Test drive Ford Kuga
We are looking for changes in the popular SUV after restyling on the way from Greece to Norway
The journey from Greece to Norway is a huge distance with a pattern-breaking change of landscapes, climates and cultures. But everyone initially had doubts that we, having joined the race on the new Ford Kuga at the Serbia-Croatia stage, would be able to fully understand the car: there were more than 400 kilometers ahead on the highway.
Of the cars that will be sold in Russia, a crossover with a 1,5-liter petrol engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission entered the route. But this was not quite the usual option - ST-Line of bright red color: very bright, juicy, aggressive. The restyled Kuga has changed the front bumper, the radiator grille, the hood, the shape of the headlights and lanterns, the body lines have become smoother, but the sports version against the background of the usual seems less streamlined - more angular, sharp. By the way, the engine not only lost one tenth of a liter of volume (the pre-styling Kuga had a 1,6 liter engine), but also received a number of improvements. For example, a high pressure direct injection system and an independent variable valve timing system.
So, four hundred kilometers behind the wheel of the Kuga ST-Line, exactly two things became clear. First, the 182-horsepower car is much more dynamic than you might expect. The acceleration time to 100 km / h is 10,1 seconds (the version on the "mechanics", which will not be available in Russia, is 0,4 seconds faster). The point, however, is not in the number itself - the crossover responsively accelerates, overtakes other cars on the highway without strain, even at speeds above 100 km / h (Kuga loses its excitement only after 160-170 km per hour). The maximum torque of 240 Nm is available over a wide rev range from 1600 to 5000, which makes the engine very flexible.
Secondly, the crossover has a very stiff suspension. It's not that there were bad tracks in Serbia and Croatia - on the contrary, we have, probably, only Novorizhskoe highway in terms of level. But even minor defects in the canvas, plus solid repair work, we felt one hundred percent. Such settings, of course, are specially chosen. With this, the car pays for the absence of rolls in corners and precise control. Regular versions are noticeably smoother over bumps. To evaluate their suspension as objectively as possible, I would like to drive 100 kilometers around Moscow, at least the nearest one.
The diesel version with a 180-horsepower engine and on "mechanics" is even faster than ST-Line - 9,2 s to 100 km per hour. This option, however, will not exist in Russia, as well as 120- and 150-horsepower units running on "heavy" fuel. The demand in our market for them, as well as for MCPs, is too small, in fact negligible. To bring them, as explained by a Ford spokesman, does not make economic sense.
In Russia, there will be only gasoline engines: 1,5-liter, which, depending on the firmware, can produce 150 and 182 hp. (version with 120 hp in Russia will not be) and a 2,5-liter "aspirated" with a capacity of 150 horsepower. The latter will be available only with front-wheel drive, the rest - with all-wheel drive. The new Kuga features Intelligent All Wheel Drive, which regulates torque distribution to each wheel and optimizes handling and traction.
If there are difficulties with the assessment of driving characteristics due to the route, then the changes inside can be fully felt. Moreover, it was on them that Ford made a special emphasis. Actually, the infographics with the changes were mainly about them. All interior materials have become much, much better quality. This is noticeable as soon as you get inside: soft plastic, the inserts are stylishly selected and do not seem superfluous in the appearance of the interior, as, alas, often happens.
Appeared in Kuga and support for Apple CarPlay / Android Auto. You connect your smartphone via a standard wire - and the multimedia screen interface, which, by the way, has become noticeably larger than before, turns into a phone menu with all its functions. No more problems with music that pumps the cabin well, messages that the system reads out loud (sometimes there is a problem with accents, but still very convenient and understandable) and, of course, navigation. But only if you are not roaming.
The system itself is the third generation SYNC, in the work on which Ford took into account several tens of thousands of comments and suggestions from its customers. According to the company, this version should appeal to all customers. Indeed, it is much faster: no more slowdowns and freezes. A company representative clarifies: "Not just significantly, but tenfold." To do this, they had to abandon cooperation with Microsoft and start using the Unix system.
You can control the third "Sink" with your voice. He also understands Russian. Not as masterly as Apple's Siri, but it does respond to simple phrases. If you say “I want coffee” - it will find a cafe, “I need gasoline” - it will send it to a gas station, “I need to park” - to the nearest parking lot, where, by the way, Kuga will be able to park itself. The car does not yet know how to leave the parking lot on its own.
Finally, the route over 400 kilometers long made it possible to evaluate the ergonomics of the cabin. The car has a new steering wheel: now three-spoke rather than four-spoke and seems to be smaller. The mechanical handbrake has disappeared - it has been replaced by the electric parking brake button. The crossover seats are very comfortable, with good lumbar support, but the passenger lacks height adjustment - all three cars that I drove did not have it. Another disadvantage is not the best quality sound insulation. Ford has definitely paid special attention to this aspect. The motor, for example, is not audible at all, but the arches are not insulated well enough - all the noise and hum comes from there.
The update definitely benefited the crossover. It has become more attractive in appearance and received many new, convenient systems that make the driver's life easier. Kuga has made a tremendous step forward, but it's hard to talk about the prospects of the first SUV Ford, which appeared in Europe in 2008 and has since been very popular there, in Russia. Even despite the fact that the production of the model will be established in Russia, it is completely unclear how its improvements will affect the cost. But the big plus of the car is that it will appear on sale before its strongest competitor - the new Volkswagen Tiguan, which will be available only next year, while the Kuga will be in December.
