Ford Kuga Review 2024

You know what you're getting with Ford. The Kuga is a no-nonsense family SUV with plenty of standard kit and an extensive engine line-up. You'll get a nicer interior in a Kia Sportage while the Honda ZR-V feels more agile, but there's a lot in the Kuga's favour. The latest 2024 updates makes it a more appealing choice, too.

If you can, look for a post-2024 Ford Kuga with its refreshed front end and fancier infotainment. As for trim levels, buy the best you can afford - although even the entry-level Ford Kuga Titanium is well equipped. Choosing the right engine for you will be a more difficult choice - the hybrid is perhaps the best all-rounder, although the plug-in hybrid will suit those who can charge at home and have a short commute (or use the car for the school run).

There's an increasing amount of competition in the family SUV class. Competitors now include the Renault Austral and Honda ZR-V, as well as traditional favourites such as the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5. You could also look at the very capable Hyundai Tucson, or slightly bigger SUVs such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Nissan X-Trail.

Fit and finish are okay - ish - but the Kuga still lags behind some of its rivals in the sector. The material on the top of the dash isn’t quite on the same plush level as, say, a Peugeot 3008, while you don’t have to look too far to find cheaper plastics in use. Plus, there’s the usual excuse for a carpet in the boot that makes it impossible to vacuum.

You could always go for the now-quietly-dropped Kuga Vignale, which adds leather seats and a leather layer on the dash. Even then, we don't think premium rivals like the Volvo XC40 or Audi Q5 will be too worried.

For a long time - arguably too long - the Kuga made do with Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system, which felt a bit behind the times. The screen was comparatively small and it used graphics that belonged on a Windows XP tower circa 2001. That said, it is extremely logical to use and will likely be well received by drivers who prefer their old-school Nokia handset to the latest iPhone. Speaking of which, you do get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard so you don’t have to use the Ford system at all. Which is exactly what most drivers will do.

There's also an app. Technically, it allows you to start some models remotely to warm the car before you get in. But the truth is the app is so slow that by the time you’re getting in it still won’t have switched the heating on for you. It's not alone, of course – so many manufacturers make terrible apps but it does beg the question: why bother?

It wasn't until the 2024 facelift that Ford updated the Kuga's infotainment to the SYNC 4 system. The screen is huge in comparison to the earlier effort and the graphics look much swisher and slicker. However, you could accuse the Kuga of becoming too over-reliant on the screen, because many of the dashboard controls were removed, replaced by on-screen icons and menus.

The Ford Kuga measures just over 4.6m long and 1.8m wide, while all trim levels of the Ford Kuga get a sliding rear bench, which lets you put the most space where you need it - in the boot, or to free up more room for your backseat passengers' knees. 

If you regularly lug things about, you might find yourself putting boot space first. That’s because it’s not the biggest load space - the boot space of the Ford Kuga is just 411 litres with the rear seats back, but this grows to 526 litres with the bench forward. There’s some storage under the boot floor, which is where you can put the space-saving spare or the charging cables for the Kuga PHEV. The boot is easily accessible, but the rear seats don’t fold completely flat, which means there's less space for taller items.

On petrol and diesel models, there’s space for three adults in the back, but the person in the middle row won’t be particularly comfortable as they have to straddle the transmission tunnel. If you need to carry more than five people, you’ll have to look elsewhere at slightly bigger seven-seat SUVs such as the Skoda Kodiaq or Hyundai Santa Fe.

Ford's cut down the range of Kuga engines since launch, leaving just three choices:  petrol, full-hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. 

The cheapest engine is a 1.5-litre petrol EcoBoost engine that's offered exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. This was available with 120PS in the entry-level Ford Kuga Zetec, but now you'll only find the 150PS version available across the range, and it's a better option with a useful extra dollop of power.

There's a full-hybrid version that's based around a 2.5-litre petrol Duratec engine with 190PS, but it's the plug-in hybrid option that'll probably spike the most interest. It combines a 2.5-litre petrol Duratec engine with an electric motor to produce a combined 225PS (later uprated to 243PS). 

But with front-wheel-drive only and an unresponsive CVT automatic gearbox, it’s not as much fun as it should be. On the plus side, though, it delivers an electric-only range of around 40 miles, perfect for short journeys and commutes. However, just like any other plug-in hybrid, if you fail to charge it regularly you'll be penalised by having to lug a heavy battery pack around with you that reduces fuel economy massively.

