Ford has taken the wraps off its new, third-generation Kuga, billing the crossover as the Blue Oval brand’s “most electrified vehicle ever”.
The fresh-faced Kuga runs on Ford’s new global C2 architecture that it says has helped cut weight by up to 90 kg. Inside, Ford has added items such as wireless charging, a new eight‑inch touchscreen system (running Sync 3) and a 12,3-inch LCD instrument cluster.
The crossover measures 44 mm wider and 89 mm longer than the outgoing model, while the wheelbase has been increased by 20 mm.
The Kuga line-up (in Europe, at least) will include a plug-in hybrid, a mild-hybrid and a full-hybrid, alongside Ford’s 1.5‑ and 2,0-litre EcoBlue turbodiesels, and the 1,5‑litre EcoBoost petrol engine. A new eight-speed automatic transmission has also been added.
The plug-in hybrid model features a 2,5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine as well as an electric motor and generator, along with a 14,4 kWh lithium-ion battery. The mild-hybrid, meanwhile, employs a 2,0‑litre turbodiesel and a 48-volt air-cooled battery pack.
And the full-hybrid? Well, this version uses a self-charging powertrain (allowing pure-electric driving) and combines a 2,5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor, a generator, a lithium-ion battery and a Ford-developed “power-split” automatic transmission.
The 2,0‑litre EcoBlue turbodiesel engine, meanwhile, will offer 140 kW, while the 1,5-litre oil-burner will churn out 88 kW. The 1,5-litre EcoBoost petrol unit, on the other hand, will be available in 88 kW and 110 kW forms.
