Things about Ford Kuga we love (when it’s not on fire)

By Ntsako Mthethwa

When the first Ford Kuga reached our market it was well received simply because it possessed a good road presence and lovely quiet ride – and yes, the engine really showed the need to just get up and go.

However, the SUV is now in the dog’s box after dozens of Kugas caught fire due to overheating engines.

With a total of 4 556 vehicles affected by this, Ford has issued a safety recall in South Africa of Kugas that were built between December 2012 and February 2014, but the good thing is that the owners of Ford Kuga models with the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre engines are not affected.

Amid all this controversy, we decided to jot down a few interesting facts that really made the Kuga a much-loved family car.

The Kuga is based on the C1 platform that also forms the underpinnings of the Ford Focus.
The name, Kuga, is reminiscent of the Cougar, which was the name of another Ford vehicle, the Mercury Cougar.
The Kuga takes on popular crossover rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5.
It’s a safe car, with a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating and the availability of advanced driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.
The hands-free power tailgate opens (and closes) with a wave of your foot under the bumper.

You don’t need to actually have your key in your hand to start your Kuga, or unlock it, for that matter. As long as you have your key fob with you, your car will unlock.
Cruise control is great on the open road, but even here you can find traffic. So instead of having to turn cruise control on and off, adaptive cruise control adapts. If it senses traffic is slowing, it slows.
First, it helps you find a parking spot that’s just the right fit, and then it virtually parallel parks itself. Put the car into reverse, take your hands off the wheel and watch it perfectly steer into a reverse park.

The Kuga has space for five people.

All in all, it’s still a great car, just like the Samsung Note 7 was a great phone that occasionally burst into flames. Pity. Let’s hope all of this will be sorted out post-recall.