Used Ford Kuga 2014-2019 review

The second-generation Ford Kuga is simply a sweet-handling household car that is refined and comfy - but is this diversion SUV a bully utilized buy? The second-generation Ford Kuga isn’t conscionable a versatile, smart-looking and sensible SUV. No, different crushed this became 1 of Ford’s best-selling models is due to the fact that it’s a amazingly rewarding car to thrust – adjacent matching immoderate of its premium-badged SUV rivals for refinement and dynamism.You won’t wage a premium price, though. Just £2000 is each you request to drawback up a Mk2 Kuga these days – if you tin tummy the signs of dense usage and precocious miles of cars astatine this terms constituent – but adjacent much recent, better-kept examples tin inactive beryllium had for 4 figures, truthful let’s get acquainted with this household hauler.The wheelbase is the aforesaid arsenic the Mk1’s, but with an other 81mm added to its magnitude and immoderate clever packaging tricks, the Kuga is much capacious successful the beforehand and rear.There are generous helpings of caput and limb country truthful adults volition consciousness comfy successful the back. Boot abstraction is acold amended than its predecessor’s too, astatine 800 litres with the rear seats up, which means there’s plentifulness of country for pets, suitcases, the play store and household paraphernalia.Perceived prime wrong is bully and surely lives up to the precocious standards that Ford acceptable itself successful the mid-2010s. Sure, determination are immoderate scratchy plastics present and there, but it’s enhanced by immoderate chrome-esque finishes that bolster its upmarket credentials.Of course, the calibre of decorativeness successful the compartment varies according to trim level, and portion the entry-level Zetec has alloys, a integer vigor and air-con, the somewhat swisher Titanium (which has larger wheels, clime control, parking sensors and partial leather trim) is the saccharine spot – and lone marginally much expensive.Ford’s aboriginal Microsoft Sync infotainment strategy is straightforward but it does consciousness beauteous dated nowadays, truthful if you’re aft much modern tech, you’ll privation the facelifted car, which arrived successful 2016.It received the accustomed styling tweaks and a caller motor line-up but, much importantly, wrong it gained a caller Sync 3 infotainment strategy with an 8.0in screen, sat-nav, smartphone mirroring and a DAB radio.As for engines, you can person a pre-facelift car with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol producing either 148bhp oregon 178bhp. We would debar the much potent 1 due to the fact that it is mated to Ford’s aboriginal Powershift automatic gearbox and it’s not the astir robust transmission. There’s besides a 2.0-litre turbo diesel with either 138bhp oregon 161bhp, the second fitted with four-wheel thrust arsenic standard, the erstwhile disposable with 4WD arsenic an enactment – utile for towing duties.The facelift brought successful a raft of caller Ecoboost engines, the astir notable being the summation of a 118bhp petrol four-pot. It’s good for pootling astir municipality but we would instrumentality with the 148bhp mentation for its all-round capabilities.The 178bhp petrol retains its four-wheel-drive set-up successful facelifted cars but gets a much reliable six-speed auto.Of the diesels, it’s the post-facelift mid-rung 148bhp 2.0-litre TDCi we would steer you towards. It has much than capable grunt, volition bash astir 45mpg and tin beryllium had with a prime of two- oregon four-wheel drive.Irrespective of trim and engine, the Kuga feels precise overmuch similar a Focus connected stilts to thrust – which is simply a bully thing. Punt it down a agrarian backmost roadworthy and it behaves much similar a warmed-up hatch than a large household SUV.The steering is precise, the assemblage is taut and it corners flatter and with much agility than astir household estates.Some rivals are a spot softer implicit lumps and bumps, but the keener operator volition invited the other engagement and dynamism connected their favourite roadworthy – adjacent if the kids successful the backmost don’t rather admit it.