Escaping in the new Ford Kuga

FORD was a bit late entering the crowded SUV market and it was 2008 when they produced the Kuga.

At the time the Celtic Tiger was roaring, but despite the downturn in the economy since then there seems to be still a market for well-built SUVs.

Last week I got to test the second generation of the Kuga, which in the US is known as the Escape.

One of the complaints about the first edition of the Kuga was the small boot. That has been rectified and you now get 480 litres of boot space, but it’s the access to the boot that is attracting most attention.

If you approach the boot with the keys in your pocket or handbag and your hands are full carrying shopping bags you can open the boot by simply kicking your foot under the rear bumper. If the sensor reads your kick correctly the boot opens; it can be closed the same way. It worked for me, most of the time.

Colour always has a huge bearing on how you feel about a car. We all know the old story about Henry Ford and black cars; last week’s test model was black, but I had a ginger ale coloured version for a weekend last month and I thought it was more attractive than the black. I noticed a white version in my local Ford garage and while I’m not a huge fan of white cars, I think it looked better than black in this instance.

The exterior look is chunky and impressive. Inside the seats are black, but the roof over your head is white. The dash is typically modern Ford with an impressive layout. You can opt for some or all of the extras now provided by Ford like SYNC multimedia, which will call for help if you are unfortunate enough to be in a crash.

Also incorporated into the dash is the gear lever. There are plenty of cubby holes to hold drinks, mobile phone, pens etc in the front of the car. In the back there is ample leg and head room for three people.

I drove the 2.0 litre diesel which can get from zero to 100km/h in just under ten seconds. Road tax is

?¬280 per annum. Available in two specs, Zetec and Titanium, both 2.0 litre diesel. Fuel economy has been improved and I found it very easy on diesel.

The Kuga would be ideal for off-road driving, but in truth most models sold in Ireland will never touch grass, unless at an Agricultural Show. We can all slag the people doing the school run in a Kuga, but sales are sales in these post Celtic Tiger days.

Prices start at

?¬33,450, while the model I drove with extras will cost you

?¬40,200. Take a test drive, I think you will enjoy it.