Ford Kuga - Open for booking in Malaysia now !

Ford Kuga, the replacement model of Ford Escape, is open for booking now with an estimated price tag of RM168,000. Kuga will compete in the midside SUV segment where it faces strong competitors such as the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5.

 Design wise, European and rugged, the Kuga is a trendy looking SUV. It will come with a 1.6 litre Ecoboost turbocharged engine which produces 177hp and 240Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. As a comparison, CR-V's 2.0 litre natural aspirated i-VTEC engine produces 153hp and 190Nm of torque.

 Cabin resembles the Focus', which is not a bad thing. Features confirmed to make it into Malaysia's Kuga are Torque Vectoring Control and Active Grille Shutter and Ford SYNC with voice command, all three are also found in the Focus. Other than that, standard safety features include seven airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Trailer Sway Control, Hill Start Assist and parking sensor (a feature which is absent in the CR-V, to my surprise).

Features such as keyless entry with push start button and hands-free power liftgate operation (below) are also standard for the Kuga. The latter feature will be very useful when both of your hands are carrying items and unable to open the tailgate.

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