Kuga is like my Marshall DSL 100: at idle it hums so that windows rattle. To start the turbodiesel, you have to hold the Ford power button, and until you move off, the body noticeably shudders. But once you're driving, there's no tractor vibration or trembling. And the engine sound is pleasant: not Leshchenko, of course, but it gives voice at transitions. And after 2300 rpm, the Kuga explodes with energy, like Russian rock from a back alley. "Hey, guitarist, go get them all — and hit the pedal!"

And this is pure rock and roll. The engine pulls all the way to the limiter — you just have time to click through the short gears. First dies at forty, second doesn't reach eighty, third — by 120 km/h. It's bad that the lever has long throws and engagements happen with a delay. I wave my hand like Pete Townshend from The Who. And smooth downshifts with rev-matching are hindered by the damped gas pedal. And why does such a temperamental and high-revving engine need this fussy gearbox from the Mondeo?

On perfect asphalt, even at high speed, the Kuga is surprisingly quiet: aerodynamic noise is superbly isolated for such a tall car. But such moments of silence are as rare as weightlessness. As soon as the Kuga hits the dense layers of the Moscow region, the cabin fills with annoying hum and tire slaps. The suspension thuds dully: it shakes equally at any speed, the Kuga rejoices at every seam, every crack. Here it is, rock — stone, flint. Rumble, vibrations — only flames outside the windows are missing.

It's already hot in the cabin. Turn the tight, slippery "cold" knob to minimum — it won't save you from the August sun blazing through the glass roof. It seems the roughly stitched leather turns into resin, and the silver paint on the plastic center console bubbles. Rear passengers are even hotter, but you have to sit at attention, as the seats dictate — otherwise, the folded Bolotov-named tables press under your knees.

The cargo-passenger capabilities of the Kuga are not impressive. Anything a bit larger — fold the rear bench. With long items, it's a trap — the front passenger seatback doesn't fold. The loading height is high: while shoving in a kitchen cabinet, I tore my finger on the sink bracket. Blood everywhere! No matter: Tommy Iommi from Black Sabbath plays without two phalanges. Moreover, playing the Kuga doesn't require much effort: the Focus-derived electro-hydraulic power steering can be kept in "Comfort" mode — the effort level doesn't affect steering feel at all.

It's better to perform a solo empty. The Kuga clings tenaciously to the asphalt — everything not secured in the cabin jumps out the windows. Slides are uncharacteristic of the Kuga: they occur at extreme speeds — as a forced protection against rollover. The electronics fight both oversteer and, especially valuable, understeer. But during a sharp obstacle avoidance, the non-defeatable ESP bites the front wheel so fiercely that the car stops obeying the steering wheel and seems about to shed its tires. The evasive maneuver is also complicated by the low steering sensitivity at the moment of input — a musician would say: sound extraction is flawed, lacking attack. But if you don't pretend to be Kirk Hammett, then for a car of its height, the Ford pleases with stability and academic reactions. Still, for such a rock suspension, the roll (that is, body roll) could be less.

All-wheel drive? To believe that the rear 17-inch speakers also play, you'd need to carve such a line on asphalt that even Hendrix would shudder. And still, in corners, there's more help from ESP than from the clutch. In any Volkswagen, the Haldex addition is much more noticeable. However, in winter, even such a flageolet drive can sound. After all, it does help on dirt roads! Decent ground clearance and a reasonably tuned traction control allow you to go where the VAZ "classic" goes. Just slower — otherwise, your head comes off. On rough terrain, the suspension's angular stiffness is already excessive.

And in general, what difference does it make what you churn mud with: the Kuga or the "Zhiguli." You can crack nuts equally well with a "Fender" or an "Ural." But in the city, the Kuga sounds even when parked in a shell cover. Because of the design! But the cabin lacks artistic watts. It's dull here. The strings of the soul quietly jangle, as if the cable was pulled from the amplifier. Teleport someone from the Focus here for a million rubles — the person would be offended. But let them walk around the car, listen to the details, examine the headlights, taillights, grilles — and they'll definitely trade in their Focus. However, not before a gasoline Kuga with an "automatic" appears.

In simple words — with an eye on the Tiguan (Alexander Kataev) This is what a proper Niva should be — that's the result of my acquaintance with the Kuga. And although we met only for a filming day, after the Tiguan test, I couldn't help comparing the Ford with the Volkswagen. The Tiguan looks, feels, and drives more expensive. At the same time, all its thoroughness is taken for granted. And the Kuga after it seems raw, somewhat underthought — and this, on the contrary, catches the eye.

The Volkswagen is perceived as a wagon with off-road tendencies. An average-height driver seems to sink into it: you want to stretch your neck and raise the seat higher. The Kuga, on the contrary, wants to seem like an SUV. Here you'd lower the seat, but you can't — the seating is high-perched. The materials in the Kuga are cheaper, and the panels already creak. The sticker on the start button resembles a Mayfair gum wrapper. They might as well have drawn a smiley on it!

I took longer to get seated in the Kuga: I kept adjusting some nuances (but at least with electric drives). But I never got fully comfortable. The workspace in the Tiguan has no questions at all. But in the Ford, there are plenty. Why, for example, are the seat adjustment controls so small and inconvenient? I want to slide the seat forward, and it goes up. You'll break your fingers!

