What is it?
It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, given the way the wind is blowing, but apparently the Ford Kuga is the most electrified line-up for a single nameplate within Ford. Quite what that makes the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E is anyone’s guess, but you get the gist: the Kuga is heartland Ford now, the 2021 equivalent of Mondeo Man, so electrification is key.
This is the mild-hybrid version, joining regular ICE variants, as well as the Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid and ‘traditional’ hybrid models. It runs a 48V system and a beefed-up motor-generator. Designed to optimise the engine’s torque curve (up to 37lb ft at the crank), it helps out in engine-off running as you coast towards traffic lights. Smoother start/stop is another bonus. It is not, however, going to redefine fuel economy.
Here, it’s attached to a 2.0-litre diesel, giving 148bhp and 273lb ft, with a combined figure of 55.4mpg. On a long, mixed run, we saw low 50s. CO2 is 133g/km, which is on a par with rivals like the Skoda Karoq but not the sort of figure that will appeal to company car buyers.
The advantage is that you don’t get much of a weight penalty with a mild hybrid, because there isn’t a massive battery. As such, this car weighs 1680kg, considerably less than the 1844kg PHEV.
Our car is the ST-Line X Edition, one under top-spec Vignale, so comes with the full trimmings of heated rear seats, B&O speakers, phone connectivity etc. The infotainment system largely works well, especially when coupled with all the myriad buttons on the steering wheel. You could argue there are too many on the helm, but then at least they’re all to hand.
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@Si73
I don't think most of these current mild hybrids perform in the same way as the older Hondas you mention. Many of the reviews of the newest models say you can hardly detect the electrical assistance, and I read that in the case of the new Qashqai it doesn't even benefit the stop start particularly. The pity is that many people believe that mild hybrids are actually 'proper' hybrids, and that they really are saving the planet, whereas in reality they are really just another tool for manufacturers to tweak the economy and emissions test results. Some of them even come up in searches on Autotrader if you look for "petrol hybrid", which I think is misleading.
Take a Kuga, add weight, price and complexity and what do you get back, next to nothing.