Ford of Europe President Stuart Rowley likens the CO2 challenge faced by automakers in the region to a seesaw.
To avoid paying fines, you need low-emissions electrified models to balance out those powered by conventional engines. This year, the only volume model sitting on the right side of Ford’s seesaw is the new Kuga plug-in hybrid compact SUV.
Ford counts on plug-in Kuga to reach EU CO2 target
The new Kuga is Ford’s first SUV based on the C2 architecture that offers improved aerodynamics, better fuel-efficiency and weight reduction of up to 90 kg compared with the previous-generation model.
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With CO2 output of 33 grams per kilometer, as measured on the WLTP test cycle, the car is “important” to Ford's efforts to reach its brand average target of 98g/km, Rowley told Automotive News Europe in March.
Ford had just started Kuga production when lockdown restrictions caused by the coronavirus outbreak shut the plant in Valencia, Spain, where the SUV is built.
Advance orders, however, indicated that the plug-in hybrid Kuga will be a strong seller. So far, the variant has accounted for about a third of new Kuga orders in the UK this year.
Ford’s No. 1 sales market in the region is the UK, where tax breaks for company car drivers make the plug-in hybrid an appealing choice.
“The key fleet interest is all around plug-in hybrids,” said Steve Derby, who is product manager for Ford in the UK.
Fast Facts
Electric modes: Drivers can choose when and how to deploy battery power using EV Auto, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge modes. When the battery reaches its lowest state of charge, the Kuga automatically reverts to EV Auto mode, adding assistance from the electric motor to boost engine power.
Connectivity: The Kuga is available with FordPass Connect modem technology, which allows customers to remotely control some vehicle features via a mobile phone app. These include remote start, remote door lock, vehicle locator and vehicle status information such as fuel and battery charge levels. The app also shows nearby charging locations and can plan the most economic time to charge at home, taking into account the lowest electricity tariffs.
V2X: The Kuga can receive information about hazards on the road via a combination of sources such as local authorities, emergency services, and driving data from other cloud-connected vehicles.
The plug-in hybrid variant uses a 2.5-liter engine running the same fuel-efficient Atkinson combustion cycle used by Toyota's hybrid units. The Kuga’s engine is mated to an electric motor fed by a 14.4-kilowatt-hour battery that together produce a combined 222 hp. The car can travel 56km (35 miles) on electric power only, according to WLTP figures.
At 4614mm, the new Kuga is 89mm longer than the model it replaces. It is also 44mm wider (1883mm without mirrors). The new Kuga’s wheelbase grows by 20mm, which increases interior space, with the switch to Ford’s C2 platform that is also used by the Focus compact.
Packaging for the plug-in hybrid’s components reduces trunk space to 411 liters compared with 475 liters for non-hybrid models.
The model will account for 30 percent of the Kuga’s full-year UK sales, Derby predicts, compared with 25 percent for the gasoline variant and 45 percent for the diesel.
In the UK the Kuga plug-in hybrid starts at 33,085 pounds (37,746 euros), which undercuts the plug-in hybrid versions of the Vauxhall Grandland X and Peugeot 3008 by more than 3,000 pounds.
Rowley suggests that Ford has priced it as low as possible to drive sales. “Within the mix, we are positioning the plug-in hybrid to assist our compliance,” he said. But he insists Ford won’t make a loss on the car. “I don’t want to sell fewer Kuga plug-in hybrids. I want to sell more,” he added.
The Kuga is the first Ford SUV in Europe to offer a head-up display (HUD), which helps drivers keep their eyes on the road by projecting useful information into their field of vision.
The Basics
Launch date: Spring 2020
Base price: 33,085 pounds (UK)
Where built: Valencia, Spain
Main rivals: Opel/Vauxhall Grandland X Hybrid, Peugeot 3008 Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Toyota RAV4
Styling features
The Kuga was designed to appear friendly and agile. “We definitely didn’t want to go for the warrior, get-out-of-my-way look. The customer didn’t want that,” Ford of Europe design boss Amko Leenarts told Automotive News Europe at the car’s unveiling last year.
The SUV’s 12.3-inch touchscreen stands clear of the dashboard and uses a new technology that allows curved edges, giving it a frameless appearance. Equipment available in the cabin includes wireless mobile phone charging, a head-up display, and noise-canceling technology that plays sounds in the cabin to counter engine and transmission noise.
Driver assistance technology on the Kuga includes adaptive cruise control with a function that brings the car to a stop in heavy traffic and slowly accelerates again if the stop time is less than 3 seconds.
Lane centering prevents the car from drifting on multi-lane highways, while Ford’s latest park assist system reduces driver input to holding down a button while the car controls gears and acceleration to enter parallel or perpendicular spaces.
