The future of safety
The Ford Kuga Titanium AWD SUV enhanced safety features makes driving a breeze, allowing the SUV to take the stress out of driving. It can be seen as the ideal family vehicle, putting safety and comfort first.
Car: Ford Kuga
Test driven by: Kymon Giannakopoulos
Made possible by: Casseys Ford
Rating: Safety first
The Ford Kuga, which recently made its debut in South Africa, is set to shatter the myth that an SUV cannot be safe, green, high-tech, capable and exceptional all at once.
The Kuga, available in a 1.6l EcoBoost petrol engine or a 2.0l turbo diesel, is an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle offering ample space, a sharp design, enhanced driving dynamics, fuel efficient engines and a host of useful technologies.
Driving the Kuga Titanium AWD Diesel model proved to be safety and comfort all-in-one.
Various safety features incorporated into its console make it a joy to use.
The coolest feature, for me, is probably the hands-free tailgate which can be opened with a wave of your foot under the rear bumper of the car if you have the key with you.
This is pretty helpful for customers who have their hands full when loading or unloading their vehicle.
Other handy features include the Active City Stop, Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Park Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Aid systems and the Blind Spot Information System.
These features are useful in various driving conditions and situations.
This is all thanks to light and movement detecting sensors which measure the distance of your vehicle compared to others on the road.
For people who have trouble parking, the Active Park Assist (APA) system will help a lot. It is an intuitive parking assist system which helps drivers to parallel park.
When activated by pressing a button on the centre console, the system uses the front and rear parking aid ultrasonic sensors to identify if a gap is large enough to park in.
The steering is operated completely by the APA system, while the driver controls the break and throttle.
The Lane Departure Warning alerts the driver if they are about to exit their lane or if the indicator was not used when entering a lane.
The Lane Keeping Aid provides steering torque assistance to steer the vehicle back into its lane, this can be easily overridden by firm, assertive driving.
The Kuga’s Blind Spot Information System uses radar sensors in the rear bumper edges to identify vehicles that are hidden from view in the driver’s blind spot by alerting the driver via an indication light in the corner of the side mirror.
All these safety and travelling features proved to be useful, taking the stress out of driving, allowing the driver to sit back and relax while they make their way in style and comfort to their next destination.
The Kuga can be seen as one of the safest vehicles in its class, an ideal family car.
