Item: 2013 Ford Mk.2 Kuga
Rating: 3.5

Frugal turbo-diesel engines
Impressive dynamics
Spacious interior
Accurate, well-weighted steering

Firm ride
1.5- and 1.6-litre ‘Ecoboost’ engines only adequate
Average rear seat and cargo space
Poor lateral and rear visibility
Tyre noise

Review: Ford TF.I Kuga (2013-14)

Overview

Released in May 2013, the Ford Mk.2 Kuga was a mid-size SUV. Manufactured in Valencia, Spain, the Ford TF Kuga was initially available in front- and all-wheel drive models with 1.6-litre ‘EcoBoost’ petrol and 2.0-litre ‘Duratorq TDCi’ turbo-diesel engines. As per the table below, the TF Kuga range consisted of Ambiente, Trend and Titanium editions.

Engines: EcoBoost and Duratorq TDCi

Of the engines,

The 1.6-litre ‘EcoBoost’ petrol engine had a single turbocharger, direct petrol injection, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and twin independent variable camshaft timing. For models with manual transmissions (i.e. the Ambiente variant), the engine also had a Stop/Start function which enabled it to shut down when the vehicle was stationary; and,
The 2.0-litre ‘Duratorq TDCi’ diesel engine had a variable geometry turbocharger, intercooler, common-rail injection, piezo-electric injectors, twin belt-driven camshafts (with the inlet camshaft connected to a cam belt and the exhaust camshaft indirectly linked via a timing chain) and four valves per cylinder.

The EcoBoost engines were mated to six-speed manual or automatic transmissions (Ford’s ‘SelectShift’), while the Duratorq TDCi engines were solely available with double clutch transmissions (‘PowerShift’); the full Mk.2 Kuga range is given in the table below.

Ford TF.I Kuga specifications
Engine	Drive	Trans.	Variant	Peak power	Peak torque
1.6-litre turbo petrol I4	FWD	6sp man.	Ambiente	110 kW at 5700 rpm	240 Nm at 1600-4000 rpm
1.6-litre turbo petrol I4	AWD	6sp DCT	Ambiente, Trend, Titanium	134 kW at 5700 rpm	240 Nm at 1600-5000 rpm
2.0-litre turbo- diesel I4	AWD	6sp DCT	Trend, Titanium	120 kW at 3750 rpm	340 Nm at 2000-3250 rpm

Dimensions

Compared to the Ford TE Kuga , the second-generation TF Kuga was 81 mm longer (4524 mm), 4 mm narrower (1838 mm) and 8 mm lower (1702 mm, including roof rails), though wheelbase length was unchanged (2690 mm).

Suspension

The Ford Mk.2 Kuga had MacPherson strut front suspension and independent ‘Control Blade’ multi-link rear suspension.

AWD system

The Mk.2 Kuga was available with Ford’s “Intelligent all-wheel drive” system which utilised a JTEKT multi-plate clutch pack between the front and rear differentials. In normal conditions, the clutch pack would not be engaged so that only the front wheel would be driven for maximum fuel economy. The all-wheel drive system, however, would continuously monitor traction inputs and, if it determined that rear-wheel drive was needed, engage the clutch to increase torque to the rear axle in a linear fashion up to a 50:50 front:rear torque split.

All-wheel drive Kuga models also had a Torque Vectoring Control function which could apply the brakes to the inside front wheel when cornering to effectively transfer torque to the opposite wheel and thereby reduce understeer.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Ford Mk.2 Kuga included dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters. The Kuga will also be fitted with Emergency Assistance, a free service which automatically uses a synchronised mobile phone to contact emergency services and provide GPS coordinates of the vehicle in the event of airbag deployment or activation of the vehicle’s emergency fuel shut-off.

Furthermore, the Kuga Trend and Titanium were available with an optional $2650 ‘Technology Pack’ which included:

Blind Spot Information System (BLIS): a sensor-based system which displayed an alert in the side mirror when a vehicle was detected in the vehicle’s blind-spot. Furthermore, the cross-traffic alert provided a warning if traffic was detected approaching from the side of the vehicle (e.g. when reversing out of a parking space);
Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Aid: using a forward facing camera, Lane Departure Warning would alert the driver if the vehicle unintentionally drifted out of its lane. Furthermore, the Lane Keeping Aid would actively steer the Kuga back into its lane;
Forward Collision Warning: using an optical radar, the driver would receive audible and visual warnings when a collision with a vehicle ahead was anticipated;
Collision Mitigation by Braking: automatically provided additional brake pressure if a potential collision was anticipated;
Active City Stop: automatically applied the brakes when a low-speed collision was imminent. As such, collisions at speeds of up to 15 km/h could be prevented and the severity of impacts between 15 km/h and 30 km/h reduced; and,
Adaptive Cruise Control: a radar-based cruise control system which could maintain a pre-set distance from the vehicle ahead. If the system detected that the vehicle ahead was decelerating or too close, it would apply the brakes to maintain a safe distance. Once the road was clear, the system would accelerate the vehicle back to the desired cruising speed.

Brakes

The Ford TF Kuga had 320 mm ventilated front brake discs and 280 mm solid rear discs.

Euro NCAP and ANCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the Ford Mk.2 Kuga received a five star safety rating which included a 94 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 86 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the front offset crash test, protection for the front occupants was generally rated as good, though chest protection was only rated as adequate, as was lower leg protection for the front passenger. Maximum points were awarded in the side impact test; in the more severe pole test, however, chest protection was rated as adequate.

Under ANCAP’s methodology, the Ford Kuga received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 36.33 out of 37.

Features: Kuga Ambiente, Trend and Titanium

Standard features for the Ford Kuga Ambiente included 17-inch steel wheels with 235/55 R17 tyres (and a space-saving spare wheel), a six speaker sound system with a CD player, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod) and Bluetooth mobile phone integration (Ford’s ‘SYNC’) with voice control, air conditioning, cruise control, cloth seat trim, front and rear fog lights, 60/40 split and flat folding rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, push-button start, a cargo cover, three 12 volt power outlets, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

The Ford Kuga Trend was further equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/50 R18 tyres, a nine speaker Sony audio system with a 4.2-inch colour TFT display, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, leather seat inserts, a ten-way power adjustable driver’s seat, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a leather-wrapped gearshift lever, rear privacy glass, an electrochromatic rear view mirror and roof rails.

The Ford Kuga Titanium was distinguished by its 19-inch alloy wheels with 235/45 R19 tyres, leather seats, heated front seats, a satellite navigation system with a five-inch colour TFT display, bi-xenon headlights with washers, daytime front LED running lights and rear LED tail-lights, front parking sensors, a reversing camera, keyless entry, powered panoramic glass roof, power folding mirrors, a hands-free powered tailgate, stainless steel scuff plates and ambient lighting. The Kuga Titanium was fitted with Active Park Assist which provided automated steering of the vehicle for parallel parking, such that the driver only needed to control the speed of the vehicle.

SYNC Applink

From October 2014, the TF Kuga was fitted with Ford’s ‘SYNC Applink’ which enabled drivers to use steering wheel mounted buttons and voice control to access compatible iOS or Android smartphone apps such as Pandora Internet Radio, Omny and Club Connect.

Brochures

Review: Ford TF.II Kuga (2014-16)