"Our" car has a price tag of around 550. For that price, the Ford dealers happily show off the Mustang Mach-E, which is currently in 000th place in the sales statistics of new cars. But let it be said - the Kuga 6 plug-in hybrid ST-Line is a lot of car for the money - and it offers driving pleasure.
Only sold as a hybrid in Norway
The hybrid solution consists of a transverse four-cylinder 2,5-litre Duratec petrol engine and an electric motor located at the front. The battery pack has a capacity of 14,4 kWh and is located under the rear luggage compartment. The petrol engine is not entirely new – it was developed by Mazda and put into production in 2008. Ford uses the term iVCT (Intake Variable Camshaft Timing). It is a solution that keeps the intake valves open also during parts of the compression stroke, which results in a reduced effective stroke for the intake. The principle is known as Atkinson Cycle. This primarily helps to reduce consumption, but the engine also loses "punch". This is compensated by the electric motor. Toyota uses the same concept in its hybrids.
Works fine in practice
The drivetrain switches seamlessly between electric motor and petrol engine. I liked the snarl of the big engine on throttle. If you start properly, you can hear the CVT gearbox shifting like a supercar - absolutely superb when you come driving in quiet electric mode and pull on to slip into fast-moving traffic. According to Ford, "virtual" gear changes are programmed in to give the feeling of driving an automatic falcon – something stepless CVT transmissions normally do not do.
Sister model to the Ford Escape
I have to admit that the Kuga is not a car I usually turn to. The Kuga is the European variant of the Ford Escape. In the US it is a small SUV for housewives. In Norway it is a proper SUV. I have followed all the Kuga models in the seams. In my eyes, they have something feminine about them – a sturdy SUV that should not frighten the weaker sex. Today's Kuga looks like a grown-up version of the Puma small car - also a women's car. When I study "our" Kuga more closely, I see that the ST-Line provides the little that is necessary to "toughen up" the car. Sharp profiles in the bumpers, tough grill pattern, black roof covering, red calipers and two tailpipes contribute to the car breaking out of its hideous shell.
Big enough as a family car
Ford Kuga Hybrid er big enough as a family car. The space conditions in the 4,61 meter long car are experienced as spacious for 5 people. You sit quite upright, the length of the compartment is well utilised. I noted that I could look down on those who drove the Audi e-tron. The luggage compartment in the Kuga is 411 - 554 liters depending on the setting of the rear seat. It is roughly on a par with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (463 litres) and the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (580 litres). The Kuga Hybrid can also tow a trailer of up to 1500 kg.
On the road
ST-Line is equipped with a chassis that should be more sporty than the other variants. I don't know how the other variants drive, but the undercarriage on "our" car was top notch. I would also like to highlight the steering - tight enough and good steering feel. The seats with electric stepless adjustment seemed quite simple at first glance, but provided good seating comfort for the 140 kilometers we covered in them. The interior noise level was absolutely superb. 17 inch studless winter wheels with a lot of rubber against the road made little noise. Interior noise was very pleasant, even when the petrol engine was running.
SUV without four-wheel drive
In Norway, the Kuga is only sold as a plug-in or non-plug-in hybrid. None of them can be delivered with four-wheel drive. The Toyota RAV4 hybrid, by comparison, has two electric motors, - one at the front to support the petrol engine and one at the back to engage the rear wheels when necessary. The Ford Kuga is built as an SUV that can handle the last bump in the road up to the cabin. The need for four-wheel drive can go a long way to compensate for favorable weight distribution and electronically controlled driving modes for difficult driving conditions - but for an SUV, four-wheel drive is almost mandatory.
consumption
Our trip mainly went along Route 80 and ended with a motorway at 100 km/h. The average consumption was measured at 0,46 litres/10 km. We had then started with an empty battery, driven 14 miles interrupted by a lunch break at Vik Skysstasjon - long enough for the engine to have cooled down. Even though the battery was dead, the electric motor engaged as it should. I never experienced the engine buzzing in places where the electric motor should have been active. The batteries charge weakly when you let off the gas. By pressing the "L" button on the gear selector, you get an additional regenerative brake. It is great to use as a "retarder" when you need to brake gently downhill towards a bend or junction or the like.
