Ford unveils new Kuga

Says Tracey Delate, general marketing manager, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa: "With stunning new design inside and out, smart technologies, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines, and five-star safety, it's a vehicle that will stand out for our customers."

The new Kuga joins the EcoSport compact SUV and the Everest seven-seater SUV.

There is a choice of two petrol engines in the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol units, as well as the 2.0-litre TDCi turbodiesel engine. Depending on the model, there is the option of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive models, and manual or automatic transmissions.

"We know from customer feedback and research that vehicle design and style are key factors in the car buying decision process," Delate says. "In many cases, it's actually the top consideration which is why we're particularly excited about the new Kuga. In addition to being a very capable, functional SUV with a fantastic suite of smart technologies, it's also a vehicle that will turn heads wherever it's driven."

What about safety?

Standard safety features across the range include a total of seven airbags - including a driver's knee airbag - as well as ABS brakes with electronic stability programme (ESP), trailer stability function, hill launch assist and rollover mitigation.

An enhanced version of Ford's 'active city stop' with low-speed collision mitigation and avoidance has been introduced, which can be specified as with the driver assistance pack available as an option on the Trend and Titanium models. This pack also includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot information system (BLIS), lane departure warning and lane keeping aid, as well as advanced active park assist.