You know the stance; it marks out an experienced, bordering-on-the-jaded motorway cruiser from the amateur driver. Looking at the steering wheel as if it were a clock, the driver’s index and middle fingers are hooked over the spoke where it meets the wheel at about 2 o’clock. The driver’s elbow rests against the bottom of the window and top of the door panel.
It is more comfortable than the classic Fangio position (arms straight out and hands at ‘ten to two’) but quite often it is hard to find a nice spot for elbow. The door plastics can be hard or there can be sharp edges that dig in where the bones meet. My right elbow has left permanent imprints in the cheap interior plastics of several Japanese cars.
But I don’t have to worry anymore. Ford have, at last, solved the problem. The Kuga has attractive, soft squabs the length of the door panel, perfectly sculpted for my motorway-weary elbows. With the 2.0 TDCi engine upfront you can cruise for days along the motorways of Britain in relatively refined comfort. Over a long journey the seats are comfortable, supportive and with leather trim, feel luxurious. But the same engine, when in the Mondeo, seems slightly more refined on the motorway. So I wonder if some corners have been cut on the soundproofing. Whilst the Kuga was far from unrefined or noisey, it was just a shame that it wasn’t as faultless as the Mondeo or S-Max when they run the same engine.
It was one of several little things that disappointed me. Sitting in a traffic jam in Watford, running late, an egotistical Mercedes driver was straddling both lanes in front of me. But my lane was otherwise clear. So I thought, as this is a road test, in the interests of consumer research, ‘I am going to put two wheels on the bank and drive round him.’ And I did quite successfully. But there was a bit of squawk from the suspension as I did so and it seemed to rattle a bit after that.
Another little disappointment was the angle of the gear lever and the not-quite perfect driving position. The seat was too high and you have to wonder what the designers were on when they signed-off the angle that the gear lever sits at.
Another extraordinary aspect of the design is that when you turn left while depressing the clutch you can feel the steering column turn across the top of your big toe. It’s a weird sensation the first time it happens, annoying the second time, and then, inexplicably, you get over it.
It may not sound like it so far, but I would really quite like to own a Kuga. Despite the little gremlins it is a car that it is easy to be proud of and that somehow makes you feel good every time you jump aboard. People check out the striking and attractive styling as they walk past. The door trim and controls are all well made and conveniently located. The modern glass roof makes the cabin airy. And I was positively amazed at how the Kuga handles.
In the west midlands a few days later, running late again, I took the Kuga along the B4451. It almost handles like, not just a car, but a sports car: If pressing on, you have to wait to turn in and give the car gentle, smooth inputs. It slices through corners without roll or hesitation.
Turn in ridiculously late or absurdly too fast and the Kuga behaves more like other small 4x4s; a bit woolly. But 90% of the time, the Kuga delivers an engaging and enjoyable drive. It manages, like Toyota’s RAV 4, to feel like a bigger, better car than its price tag suggests.
It also represents a fascinating nearly new car for the savvy buyer. There are already, after just under a year, a large number on the market at very attractive prices. And I don’t think they will fall that much further. So you can buy a bargain and sell it in a year having lost very little. Just compare the road test car price with real car we found in the classifieds.
Summary
At last a credible and capable alternative to the Toyota Rav 4 and Land Rover Freelander. In such a popular sector, more quality competition has been needed for a while and Ford, while not exactly raising the bar, have provided a genuine alternative. If you want a small 4x4 that genuinely handles like a car, this is must test.
Road test car details:
Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi Titanium
OTR: £22,500
Co2 per KM: 169
MPG: 44.1
0-62: 10.7 secs