Ford Kuga 2.5 T – On the Dynamometer

Yes, this Kuga has a five-cylinder engine. It was borrowed from Volvo, with which Ford still had a close love affair at the time. And yes, it is basically the same machine as in the Focus ST and RS, which in the latter case is good for 305 hp and 440 Nm. However, the RS has a stronger lower block, resistant to brute force. Henk’s Kuga is not that explosive, but it has more horsepower and torque than the RS.

Via MPS and OPC to 2.5 T

Henk has had a preference for a nice dose of horsepower for a long time. “In my younger years I drove Golf GTIs and fast Seats,” he says. Then came a Mazda 6 MPS, the engine of which I had to replace twice. My previous car was an Opel Zafira OPC and as a successor I had my eye on the Insignia OPC with V6, but I was advised against this from various sources. Still, that six-cylinder wouldn’t let me go and I went to look at an Insignia. The same dealer had several Ford Kuga, including a 2.5 Turbo. It immediately appealed to me and at home I immediately started delving into that five-cylinder engine and all its tuning options. I soon discovered that it is a good basis for more power and torque. A few weeks later a black Kuga showed up at our door.”

Lots of other hardware

And what makes Henk’s Kuga the fastest in the country? “That goes more than a little further than chip tuning, because a lot of work has also been done on the hardware. It has a stage 2 intercooler, a stronger fuel pump, larger injectors, a metal intake, a flowed intake manifold and modifications to the exhaust, such as a 3-inch downpipe. The brakes are from a Focus ST and there are shock absorbers from Bilstein. I blackened everything on the outside and removed the type plates. The nice thing is that people don’t expect you to be that fast. Still, I wasn’t completely satisfied at first. He responded a bit slowly to the gas. This has been adjusted in consultation with the German tuner, but the power still comes in relatively quietly so as not to suddenly put an extremely heavy load on the engine.”

Next a Volvo?

Dynamometer chief Ghisbert van Ginhoven fully agrees with that approach. “The same engine in the RS is much more toxic, but it has, among other things, a stronger crankshaft and a different cylinder head,” he explains. The graph shows that the turbo does indeed start in a controlled manner, but the figures are no less impressive and exceed those of a Focus RS. “The couple is a bit disappointing to me,” says Henk. I expected a little over 500. And I didn’t want that popping sound when I let off the gas. You will have the most fun on back roads, where you often have to brake, steer and accelerate. Overtaking is especially quick. I think you should have a little fun in a car. By improving something every now and then, you don’t necessarily need another one. I don’t know yet what that should be. I used to have a Mazda with a Ford engine, now a Ford with a Volvo engine. A Volvo next?”