For a major manufacturer, Ford has taken so long to enter the compact SUV market that you have to wonder if someone forgot to set the alarm clock. The delay would seem ridiculous but for one thing - after that long wait, the Kuga has turned out to be really pretty good.Based on the platform also used for the Focus, the Kuga is distinctive-looking (in a good way, though I don't think "beautiful" is quite the right word), it's well-equipped, it feels very solidly built, and it's one of the best of its type on the market to drive.The usual way of things with Ford is that each range has an enormous number of models to choose from. There are several hundred thousand different kinds of Fiesta, for example, and a couple of million Mondeos. But there are only two Kugas, and they both use the same 134bhp two-litre turbo diesel engine (a 198bhp 2.5-litre petrol unit will join the range later this year, though I can't imagine why anyone would prefer it) with a manual gearbox and part-time four-wheel drive.That 4x4 system distributes up to 50% of the engine's power to the real wheels when required, though at heart the Kuga is really a front-wheel drive car. You'll gather from this that nobody is expecting it to be up to much as an off-roader, but since the ground clearance is substantial and the front and rear overhangs about as short as they could reasonably be expected to be, there's at least the potential to wander some way off the tarmac if the mood takes you.In more civilised driving conditions the Kuga turns out to be very surprising. If you find yourself having to tug sharply on the steering wheel you'll soon realise the handling deficiencies of a vehicle that is so tall in comparison with its other dimensions, but in more normal driving both the ride and the cornering ability are exceptionally good.I don't imagine that many potential owners will be particularly interested in rapid acceleration, so it's just as well that the Kuga doesn't have much of that. If you stuff the right pedal into the carpet and change up just before the revlimiter comes in, you're not going to be impressed.But that doesn't matter. What matters is that the 2.0 TDCi engine responds very well to sudden accelerator inputs from moderate revs. That makes the Kuga quite effective when you need to overtake something in a hurry, which is much more important than all this 0-62mph nonsense.According to the official EU test procedure, the Kuga has combined fuel economy of 44.1mpg, so 40mpg should be easily possible in real life, and CO2 emissions are 169g/km. This isn't great news for VED under the current banding, but it will make a lot more sense when the new system comes into force next year. Assuming nobody fiddles about with the figures in the near future, you'll pay £170 in car tax this year, £175 next year and £180 in 2010, so there are no major surprises in store (though what happens after that is anyone's guess).A compact SUV can be expected to have to carry a fair bit of stuff, and the Kuga scores quite well here. With all five seats in place it has 410 litres of luggage volume, which isn't all that spectacular compared with other cars in the class, and when both halves of the rear seat are folded down the space increases to 1355 litres, which is much better, though a long way short of what the Volkswagen Tiguan and Land Rover Freelander offer.If safety is high on your list of priorities, the Kuga is very much worth considering - certainly according to Euro NCAP, which awarded it five, four and three stars for adult occupant, child occupant and pedestrian protection respectively. No other car of its type has done so well overall, though it should be pointed out that the Kuga had an unusually high score for pedestrian protection, and that several rival models (namely the Tiguan and Freelander again) look after their inmates slightly better.The only current alternative to the Titanium model tested here is the Zetec, which costs exactly £2000 less. The extra money buys you some dabs of leather, cruise control, automatic headlights and wipers, and a self-dimming interior mirror, and if you're feeling flush you can have full leather upholstery, privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof and parking sensors, all of which are available as extra-cost options. Engine 1997 cc, 4 cylinders Power 136 bhp @4000 rpm Torque 236 ib/ft @2000 rpm Transmission 6 speed manual Fuel/CO2 44.1 mpg / 169 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.7sec Top speed 112 mph Price From £25330.00 approx Release date 01/06/2008
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