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The modernized Ford Kuga offers a large display in the interior, fewer buttons, better headlights and up to 243 hp. It is scheduled to go on sale in January 2024 and prices start under 700,000 crowns.
The American Ford Escape appeared in a new look in 2022, and its European brother called Kuga is now receiving an upgrade. Of course, unlike in the USA, there are also technological innovations here.
From the outside, the most noticeable change is the all-new front end, reminiscent of the Mustang Mach-E. At the front, the car received a new octagonal grille and a light strip across the entire width of the car, while at the rear there was a cleaner design and a slightly different look to the lamps.
The green part in the photos is in the Active-X version, which we already know from other Ford models; In Kuga it appears first. This means richer plastic cladding on the lower part of the body and different seat upholstery in the interior, but is technically identical to the other versions.
The biggest change in the interior is the new, really large central display. It measures 13.2 inches diagonally and has one disadvantage: a number of buttons, including the air conditioning, have disappeared from the center console. At least it has its fixed bar at the bottom of the display.
With the screen, the driver works with the latest generation of Ford Sync 4 infotainment, which supports wireless smartphone mirroring and 5G connectivity. The integrated navigation also offers a function for towing a trailer, where the driver enters the dimensions of his trailer and the car itself chooses a route without too sharp curves or low bridges.
The assistance systems on board are also better, such as the adaptive cruise control, which can now brake before intersections and curves. The car also has a 360° camera system, which is useful off the asphalt and when parking. In addition to the mentioned display, the interior will also offer a sliding second row of seats, thanks to which the luggage compartment under the blind can be increased from 412 to 553 liters and the length of the trunk floor can be extended from 865 to 1,017 mm. The maximum trunk volume is 1,534 l.
LED headlights with automatic high beam switching are standard, LED matrix technology under the name Dynamic Pixel is available at an additional cost. It uses navigation data and cameras to read traffic signs and adjust the beam of light in curves, intersections and roundabouts to better illuminate pedestrians and cyclists.
Up to 243 horses
The Kuga lost its diesel engines with the modernization, but the top plug-in hybrid is more powerful – it will produce 179 kW (243 hp), i.e. 23 kW (31 hp) more than before. What’s left is a 14.4 kWh battery, which, according to the WLTP measurement methodology, should be able to travel up to 69 km per charge in combined operation. The standard consumption is 0.9-1.2 l/100 km, the acceleration to 100 km/h is 7.3 s and the top speed is 200 km/h.
A plug-in hybrid can only have front-wheel drive, while those interested in a 4×4 drive can only get a full hybrid. It is also based on a non-turbocharged 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder engine operating on the Atkinson cycle, but the combined power is 132 kW (180 hp) in front-wheel drive and 135 kW (183 hp) in the case of all-wheel drive. Both versions have a continuously variable transmission. The fuel consumption here is 5.3-6.4 l/100 km, depending on the version, the front-wheel drive accelerates to 100 km/h in 9.1 s, the all-wheel drive in 8.3 s and both versions have the same top speed of 196 km/h.
For those interested in a pure combustion engine, the basic version has a turbocharged three-cylinder EcoBoost with a displacement of 1.5 liters, variable valve timing and an output of 110 kW (150 hp). It is mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission, consumes 6.3-7.2 l/100 km, accelerates to 100 km/h in 9.5 s and reaches a top speed of 195 km/h.
Depending on the version, the Kuga weighs between 1,526 and 1,859 kg, with the plug-in hybrid understandably being the heaviest due to the battery. The useful weight for all versions is between 541 and 550 kilograms, the maximum weight of the braked trailer is between 1,600 kg for the front-wheel drive hybrid and 2,100 kg for the four-wheel hybrid and the plug-in hybrid.
Prices of the modernized Ford Kuga
titanium
ST line
ST Line X
Active X
1.5 EcoBoost
699,900 CZK 735,900 CZK 797,900 CZK –
2.5 Hybrid
801,900 CZK 837,900 CZK 899,900 CZK 899,900 CZK
2.5 liter hybrid all-wheel drive
– 891,900 CZK 953,900 CZK 953,900 CZK
2.5 plug-in hybrid
– 991,900 CZK 1,053,900 CZK 1,053,900 CZK
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