The Ford Kuga PHEV is targeting the Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid. Unfortunately, it didn’t get off to such a happy start in life, with a fire warning to customers who had already purchased one and then a recall to replace the battery. Now that the problems are (hopefully) over, our colleagues from RTL Autowereld will take a Kuga PHEV for a test. How good is the plug-in hybrid SUV?
“We have doors that fit well and no bumpers are falling off,” a senior Ford executive said last year, clearly referring to Tesla’s quality issues. Maybe the man wants to swallow his words now, because Ford has had even more serious problems than Tesla. With the battery of the Kuga PHEV, for example, which could spontaneously catch fire. And for which the importer had to send a warning to owners not to charge the car. In the end, Ford recalled 27,000 Kugas to the garage. All of them had the battery replaced in its entirety.
Ford Kuga PHEV has an electric range of 50 kilometers
Well, that’s been it. So now back to the order of the day. The Ford Kuga PHEV has a large four-cylinder petrol engine (2.5 liters), which is assisted by an electric motor. Together they deliver a power of 225 hp. On its 14.4 kWh battery pack, the Kuga should be able to achieve an electric range of 50 kilometers. If you make optimal use of that possibility, then you should be able to achieve a fuel consumption of 1 to 83.3, according to Ford. Which is a purely theoretical value, because the Kuga PHEV is not that economical.
Slightly larger than its predecessor, resulting in more interior space
The third-generation Kuga is 8.9 centimeters longer, 4.4 centimeters wider and 2.0 centimeters lower than the previous model, with a 2.0 centimeters longer wheelbase. That would provide marginally more interior space in the interior. The model is available as Titanium, Vignale and ST-Line, with the latter two having their own distinct character. With its Vignale label, Ford is aiming more for luxury and exclusivity. The ST-Line gives the Kuga a sporty look. The list of (optional) assistance and comfort systems is long, including Active Noise Control (which dampens the engine noise in the interior).