2012 Ford Kuga Titanium
By EWAN KENNEDY, Marque Motoring
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BODY COPY
Kuga replaced the Ford Escape, which was a genuine 4WD, in February 2012. Ford Australia had been slow to realise that buyers wanted crossovers and the 2012 model had been on sale in Europe for four years before it reached us downunder.
Like many SUVs these days the Ford Kuga is it’s aimed at the suburban user than the bush basher. However, some Kugas have have the added traction of all-wheel-drive and can be used tackle bush tracks and fire trails, with ground clearance generally being the limiting factory. Other Kugas are purely two-wheel drive vehicles.
That first Kuga was discontinued here in April 2013 and replaced by one that was virtually all-new. More interior space is a big feature of the second generation. Cleverly, the rear seats not only have more legroom, their backs recline over a 10-degree range, allowing you to juggle between luggage and passenger space. In any case, the cargo area is larger than that in the 2012 model.
Ride comfort is pretty good and the Kuga has little trouble coping with most rough backroads. However, the suspension travel isn’t always long enough to cope with really bad surfaces and there can be some bottoming out.
2015 Ford Kuga Trend
Handling is good in the original series Kuga, and even better in the second generation.
Ford’s voice-activated Sync system allows hands-free operation. A major safety feature is that Sync can operate an Emergency Assistance (EA) system that, when there is a Bluetooth-paired smartphone, sends out an emergency call when either an airbag is deployed and/or the car’s emergency fuel shut-off activated,
The first Kuga was only imported in its upmarket variants and powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with 147 kW of power. It’s a bit of a gas guzzler, but great fun to sit behind.
A 1.6-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo-petrol in two states of tune was offered. In January 2015 the 1.6 engines were replaced by a 1.5 or 2.0-litre units still with four cylinders.
The 2013 Kuga had a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, it was replaced by a new-design diesel at the end of 2014. These are more economical than the petrol engines, the older diesel aren’t the most refined, the new one is a beauty.
There is a six-speed manual transmission in the lowest-cost Kuga models with front-drive only. Others have a six-speed automatic.
2017 Ford Kuga Titanium
Ford has been in Australia for almost 100 years and has dealerships all over the country, even in very remote areas. Not all of the outlying ones will have spare parts for Kugas, but can generally have them freighted in within a couple of business days.
Kuga is relatively easy to work on, but as with all modern cars there are complex areas that should only be handled by professionals. Keep clear of any items that affect safety.
Insurance costs are generally about average for this class. Shop around, but keep in mind it’s better to build up a good history with one insurer than to save a few dollars by shifting from year to year.
Ford Australia introduced a facelifted Kuga with added technology in mid 2017 but gave it a new name, or rather an old name – it became the Ford Escape again. We won’t examine this model in this used car review.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Scratches on the doors’ lower edges may mean a Kuga has tackled the tight dirt tracks.
Look underneath for mud dirt and sand.
Check inside the cabin and cargo area for damage cause by poor luggage stowage and/or misbehaving children.
During your test drive listen for squeaks and rattles that may indicate the Kuga’s been thumped over corrugated dirt roads or the like by an uncaring driver.
Look over the paint as there were some defective vehicles in the earlier 2013 and 2014 models.
Check the engine starts promptly and idles smoothly as soon as it kicks over.
Automatic transmission should be fuss-free and automatic changes should be all-but imperceptible.
Manual gearboxes should be smooth and quiet. Make the third-to second gearchange quickly if it baulks or crunches there may be a problem.
HOW MUCH?
Expect to pay from $7500 to $12,000 for a 2012 Ford Kuga Trend or a 2014 Ambiente; $9000 to $13,000 for a 2015 Ambiente; $10,000 to $15,000 for a 2013 Titanium; $11,000 to $17,000 for a 2016 Ambiente; $12,000 to $18,000 for 2014 Titanium; $13,000 to $19,000 for a 2016 Trend; $14,000 to $20,000 for a 2015 Titanium; and $17,000 to $23,000 for a 2017 Titanium.
CAR BUYING TIP
Take a long a mate or partner when checking out a used car – they can listen to the sales people chatter while you concentrate on checking out the vehicle.
RECALLS: To browse recalls on all vehicles go to the ACCC at: www.productsafety.gov.au/products/transport/cars/
