Ford Kuga review

The Kuga's high SUV roofline gives it a decent amount of front head room, and its interior is wide enough to ensure that you won’t be clashing elbows with your passenger. Front leg room is fine for six-footers, but not as generous as it is in rivals including the Honda CR-V and Peugeot 5008. 

The large cubby at the bottom of the centre console is big enough for your mobile phone and wallet, and there are two large cupholders between the front seats, along with a rubberised dish for storing change or keys. The central armrest opens to reveal a deep storage bin with a 12V socket. 

The front door pockets are quite narrow, though; a 500ml bottle of drink is about as much as you can fit in there.

Space in the back is generous, more so than in the Mazda CX-5 or Mitsubishi Outlander. In fact, it takes the expansive Honda CR-V or Hyundai Santa Fe to rival the Kuga for rear space at this price.

As such, a pair of tall adults will have no problem getting comfortable, and even a third, middle-seat occupant will find enough head and leg room, despite the fact that the middle seat is slightly raised. 

The middle passenger will also need to straddle the central floor hump, but it’s a fairly small one compared with what you'll find in a Mazda CX-5. Meanwhile, reasonably tall rear side windows let in enough light to stave off feelings of claustrophobia. 

All models have rear seats that take the form of a sliding bench; this can be moved forwards and backwards to help prioritise boot space or passenger knee room, depending on your needs. The rear seatbacks also recline to aid comfort, or they can be folded down in a 60/40 split when you need more luggage space.

To fold down the rear seats, you simply pull handy levers situated on the walls of the boot compartment. Once down, the seatbacks lie flush with the boot floor, so you’ll have no problems sliding long or heavy objects in and out. 

The Kuga's boot is pretty average among large SUVs. We managed to fit just six carry-on cases below the load cover, which is far less than a Honda CR-V or a Peugeot 5008 will manage. There is some space under the floor, which is useful in the PHEV to stow its charging cables, but if you add the mini spare wheel, that disappears and the charging cables take up more valuable boot space. 

Capacity aside, the boot has its strong points. There's no lip at the entrance to cause nuisance when lifting heavy items in and out, and the boot floor is a square shape, unhindered by wheelarch intrusion. Opt for Vignale or ST-Line X trim and a hands-free electric tailgate is standard, too.