for the top-spec Kuga Vignale, which adds leather seats and a leather layer on the dash. Even then, we don't think premium rivals like the Volvo XC40 or Audi Q5 will be too worried.

For a long time, arguably too long, the Kuga made do with Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system, which felt a bit behind the times. The screen was comparatively small and it used graphics that belonged on a Windows XP tower circa 2001. That said, it is extremely logical to use and will likely to be well received by drivers who prefer their old-school Nokia handset to the latest iPhone. Speaking of which, you do get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard so you don’t have to use the Ford system at all. Which is exactly what most drivers will do.

There's also an app. Technically, it allows you to start some models remotely to warm the car before you get in. But the truth is the app is so slow that by the time you’re getting in it still won’t have switched the heating on for you. It's not alone, of course – so many manufacturers make terrible apps but it does beg the question: why bother?

It wasn't until the 2024 facelift that Ford updated the Kuga's infotainment to the SYNC 4 system. The screen is huge in comparison to the earlier effort and the graphics look much swisher and slicker. However, you could accuse the Kuga of becoming too over-reliant on the screen, because many of the dashboard controls were removed, replaced by on-screen icons and menus.

The Ford Kuga measures just over 4.6m long and 1.8m wide, while all trim levels of the Ford Kuga get a sliding rear bench, which lets you put the most space where you need it - in the boot, or to free up more room for your backseat passengers' knees. 

If you regularly lug things about, you might find yourself putting boot space first. That’s because it’s not the biggest load space - the boot space of the Ford Kuga is just 411 litres with the rear seats back, but this grows to 526 litres with the bench forward. There’s some storage under the boot floor, which is where you can put the space-saving spare or the charging cables for the Kuga PHEV. The boot is easily accessible, but the rear seats don’t fold completely flat, which means there's less space for taller items.

On petrol and diesel models, there’s space for three adults in the back, but the person in the middle row won’t be particularly comfortable as they have to straddle the transmission tunnel. If you need to carry more than five people, you’ll have to look elsewhere as Ford doesn’t offer a seven-seat version of the Kuga. That seems an oversight when you can buy seven-seat Kodiaq, 5008 and Santa Fe models.

Ford's cut down the range of engines since launch, leaving just three choices. A petrol, full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid, though what engines are available depends on the trim level you opt for. 

Missing from that list are the diesel options, which have recently been dropped from the range. If you're looking to buy used and cover a lot of miles, though you've got a few diesel Ford Kuga options. There’s a 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel with 120PS and offered with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. And a 2.0-litre mild-hybrid diesel, which produces 150PS and comes with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive.

The most potent diesel available on the Ford Kuga is the 190PS 2.0-litre, which was sold exclusively with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive. It’s likely to be the Kuga of choice for caravanners or anyone who wishes to venture off the beaten track.

Otherwise, there's a 1.5-litre petrol EcoBoost engine is available with a six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. This was offered with 120PS in the entry-level Zetec trim Ford Kuga, but now you'll only find the 150PS version available across the range, and it's a better option. 

There's a full-hybrid version that's based around a 2.5-litre petrol Duratec engine with 190PS, but it's the plug-in hybrid option that'll probably spike the most interest. It combines a 2.5-litre petrol Duratec engine with an electric motor to produce a combined 225PS (later uprated to 243PS). 

But with front-wheel-drive only and an unresponsive CVT automatic gearbox, it’s not as much fun as it should be. On the plus side, though, it delivers an electric-only range of around 40 miles, perfect for short journeys and commutes. However, just like any other plug-in hybrid, if you fail to charge it regularly you'll be penalised by having to lug a heavy battery pack around with you that reduces fuel economy massively.

Most drivers will be happy with the standard suspension set up of the Ford Kuga, but the ST-Line models get a lower ride height and firmer springs, making them feel a touch more sporty and/or fidgety.

Bear in mind, too, that this will increase the amount of road noise you experience. While the poshed-up Vignale gets an active noise cancelling system (which neutralises unwanted noise using the car's speakers), most drivers will take some time to get used to the tyre roar and suspension rattle. 

Opt for the PHEV version of the Ford Kuga and you'll be running about in near-silence under electric power, while the transition to petrol power is pretty seamless once the battery has been depleted. 