Missing from that list are the diesel options, which have recently been dropped from the range. If you're looking to buy used and cover a lot of miles, though you've got a few diesel Ford Kuga options. There’s a 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel with 120PS and offered with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. And a 2.0-litre mild-hybrid diesel, which produces 150PS and comes with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive.

The most potent diesel available on the Ford Kuga is the 190PS 2.0-litre, which was sold exclusively with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive. It’s likely to be the Kuga of choice for caravanners or anyone who wishes to venture off the beaten track.

Most drivers will be happy with the standard suspension set up of the Ford Kuga, but the ST-Line models get a lower ride height and firmer springs, making them feel a touch more sporty and/or fidgety.

Bear in mind, too, that this will increase the amount of road noise you experience. While the poshed-up Vignale gets an active noise cancelling system (which neutralises unwanted noise using the car's speakers), most drivers will take some time to get used to the tyre roar and suspension rattle. 

Opt for the PHEV version of the Ford Kuga and you'll be running about in near-silence under electric power, while the transition to petrol power is pretty seamless once the battery has been depleted. 

Like a lot of its competitors, the Ford Kuga scored five stars out of five for safety when tested by Euro NCAP. Drilling down on the numbers a little more, it scored 92% for adult occupants, 86% for child occupants, 82% for pedestrian safety and 73% for safety assist. 

The Ford Kuga comes with 10 airbags dotted around the cabin and a number of standard safety features. This includes lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking, which will apply the stoppers automatically if the car senses an impending crash. 

All Ford Kugas come with front and rear parking sensors while a reversing camera is now standard across the range, too. This is almost essential in this car as visibility is limited by the small rear window and thick A-pillars. On earlier Kuga models, you'll have to look for one with the optional Driver’s Assistance Pack. That will also get you adaptive cruise control and traffic-sign recognition.

This generation of the Ford Kuga didn't get off to the strongest start when there was a large-scale recall of PHEV models due to an overheating fault that could cause a fire when charging. Fortunately, this was soon fixed, and the Kuga seems to be proving itself to be a pretty dependable SUV.

Ford doesn't perform especially strongly overall in reliability and owner satisfaction, coming in 23rd out of 30 manufacturers in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index.

Insurance groups range from 12 to 26, depending on which trim level and engine you choose. If you're looking for cheap car insurance, we'd recommend a Kuga with the 150PS 1.5-litre petrol engine. The plug-in hybrid is likely to be the most expensive to insure.

The Ford Kuga line-up currently consists of Titanium, Active, ST-Line and ST-Line X models. 

The Ford Kuga Titanium kicks off the range, available with petrol power only. Standard kit includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, silver roof rails, power heated folding door mirrors, rear privacy glass and a manual tailgate. Inside, the Titanium comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as well as a 13.0-inch SYNC 4 infotainment system with navigation, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Front and rear parking sensors are standard, as well as a rear-view camera and electronic climate control. The Titanium comes with cloth seat trim, an eight-way manually adjustable driver's seat and front passenger seat (including lumbar support and height adjustment) and sliding rear seats. Keyless entry/start are also standard, as well as cruise control, pre-collision assist and a Quickclear heated windscreen.

Offered with hybrid or plug-in hybrid power, the Ford Kuga Active builds on this with 18-inch alloy wheels, Active exterior body styling (including black mirror caps and a contrast black painted roof), black roof rails, a heads-free power tailgate and pop-out door edge protectors. The Kuga Active also comes with bespoke suspension providing a higher ground clearance while, inside, there's a B&O premium sound system, 360-degree camera and Sensico Active seats with power adjustment in the front. Pre-collision assist with autonomous emergency braking, evasive steer assist and dynamic brake support is standard, as well as adaptive cruise control, blind spot information, cross-traffic alert and a lane-keeping aid with lane-departure warning.

The sporty Ford Kuga ST-Line is available with petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid power. Specification highlights include 18-inch ST-Line alloy wheels, ST-Line exterior body styling, a large rear spoiler, red brake calipers, sports suspension, and partial Sensico sports seats with black neosuede inserts and red stitching.

Topping the range, the Ford Kuga ST-Line X comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass sunroof, heated seats (front and rear) and a heated steering wheel.