Ford Kuga 2,0 TDCI - The Power of Comfort
The classic line of this SUV-like compact SUV has been greatly softened by a high level of comfort-enhancing equipment.
I have dealt with this model several times, but there is always something that can surprise me. Traditionally, I was surprised by the hiding of the engine start button in the keyless opening and start system of the car. Not only is it located at the top of the center console, below the hazard warning button, but it's also the same silver color as the rest of the console. It is distinguished only by a sticker with the word Ford. I know this, but it always surprises me how anyone can come up with something like that. The second surprise turned out to be more positive - on the back wall of the console with a shelf in the armrest between the front seats, I found a 230 V socket. Thanks to it, rear seat passengers can use devices that need to be powered by a standard "home" electrical network - laptops, gaming set-top boxes or recharging the phone using a conventional charger.
The tested car had the highest level of configuration Titanium, i.е. dual-zone automatic air conditioning, 6 airbags, electronic assistance systems with ESP, cruise control and many useful little things, such as lighting in the side mirror housings, illuminating the area next to the car, a windshield wiper with a rain sensor, an automatically dimming rear viewing mirror. In the tested device, I had additional accessories with a total value of more than PLN 20. The list is quite long, but the most interesting of them are DVD navigation, front and rear parking sensors with a rear-view camera, a panoramic roof and the already mentioned 000V / 230W socket.
The rear view camera is especially useful in this car, because the rear pillars, greatly expanding downwards, significantly limit the field of view from behind. In the audio system, I clearly lacked a USB connector. Audio inputs are far less practical because USB is the standard for multimedia or most portable music players in use today. For some reason, the only thing that didn't match the high level of equipment was the silver plastic on the center console, which looks like it's from a much lower shelf. In general, this is a very good collection, but you need to spend almost PLN 150 on it.
I've dealt with the Kuga before, which had a slightly weaker two-litre turbodiesel and was mated to a six-speed manual. This time, the two-liter TDCi engine with 163 hp. and a maximum torque of 340 Nm was mated to a six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission. I liked this version better. Not only did I get a little more dynamics, but also the trouble-free operation of the car significantly increased driving comfort. The dynamics were enough for me, perhaps because I usually demand less from automatics, unless it is a DSG box with a dual clutch. Compared to the weaker version, but compatible with the manual transmission, the most powerful TDCi engine in the Kuga lineup did not shine with performance. However, the maximum speed of 192 km / h is quite enough. Acceleration in 9,9 seconds also allows you to drive the car quite smoothly. Only fuel consumption is much higher than stated at the factory. Even with a quiet ride outside the settlement, it did not fall below 7 l / 100 km, while according to factory data, I should have more than a liter less.
