SINGAPORE – Mid-sized crossover SUVs are a dime a dozen these days (indeed, this Ford Kuga is one of three cars of this type that I’ve driven in this issue alone), so it goes without saying that any entrant in this particular market needs something special now in order to stand out from the numerous offerings that are available out there. Marques like Volkswagen and Toyota can typically fall back on their brand values of quality to sell cars alone, but fringe manufacturers such as Renault, and in this case Ford, need to work a little harder so as to attract the requisite attention from a consumer base spoiled by choice.

After having failed with the first generation Kuga (less than 30 units were sold locally, apparently), Ford has now returned with an all-new version, hoping that its refreshed looks, improved drivetrain and enhanced equipment count will be attractive enough to enable Ford to gain a foothold in this competitive environment. Certainly, on paper at least, the Kuga looks to be a rather attractive proposition.

Developed under the One Ford program, the Kuga is a global offering that is sold in virtually all of Ford’s markets worldwide (whereas the previous Kuga was a mostly European-based vehicle). This means that the car is designed in America (where it is known as the Escape), the engine is a British-sourced 1.6-litre turbocharged EcoBoost unit, and assembly takes place in Spain, making it a truly international vehicle.

This means that the car will have to have massive appeal, and while you can see the effort Ford has put in this car, the Kuga appears to have fallen just short in achieving that target. There’s nothing really wrong with it, but at the same time there is no outstanding feature that makes the Kuga unique from its many competitors.

Take the equipment list, for example. The usual niceties are here, like Bluetooth integration, keyless entry, automatic headlights and wipers, and a nice big sunroof. Then there are the really good stuff, like park assist, adaptive cruise control, and the Volvo-esque collision mitigation system, which scans its surroundings and warns the driver (or even applies the brakes if necessary) if the car is about to hit something in front. Yet strangely, other features like electric seats, a reverse camera, paddle shifters and sat-nav are missing (although distributor Regent Motors kindly provided our test car with an aftermarket Garmin unit). The interior ergonomics leave much to be desired too, with lots of buttons and controls placed in an inordinate manner, making them rather unintuitive to operate.

Then there’s the drive. In theory, the Kuga’s 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, with 180bhp, should prove to be adequate enough for most people’s needs, like the World Car that it is. But the unit needs to be pushed in order to shift the Kuga’s rather hefty weight about, no thanks to the four-wheel-drive system that comes as standard with the car. The result is a rather gruff and vocal soundtrack, and a huge hit to the fuel consumption figures, with our average dropping to around 11 litres per 100km, a fair bit off from Ford’s official figures of 7.7L/100km.

The plus side though is of course the car’s off-road ability, but that is mostly a moot point in an urban environment like Singapore, where the toughest challenge one will face is flooding (or ‘ponding’). To its credit, the drivetrain is fairly smooth, helped by the six-speed automatic, and the Kuga’s general refinement and drivability can only be described as ‘mostly agreeable’, with the car coping well on all but the roughest of roads. It steers decently, with a meaty steering and a tinge of directness to its response, but as a whole the pluses and minuses cancel each other out.

Which is a shame really, because there are some signs that Ford is capable of building a truly excellent car here. A small, fuel-efficient engine, some thoughtful safety features, and Ford’s renowned engineering brilliance in driving dynamics should have made the Kuga a class leader, but unfortunately the overall package seems to have fallen a fair bit short.

NEED TO KNOW
Engine 1,596cc, 16V, turbocharged in-line 4
Power 180bhp at 5700rpm
Torque 240Nm at 1600-5000rpm
Gearbox 6-speed automatic
Top Speed 200km/h
0-100kmh 9.7 seconds
Fuel efficiency 7.7L/100km
CO2 179g/km
Price $179,888 with COE
Availability Now

Also Consider: Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4, Toyota RAV4

Photos by Alvin Dominic “Doms” Valentin