Say hello to…
…the Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid. The whole Kuga range has recently been given an extensive mid-life update with a new look front and rear, and improved infotainment system and updated powertrains.
The Kuga can now be ordered with either an 1.5-litre petrol, 2.5-litre petrol or with the 2.5 plus plug-in hybrid power tested here. And on the 2.5-litre cars the Kuga can be selected with front or all-wheel drive.
There are four trim levels available.
- Titanium
- ST-Line
- Active
- ST-Line X
Standard equipment on the Titanium trim includes 17-inch alloys, 13-inch infotainment touchscreen, rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, digital driver’s display, keyless entry and start, quickclear windscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and cruise control with speed limiter.
ST-Line adds 18-inch alloys, ST bodykit, 360-degree camera, powered driver’s seat with memory, powered tailgate, sport suspension, climate control, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and cross traffic alert.
Active adds raised suspension and off-road bodykit.
ST-Line X adds (over ST-Line) 19-inch alloys, opening panoramic roof, bodykit and uprated sports seats.
Is The Ford Kuga PHEV Suitable For My Fleet
Ford is pushing hard into the full EV sector with its new Explorer and swoopy version dubbed Capri, but while the market awaits their full UK arrival, the Kuga is being offered as a fleet-friendly PHEV.
Officially the EV-only range for the Kuga is 42 miles which puts it in the lowest PHEV 8% BIK tax band. Despite the relatively low real-world range of 28 miles per charge (many PHEVs are now coming to the market with 50+ miles) the Kuga is exceptionally good at acting like a regular hybrid and regenerating charge. Over more than 760 mostly motorway miles with only two plug in charges, the Kuga covered more than 240 EV miles. And the result on the real-world petrol consumption was a figure of 51.4mpg. Impressive stuff.
Adding to its fleet credentials, the Kuga is also a very practical family SUV. The rear seats not only 60:40 split fold, but also slide front to back allowing for more boot space if your passengers don’t need the legroom. The latest PHEV version also doesn’t rob boot space like the previous generation.
Leasing A Ford Kuga PHEV
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the Ford Kuga PHEV Active for £432 a month on a 3+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year. Forecast maintenance costs come in at a very competitive £30 per month, according to Gensen Reports.
Driving A Ford Kuga PHEV
As with the pre-facelift car, Ford has judged the balance between sportiness or fun and comfort just about perfectly. SUV buyers don’t necessarily want sportscar-like handling, but that also doesn’t mean they’ve given up on having any enjoyment from the driving experience. The Kuga has good precise steering, body control in the corner is very well managed and yet ride comfort is still good over UK roads. The car doesn’t crash over potholes and overall the car is very well mannered.
However, beside the exterior new look, one of the biggest changes has been to the infotainment system. In has come a new 13-inch touchscreen and the latest Ford Sync system. Unfortunately the new system flees slower to respond to inputs and not as intuitive as before. The control to turn off the legally mandated speed warnings is buried too far into the submenus, which is odd given the ‘lane-keeping off’ control is a physical button on the steering wheel and a quick double tap is all that’s required.
And at the risk of being contradictory, while the speed warning beep isn’t welcome, the indicator tick-tock is so quiet it’s easy to miss that you’re still indicating if the control hasn’t self-cancelled.
While we’re on the technology topic, the head-up display could also do with being brighter and the adaptive cruise control had a couple of ‘moments’ in slow-moving traffic where it didn’t ‘see’ the car in front necessitating driver intervention to avoid and accident.
Back on the way the car drives, the CVT gearbox makes for a noisy engine when accelerating hard. However, there’s plenty of shove, so you can drive for 99% of the time without that being an issue.
In fact, the Kuga is a comfortable (thanks to supportive seats) and relaxed high-mileage vehicle.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Ford Kuga PHEV
Impressively efficient even when not charged, but marred by poor tech upgrade.
Ford Kuga
- Model: Kuga Active PHEV FWD
- Power: 243hp
- Torque: 200Nm
- Max speed: 125mph
- 0-62mph: 7.3s
- Official range: 42 miles
- Test range: 28 miles
- Official fuel efficiency: 282.5mpg
- Test fuel efficiency: 51.4mpg
- CO2 emissions: 24g/km
- BIK tax band 2024/25: 8%