The whole picture inside the cabin is made up of disparate details that just don't want to come together into a single whole. You look at this interior — and you remember a construction site in the City: somewhere it already shines and shimmers with lights, and nearby rough corners and sloppy seams stick out. Under the steering wheel, a huge tinder fungus of the music control panel is perched, and on the center console — a whole cluster of small buttons. To grab these little knobs, you need to try hard. To hit the right button, you have to aim. To make out the numbers on the display, you have to squint. And what kind of oriental dish is hiding in the instrument niche? And when will Ford finally give up the habit of turning on the rear washer by pulling the stalk toward you?
Next to this chaos, the Tiguan's gasoline engine seems a model of calm and smoothness. This is especially felt at low revs. Until the tachometer needle crawls to 1800 rpm, the diesel pulls with strain. It tries its best, but every now and then it starts to mumble, as if asking for a lower gear. But after this threshold, the car suddenly explodes with acceleration, and it does so in a hooligan, impetuous way. The gear lever in the Kuga doesn't move with the same precision as in the Volkswagen. And the Tiguan's engine sound is more pleasant. By the way, there's also less noise in the Tiguan's cabin.
The Tiguan's suspension impressed me with its pleasant density, but the Kuga left a feeling of rocking. Imagine a tub of water on a cart: hit a stone — the water sloshes. The Ford's suspension seems flimsier. Although I won't say I experienced any outright discomfort in the Kuga. But the Kuga's handling is more nervous. The Tiguan behaves more expensively and precisely here too. The Ford's steering is heavier, but in corners, the car doesn't feel as cohesive. Rolls are small, but there's no such confidence that the Volkswagen gives. Instead, you feel like you're controlling not the whole car, but only its front part. The rear axle just wiggles slightly. But there's a charm in that too! The Tiguan is just another Volkswagen. And the Kuga is a designer creation, and interacting with it is more interesting. True, from time to time.
Technical specifications
Specifications Ford Kuga
Body
Number of doors/seats 5/5
Length, mm 4443
Width, mm 1842
Height, mm 1677 (1710)*
Wheelbase, mm 2690
Track front/rear, mm 1574–1580/1584–1590
Curb weight, kg 1613
Gross weight, kg 2130
Trunk volume, l 410–1405
Engine
Type diesel with common rail injection and turbocharging
Location front, transverse
Number and arrangement of cylinders 4, in-line
Number of valves 16
Displacement, cm3 1997
Max. power, hp/rpm 136/4000
Max. torque, Nm/rpm 320/2000
Transmission
Gearbox manual, six-speed
Drive all-wheel
Chassis
Front suspension independent, spring, McPherson
Rear suspension independent, spring, multi-link
Front brakes disc, ventilated
Rear brakes disc
Ground clearance unladen/full load, mm 188/157
Performance
Maximum speed, km/h 180
Acceleration time 0–100 km/h, s 10.7
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
urban cycle 8.1
suburban cycle 5.4
combined cycle 6.4
Emission standard Euro-4
Fuel tank capacity, l 58
Fuel diesel
* Vehicle height with roof rails
Tested vehicle trim
Standard equipment
  • Front airbags
  • Side airbags
  • ABS
  • ESP
  • Fog lights
  • Audio system with CD player and 6 speakers
  • 12V socket in trunk
  • Lumbar support adjustment on driver and passenger seats
  • Rear seat backrest folding in 60/40 ratio
  • Immobilizer
  • Power-adjustable and heated rearview mirrors
  • Central locking
  • Front and rear power windows
  • On-board computer
  • Steering column with tilt and reach adjustment
  • Electro-hydraulic power steering
  • Dual-zone climate control
  • Sport front seats (with enhanced lateral support)
  • Double locking of locks
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob
  • Engine start button
  • 17-inch alloy wheels
  • Rain sensor
  • Automatic headlights
  • Auto-dimming interior rearview mirror
  • Combined seat upholstery — fabric/leather
Additional equipment
  • Sony stereo with MP3 support and remote control on steering column, 8 speakers, audio/video input
  • Metallic paint
  • Silver roof rails
  • Smoker's package
  • Power-folding mirrors
  • Anti-theft system with alarm and perimeter/volume sensor
  • Additional electric interior air heater
  • Space-saver spare wheel
  • Leather seat upholstery
  • Heated front seats
  • Driver's seat with 6 power adjustments
  • Panoramic roof
  • Windshield with heat-reflective coating and electric heating
  • Hands-free system with Bluetooth support and voice control of audio and climate in English
  • Overhead console with microphone for hands-free
  • Connector with USB and AUX Jack (3.5 mm) ports
  • Bi-xenon headlights with washers
Price of Titanium trim — 961,000 rubles
Price of tested vehicle — 1,097,700 rubles
The sting hidden in the electronic key must be used to open the hood. This solution has its pros and cons. But we couldn't start the car manually — we didn't read the manual.
The two-liter turbodiesel lacks a bit of traction at the very bottom, but after 2000 rpm it's a song. However, we would prefer to entrust traction control to an automatic.
Yura Beitan, an excellent car photographer, has a birthday. Picnic at Mozhaysk Reservoir. Guests leave their cars a kilometer away — the road to the shore goes through a dirt road washed out by rains. But what's the point, tell me, of driving a hundred kilometers just to walk the last one? Forward, Kuga, — in tension, slowly!