Last week I was given the opportunity of test driving a Ford Kuga and I thought I would share my journey with you. We are currently on the hunt for a new family car so this was a perfect exercise! The Ford Kuga is definitely a family car, with a great roomy interior and ample boot space. My overall perceptions were good with a few minor issues that Ford need to iron out long-term.
Positives:
- One of our main criteria was our new car should have an automatic gear box and the Kuga is a 5-tronic automatic transmission with manual mode, so that was a big plus. I do a great deal of driving and I find an automatic easier for day-to-day school runs and sitting in traffic.
- I loved the power that the Kuga has, which is ideal for overtaking and overall I found it to be a smooth comfortable ride.
- I also really loved the height of the vehicle, which gives you great visibility when driving (especially for a shorty like me). I much prefer driving it to a sedan.
- Both the interior and exterior are ergonomically designed and pleasing to the eye. The interior leather trim is sleek and stylish. I really liked the racing style steering wheel. (deep down I am a bit of a petrol head!)
- The Kuga has seat back mounted tray tables, perfect for kiddies to put all their goodies on.
- The interior is spacious, with more than enough leg room in the back and the front.
- The Kuga has a great SONY Radio/CD/MP3 with 8 speakers, which are rather powerful(I like my music really loud!) and steering wheel audio controls. It also has Bluetooth and Voice Control.
- You can easily and comfortably fit three passengers in the back and each person has their own seatbelt, perfect for lifting children home from school.
- There is also a pull down panel in the middle of the two back seats that has drink holders, great for holding juice bottles so that they are not rolling around the back of your car leaking juice everywhere.
- There are additional drink holders in the front between the driver and passenger seats, as well as a stowage area with a cover.
- The seat warmers in the driver and front passenger seats are perfect for those cold winter days.
- The boot has sufficient storage space for a full grocery shop but I do think if you are considering long distance family travel a trailer would be necessary – well that is if you pack like we do!
- Another awesome feature are the rear parking sensors with audio signal, ideal for reverse parking into those small spaces.
Negative’s:
- One of the main negatives about the Kuga is that there is no automatic central locking feature and as mom living in Cape Town I feel safer knowing that the doors lock automatically after a few seconds because lets face it I do sometimes forget to lock the doors when I get into the car!
- The other feature which although very attractive, being the panoramic glass roof(available with Titanium model), I feel will make the car very hot in summer. It does have visor but I still think it could still be an issue in our blazing hot summer sun.
- There is currently no diesel option available in South Africa, which with the current petrol price would be a more economical choice.
One of the more important considerations for me, especially with our recent fuel price increase and more impending, was how fuel-efficient the Kuga is? According to the specks and our current fuel price a tank will cost you in the vicinity of R750. With the average consumption stats you should get around 600-640kms per tank but according to my calculations, after driving it for a week, I think it will be closer to 550km per tank.
The other factor you may want to take into account if you are considering buying a Kuga is that between the two models in the range, the Trend and the Titanium, the Trend is better value for money. The specs on the Titanium offer more luxury but in my mind they are not worth the price difference.
To conclude I really enjoyed driving the Kuga and would be a real consideration for us if we could buy a diesel model.
To find out more about the Kuga specs and for pricing visit Ford online here.
*Disclaimer: Ford SA has supplied me with the Ford Kuga for test driving and review purposes. Please see SMB PR & Disclaimer Policy for further details.
Images: ©FAR Photography
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I am Fiona, a Capetonian with a passion for all things beautiful and creative. Inspired Living, is a melting pot of things that inspire me from fashion & photography to cooking & parenting - you will find it all here! Thank you for visiting my blog! Please follow me on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with future posts... 
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