Buying a brand new car can be tricky, but deciding on the particular manufacturer and type of car is probably easy.

Choosing the colour and trim is when things become seriously important because certain cars look better in certain colours and they definitely look better with the right trim and wheels. This left me wondering why most manufacturers invariably choose garish colours when they launch new models or send them out to us motoring hacks.  

Take the latest Ford Kuga, for example, which has just received a 2024 refresh that’s given the car a nip and tuck outside, some new trim levels and the latest tech. Diesel engines are no longer available and the one you see here was the same colour as my test car. It’s called Bursting Green and will set you back £800 if you opt for it. White is the only no-cost option. I wasn’t sure about it, but after a few days, the colour grew on me and even managed to generate some favourable comments from neighbours and a stroppy steward at a football ground car park.

I like Ford cars. The company has a knack of making its vehicles good to drive. I tested the Ford Transit a few weeks ago and the bottom line is that white van man and woman have never had it so good. So it’s no surprise therefore that the latest Ford Kuga is right up there when it comes to driver enjoyment.

Trim Levels

In terms of trim levels, spending £32,095 gets you into the 1.5 litre Kuga with Titanium trim but I’d recommend you move up the range and go for the 2.5 litre FHEV (Full Hybrid) model. Okay, this lifts the price to £38,565 but you need to take into account that the entry level Titanium trim isn’t available with this engine, so you need to go for ST-Line which adds stuff like 18-inch alloys, 360-degree camera, powered tailgate, ST-Line body kit, powered driver’s seat and sport suspension and sports seats. It’s a shame that you can’t get Titanium trim because that already comes with a decent level of kit with goodies like a rear view camera, heated windscreen, front and rear parking sensors, 12-inch instrument cluster and a 13-inch touchscreen which controls just about everything including climate, sat nav and audio etc. If you’re in the market for a family SUV, make sure you compare like for like in terms of the level of kit you get as standard.  

Powertrain and suspension

Under the bonnet, there’s a front-wheel drive 176bhp 2.5-litre petrol engine matched to a CVT gearbox and a self-charging battery-powered motor. 0-60mph takes a shade over 9 seconds and Ford estimates you can manage 52.3mpg.

Company car drivers may find it handy to look at the plug-in hybrid model but you need to be careful when choosing trim. The ST-Line models get bigger wheels and stiffer sport suspension. This makes the Kuga have a fairly firm ride. The pay-off is that handling is really sharp, so you can chuck the Kuga into a quick corner and it’ll cling on like a limpet. The 1.5-litre Titanium Kuga has a softer ride with smaller wheels and regular suspension.

Plenty of space

If you like a commanding driving position, you’re in luck. You sit perched high above the road and get a cracking view which makes town driving much easier. The seats are comfy too with loads of adjustment including lumbar support.

The Kuga is one of the more spacious SUVs. There’s loads of legroom in the front and back…it’ll make for terrific family transportation and easily cope with holiday trips.

Concluding thoughts

As I mentioned at the start, Ford makes its cars good to drive, and the latest, updated Kuga is no exception. The ride is a tad firm, but that means you get added fun when deciding to push on. Everything settles nicely at motorway speeds. The Kuga is also a surprisingly quiet car. It only gets a bit flustered when you floor the throttle and the engine revs soar before the CVT gearbox hauls you up to a required speed.

The equipment levels, even in entry-level Titanium trim, are terrific, as are the levels of safety kit. In short, you get everything you really need. The motoring world is full of SUVs, so if you’re looking for one which will be a family friend as well as a happy commuter companion, then go for the Ford Kuga.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Ford