Like a lot of its competitors, the Ford Kuga scored five stars out of five for safety when tested by Euro NCAP. Drilling down on the numbers a little more, it scored 92% for adult occupants, 86% for child occupants, 82% for pedestrian safety and 73% for safety assist. 

The Ford Kuga comes with 10 airbags dotted round the cabin and a number of standard safety features. This includes lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking, which will apply the stoppers automatically if the car senses an impending crash. 

All Ford Kugas come with front- and rear parking sensors, but if you want things like the reversing camera and blind-spot monitoring, which are almost essential in this car as visibility is limited by the small rear window and thick A-pillars, you’ll have to shell out for the Driver’s Assistance Pack. That will also get you adaptive cruise control and traffic-sign recognition.

With a 14.4kWh battery, the Ford Kuga PHEV can 'officially' cover 41 miles when fully charged and offer 201.8mpg… provided you can charge it regularly enough that you don't need to trouble the petrol engine. If you're doing a long drive that will see you run for a long period on an empty battery and the petrol engine doing all the hard work, expect around 40mpg. This isn't unique to the Kuga PHEV, as all hybrids suffer this on long journeys.  

We've seen the electric range average about 25 to 30 real-world miles with the Kuga hybrid, which is perfect if you’ve got kids to ferry about or only a short work commute but still need to make long journeys at weekends. Charging is quick, too, with the battery taking about four hours to brim. 

This generation of the Ford Kuga didn't get off to the most auspicious start when there was a large-scale recall of PHEV models due to an overheating fault that could cause a fire when charging. The fix involved the replacement of the entire drive battery pack.

Ford doesn't perform especially strongly overall in reliability and owner satisfaction, coming in 23rd out of 30 manufacturers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. That said, our sister title has also run a Kuga PHEV as a long term test car and enjoyed a fault-free experience, while the previous model proved to be generally reliable.

The cheapest Ford Kuga to insure will be the Zetec model with the 1.5-litre Ecoboost petrol engine. This falls into insurance group 10.

Go for a plug-in hybrid petrol-electric or an all-wheel drive diesel, though, and you'll see the insurance group jump up to 19 or 20. Top of the range Vignale models reach Group 21 or 22. Granted, that won't be cheap to insure but 22 is still a long way from highest Group 50.

As we said earlier, Ford played around with the Kuga's trim levels a bit over the years. At launch, even the most affordable Ford Kuga Zetec was pretty comprehensively equipped. Exterior highlights include 17-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, a Quickclear heated windscreen and silver roof rails, as well as twin exhausts and a rear spoiler. Inside, there’s a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob, keyless start and manual air conditioning.

The Zetec also gets sports seats with manual adjustment (including lumbar support and height adjustment for the driver), as well as Ford’s SYNC3 eight-inch navigation system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). Front- and rear parking sensors are also standard, as well as cruise control, lane-keeping assist and autonomous emergency braking.

Ford Kuga Titanium models build on this with 18-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights, keyless entry, ambient lighting and automatic headlights/windscreen wipers. The sports seats are now finished with part-leather trim, while the passenger seat gets eight-way adjustment including lumbar support and height adjustment. A B&O premium sound system is standard, along with a 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster (6.5-inches on Kuga PHEV models).

The posh Ford Kuga Vignale comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, bespoke exterior detailing and metallic paint as standard. Inside, there’s full leather seat trim, 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat and heated front seats. The steering wheel, gear knob and instrument panel are all wrapped in leather. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster features, as well as a head-up display and Active Park Assist.

Sporty Ford Kuga ST-Line trim builds on the Titanium with 18-inch alloy wheels, black roof rails, ST-Line exterior styling (including a rear spoiler and red brake callipers). Inside, there’s partial-leather sports seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a bespoke ST-Line gear knob. Like the Vignale, the ST-Line also comes with the fancy digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster. Sports suspension is standard on most ST-Line models (but not the 2.0 EcoBlue 190PS AWD version).

The Ford Kuga ST-Line X sits above the standard ST-Line, with added highlights including 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof and a hands-free electric tailgate. It also gets a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat and heated front seats.