Charging and range
Rechargeable hybrid cars like this do not take fast charging and should not be charged along the road. The onboard charger is 7 Kw. With Type2 cable, the batteries are fully charged in 3 – 3,5 hours. From a 16A power socket, it takes 6 – 6,5 hours to fully charge. The charging option is intended for charging at home - and/or at work. Fully charged, the range is stated to be 64 km according to WLTP combined. We were not able to test the range in electric operation, but based on our own experience, the upper limit in practice tends to be around 4/5 of the stated range under favorable conditions - that is, in excess of 50 km. It is then possible for most people to drive all-electric on weekdays and charge the car overnight.
Security
The diesel version of the Ford Kuga with 4×4 has been tested in Euro NCap in 2019 with good results. But diesel cars can come out differently in crash tests than cars with battery packs, especially in side collisions. The American IIHS has tested the sister model Ford Escape. In the original test of the 2020 model, the car passed all tests "on green". When testing the 2021 model, the side crash caused moderate damage. Then the head of the test dummy in the driver's seat had ended up a little too far down on the side airbag. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether any of the cars tested were hybrids.
Euro NCAP test of 2019 Ford Kuga 4×4 2,0 diesel (pdf)
IIHS test of the 2020-2022 Ford Escape 4×4
Conclusion
I know Ford as a car manufacturer that puts driving pleasure high on the list, even in regular cars. The Ford Kuga surprised me on that very point. I have compared the Ford Kuga and the Toyota RAV4 on a couple of points. If someone had lined up a Kuga and a RAV4 in front of me and asked me to drive to Trondheim, I would have taken the Kuga. The hybrid solution works well and means that you rarely need to visit a petrol station. The Kuga's biggest disadvantage is that it cannot be supplied with four-wheel drive.
Facts about the Ford Kuga 2,5 PHEV
Weights and Measures
External dimensions - L, W, H: 461 x 188 x 175 cm
Wheelbase: 271 cm
Net weight: 1778 kg (without driver)
Payload: 467 kg
Total weight: 2320 kg
Number of seats: 5
Max trailer weight w/brakes: 1500 kg
– without brakes: 750 kg
Roof load: 75 kg
Drivetrain
Petrol engine: Transverse 2,5 iVCT*) 4 cyl. Duratec
*) Intake Variable Camshaft Timing
Power: 152 HP @ 4500 rpm
Electric motor: Front-mounted, 110 HP
Total power: 225 HP
Total torque: 230 Nm
Gearbox: Stepless CVT
Front wheel drive
Performances
Top speed: 200 km/h
0-100: 9,2 seconds
Electric car characteristics
Battery pack: 14,4 kw lithium battery
Battery cooling: Liquid
WLTP: 64 km (combined)
Charging (10A socket): 6,0 – 6,5 hours
Charging (Type2, 7 Kw): 3,0 – 3,5 hours
consumption
WLTP: 0,10 litres/mile
Own measurement highway: 0,46 litres/mile (0% on the batteries)
Luggage compartment
As a five-seater: 411 litres
— with the rear seat pushed forward: 554 litres
As a two-seater: 1481 litres
Tires
Dimension: 225/65R17
Type: Spikeless winter
Brand: Nokian Hakkapellitta
About the car
Place of manufacture: Valencia, Spain
Colour: Solar Silver
Equipment level: ST-Line
Price: NOK 490 (without surcharge)
Additional equipment:
– Varnish supplement: NOK 9
– Technology package: NOK 9
– Driver assistance package: NOK 16
– Winter package: NOK 3
– Towbar: NOK 9
Rented via the app Rent
Model: 2021
Mileage: 543
Km driven: 140
Source: ford.no, Vegvesen.no
See
See Engineering Explained on YouTube: How The Atkinson Cycle Works
