They wanted it instantly. Without delving into details, falling in love only from photos and announcements, drivers — among whom there are especially many Focus owners — habitually signed up for the waiting list...Comments (17)As soon as the first crossover of the "Blue Oval" was shown to the public at the September exhibition in Frankfurt in 2007, entire communities of fans and future buyers of the Ford Kuga immediately emerged in Russia. The demand for the new product was so great that it can without exaggeration be called the most anticipated car of that year. And this is not surprising: look at how many Focuses ply the city avenues. The incredibly popular golf-class sedan has only one flaw — sooner or later it becomes cramped, but you don't feel like parting with it at all. And you don't want to change your favorite brand either. Switching to an Explorer is a completely different league and weight category... And here Ford cleverly stepped in with the "Kuga", rolling it out in the rapidly gaining momentum crossover segment, where most competitors have long had similar models.
They wanted it immediately. Without delving into reality, falling in love only from pictures and press releases, motorists — among whom there are many "Focus drivers" — habitually signed up for the queue of "waiters" as soon as Ford merely confirmed its intention to bring crossovers to Russia. But in the first days of March, many, if not scared off, were noticeably cooled by the announcement of Russian prices for the car they had fallen for in absentia — from 880,000 rubles, and without a spare wheel or even a "dokatka", for which you need to pay extra separately! Is it worth paying such money and for what exactly — the crossover from one of the first Moscow batches of Kuga will answer.
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Built on the Focus and C-Max platform, the car is in the spirit of Ford's signature "kinetic design". Powerful but at the same time plastic lines, daring facial expressions of the "European" face, stylish and fresh silhouette... A handsome man! Everyone will probably agree with this. Coming out to the parking lot in the morning, you might well catch concerned "Ford people" examining the car literally from head to toe. Perhaps it's because it's still a rarity on the roads, but the Kuga attracts so much attention that sometimes you start to worry about other road users who forget to watch the road. Traffic lights are especially dangerous: there, drivers of C-class sedans greedy for new products have the opportunity to bombard you with questions about the new "Kuga".
So, fending off the undressing glances of "Focus magicians", we decide to drive away with the "Kuga" further to get to know it better, alone... The comfortable seat with electric adjustments warmly welcomes the driver, allowing you to find an almost perfect seating position, although the seat cushion could use a tilt adjustment. The magic Ford Power button, hidden right under the "hazard lights" (don't miss it!), and the engine comes to life, purring contentedly with a turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel with 136 hp. The inconvenient "poker" handbrake, clutch (so far the car is only available with a six-speed manual), gas — and the diesel at 2000 rpm readily picks up, giving the 
car a brisk and playful acceleration. The lever, as familiar from other worthy Ford models, cheerfully and clearly clicks through gears, but... This is exactly the case when an "automatic" persistently begs to be in the car. It is promised and, paired with a 2.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, will appear a little later, but for now there is no choice. There are no complaints about the transmission, except that the clutch pedal may seem a bit heavy for women, who in our country adore crossovers almost more than men. And yet, in this car, an automatic transmission is preferable. Despite the dynamic and easy acceleration that helps in typical road situations where a quick start is needed, excellent stability on the highway, and excellent steering feedback, the "Kuga" does not provoke aggressive driving. It's a good-natured and cute car that, however, predictably leans in corners. You don't feel like speeding on it, playing checkers on the Moscow Ring Road, but instead an irresistible desire arises to take a company of friends and go on a picnic or to the countryside.
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In its fabric-leather interior, the "Kuga" is ready to hospitably seat four or five people. Of course, four will fit here with great comfort — the rear seat is molded for two, and they also get folding tables hidden in the backs of the front seats, and an armrest that in the five-seat version pretends to be a seat. However, even three in the back won't be cramped. Soft plastic, perfectly fitted panels, reddish interior lighting creating a futuristic shimmer of the plastic of the center console and gear lever, panoramic roof... Yes, the Kuga can boast an absolutely transparent roof that invariably delights all passengers.
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Among the interesting "features" it's also worth mentioning the ability to connect a phone to the car via Bluetooth and control the stereo by voice, though only if you speak English.
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The engine runs quietly, extraneous sounds barely penetrate the cabin, the suspension is tuned for comfort, and the music plays cleanly and richly — in such a car even the longest road won't tire you out. The only thing that can disturb the peace of a company heading out of town is the rumbling of luggage, which will bounce and rattle on uneven suburban roads. The capacity, by the way, is decent: with a full cabin, 410 liters fit in the trunk, and if you fold down the seatbacks, the space expands to 1355 liters. Access to the cargo area opens in two ways — you can lift the fifth door entirely or just its glass. Under the floor hides that same "spare tire" that displeased me with its "frivolous" appearance, and you'll have to pay an extra 1700 rubles for it at purchase. But why they put a funnel next to it, I understood only at the gas station…
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The fuel nozzle itself won't let you forget that the "Kuga" runs on diesel, not gasoline. The engineers installed the Ford Easy Fuel system on the crossover: the fuel filler neck is covered by a "curtain" that can only be pushed through by persistently inserting a funnel. Additionally, during refueling, you have to hold the nozzle by hand — you can't stand aside watching the rising numbers on the display.
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The idea, apparently, was good, but the execution leaves much to be desired. The only justification for this inconvenience is the inscription on the fuel cap, which reads: Ford recommends BP. Perhaps with a nozzle from this particular network everything goes smoothly, but, you'll agree, limiting the choice of gas stations is annoying. And most importantly — don't lose that very funnel.
But after visiting the gas station, you can forget about fuel for a long time — the diesel pleases with its appetite. The on-board computer, which, by the way, is fully Russified, shows an average of 9 liters per hundred. And if you turn on cruise control and drive in fourth gear, consumption drops to 4–5 liters.
Although under the hood here works the intelligent all-wheel-drive system with a Haldex coupling from Volvo, and the ground clearance is 195 mm, I wouldn't test fate on serious off-road. The "Kuga" is a child of the city, and its element is curbs. In the urban landscape, the car looks great. The length of 4443 mm and width of 1842 mm don't turn parking into a quest, although rear parking sensors would clearly come in handy. They are offered as an option, and later they promise to install a rear-view camera as well.
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I didn't want to part with the "Kuga" at all — it's a truly family-friendly and kind car in which everyone is comfortable. Next to it, you immediately imagine a family, children (better two, so each gets their own table) and a dog, to go mushroom picking or to a nightclub with a noisy company. The car is honest: all its reactions are logical and predictable. True, I never understood why the crossover needs a six-speed "manual" — 
a tribute to fashion? In fifth gear, the car confidently holds 160 km/h at 3500–4000 rpm, but it's not proper for a family man to aim for completely illegal speeds. Among the truly useful options, I'll note the "spare tire", rear parking sensors (9400 rubles), heated front seats (5800 rubles), a 230 V outlet (3900 rubles), and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. In this configuration, the car will cost just over 900,000 rubles. The rich base version Trend starts from 881,000 rubles, Titanium — from 961,000 rubles, but soon Ford promises to significantly expand the list of trim levels. Expensive? Well, Japanese competitors aren't cheaper! Toyota RAV4 in a similar configuration will cost about the same, Honda CR-V — a bit less. But Nissan Qashqai starts from 597,400 rubles, but the "Qashqai", you'll agree, is a simpler car. However, all rivals from the very beginning offer to order an automatic, and that's a weighty argument in this class. Nevertheless, the queue for the "grown-up Focus," as the new model was dubbed by those waiting, is booked months in advance. After all, every boy dreams of a jeep…
Svetlana Aleeva