Should you buy a Ford Kuga?

The Ford Kuga is a good family SUV, offering a sporty driving experience and exceedingly good fuel economy if you opt for one of the hybrids. But it isn’t the class-leader anymore – the SEAT Ateca, Skoda Karoq and the Kia Sportage are more well-rounded options offering increased practicality and better petrol engines.

The Kuga’s interior is also starting to look a little dowdy next to the competition. There’s a lot of cheap plastic, which gives rivals like the Peugeot 3008 and Nissan Qashqai the edge. The 2023 facelift certainly improved the touchscreen infotainment system, yet the culling of buttons and dials made it less user-friendly, and it still feels a bit bargain basement inside.

What we like

The Kuga handles very well. It also has a lot of space in the back for passengers and its infotainment system is easy to use. The plug-in hybrid model makes for quite an appealing purchase, too, as it has a reasonable electric range and manages to remain efficient when the battery pack is flat. It’s also very safe in a crash, for both you and your children.

What we don’t like

Ford could have made the Kuga’s boot a little larger, although it’s worth remembering you can slide the rear bench forward. We’ve also spotted some quality issues with the trim in the boot while ST-Line models are too firm for our liking.