Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi Titanium

Nov 6 2008 Andy Richards

WITH headlines screaming that new car sales are 40 per cent down, manufacturers know they will have to come up with something very, very special to encourage drivers to shell out.

Ford has. The Kuga crossover SUV is the best vehicle I have driven for ages. It has a quality which no other vehicle I have driven this year can match. It actually felt it was made just for me.

The exciting cockpit seemed to fit directly around me, everything was to hand, the driving position was just perfect. And it performed in traditional Ford style - really well, handling impressively and feeling taut as it hugged the road.

At £22,900, my impressive 2.0 TDCi is not cheap but I dare anyone to drive it and not feel it is value for money.

For a start it comes loaded with standard features which help to make up a truly impressive package, including intelligent all wheel drive, electronic stability programme, anti-lock brakes, several strategic airbags, child seat brackets, electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering, capless easyfuel refuelling - it tells the difference between petrol and diesel nozzles - a partial leather trim, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers.

I particularly enjoyed the simple Ford power starter button - just depress the clutch, press the button bang in the centre of the dash and off you go. Easy to see and reach, no fiddling with key ignitions.

The Kuga looks chunky and sharp and has a quality cabin although it is not the roomiest in the back.

But while the rear may be a bit cramped, there are plenty of storage solutions in the vehicle. For example there is a centre stack, which has a deep bin. In addition, the second row of seats have under-seat storage, there's stowage under the floor of the luggage compartment area and a really helpful feature is the handy split tailgate.

The Ford Kuga is powered by a 2.0-litre Durateq TDCi engine, producing 136bhp of power. Ford claims that the car will get from zero to 62mph in just over 10 seconds while you have a maximum speed of 112mph.

The DCI unit powering this car was very refined and there is no noise intrusion into the cabin when at speed or at idle. It is also green. Official figures show it emits 169g/km and returns 44.1mpg on the combined cycle.

The Kuga feels comfortable cruising at motorway speed while it has all the Ford driving characteristics which means it handles just like a car and there is minimum body roll when cornering.

While I suspect most Kuga's sold will rarely go off road, they not only look the part, they are equipped as proper off-roaders too. My test car was fitted with a Haldex intelligent AWD system with variable torque distribution.

This means that the system will provide optimum torque distribution when accelerating and decelerating giving you a better power delivery when needed whatever the terrain.

FAST FACTS

Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi Titanium 5dr

Price : £22,900

Mechanical : 136bhp, 1,997cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 6spd manual gearbox

Max speed : 112mph

0-62mph : 10.7 secs

Combined mpg : 44.1

Insurance group : 10

CO2 emissions : 169g/km

BiK rating : 23%

Warranty : 3yrs/ 60,000 miles, 3yrs paint, 12yrs anti-rust