Ford introduced the updated compact crossover Kuga for the European market very late, because the restyling of its twin brother, the American Ford Escape, was completed back in the fall of 2022. There will be no new generation for this model; the Kuga and Escape will be replaced by all-electric crossovers.
The current third generation Ford Kuga has been in production since 2019, the beginning of its market career was overshadowed by a major plug-in recall hybrid version, but this version in 2021, 2022 and 2023 became the most popular model in the PHEV segment in Europe. It is no wonder that during the update the main attention was paid to hybrid power plants, while diesel engines were mercilessly retired.
The base Kuga is still equipped with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost petrol turbo engine (150 hp, 240 Nm) in combination with a 6-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive — this version is now the only purely hydrocarbon version.
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Hybrid versions have been modernized at the level of an electric motor and an electromechanical variator (the details, alas, have not been disclosed), and the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine, operating on the Atkinson cycle, is the same. The maximum power of the power plant of the plugless Kuga FHEV is 180 hp. in combination with front-wheel drive and 183 hp. in combination with all-wheel drive. Before restyling, both of these versions produced 190 hp, but the reduction in power did not worsen the acceleration dynamics: the front-wheel drive hybrid accelerates to 100 km/h in the same 9.1 s, and the all-wheel drive hybrid even became better in this indicator — 8.3 s versus 9 .5 s before restyling. The capacity of the buffer battery for socketless hybrids is 1.1 kWh.
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The plug-in Kuga PHEV comes only with front-wheel drive, its maximum power after the update increased from 225 to 243 hp, the acceleration time to “hundreds” decreased from 9.2 to 7.3 s. The capacity of the traction battery has not changed — 14.4 kWh, electric range — 60-69 km according to the WLTP cycle, depending on the equipment (before restyling it was 57-65 km).
For the Kuga PHEV and all-wheel drive Kuga FHEV, the permissible towed trailer weight has increased from 1700 to 2100 kg and from 1750 to 2100 kg, respectively.
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On the outside, the European Ford Kuga has changed in the same way as the American Ford Escape in 2022, that is, it received a new, more angular front design, while small decorative elements depend on the selected configuration — Titanium, ST-Line or Active. Before the restyling, there was also a luxury version of the Vignale with a particularly refined finish, but it was retired due to low demand.
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In the cabin, with a standard 12.3-inch instrument screen, there are fewer buttons on the center console, and the multimedia screen is now 13.2-inch in all versions, protected by the Sync 4 operating system with wireless support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Electronic driver assistants have been improved: adaptive cruise control has learned to brake when turning and driving through intersections; the navigation route can be calculated taking into account the dimensions of the trailer to eliminate too sharp turns and low tunnels/overpasses.
The European Kuga will not change its registration after the update; production will continue at the Ford plant in Valencia, Spain. Neither Kuga nor the American Ford Escape will have a new, fourth generation; they will be replaced by electric crossovers, and the replacement in Europe is already known — this is the Ford Explorer on the VW MEB platform, its production at the Ford plant in Cologne, Germany was supposed to begin last year , but for a number of technological reasons it was postponed until the summer of 2024.