Ford chief Alan Mulally keeps talking about "One Ford" and promising greater global distribution of the best cars and trucks from around the world. So it must be comforting to know Ford of Europe is capable of producing some really good stuff -- and possibly galling to Americans that they can't get that stuff right now.
There aren't many compact crossovers made anywhere in the world that can beat the new Ford Kuga. Unfortunately, there are no immediate plans to export the Kuga from Europe to the New World.
We suspect the Kuga would've fared nicely against GM's Saturn Vue in AWD form, which is sold as the Opel Antara in Europe. So, too, against the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The Kuga might even give the excellent dynamics of the Subaru Forester a hard time, while adding some definite visual spice.
The Kuga is based on Europe's Focus architecture. Yes, the Focus that's a generation ahead of the American Focus and better and more sophisticated as a result.
We tested the initial sole powertrain, a 2.0-liter clean turbodiesel making 136 hp and a useful 236 lb-ft of torque. With a six-speed manual transmission and AWD it gets to 62 mph in just over 10 seconds.
A few months from now, a Volvo-sourced five-cylinder 2.5-liter, 200-hp gasoline engine will become available, with either manual or auto transmission options.
But for now the diesel is a more than acceptable engine. Through the gears, there's the sort of overtaking heft that'll leave most U.S.-market gasoline-automatic crossovers gasping. At the European-default 85-90-mph cruise, it settles down to a barely audible mumble. And that's not because the rest of the vehicle is loud -- it isn't. The optional 18-in. tires are subdued, though there was noticeable wind rustle in the test car, equipped as it was with full-length glass roof and roof rails.
Oh, and then there's the diesel's commendable economy and fuel range. It rates 36.7 mpg (U.S.) in the Euro driving cycle. Compare that with 28 mpg in the same test for a Euro-spec Forester with manual trans, which has just a 2.0L gasoline engine in place of the U.S.'s 2.5L.
The Kuga platform is similar to that of the Focus, which means to the Volvo S40 and V50 and Mazda3. It gets a 2.0-in. wheelbase stretch, though, and a 1.5-in. track increase. For off-road ability, ride height goes up by 3.0 in. over the Focus, and a Haldex-based electronically controlled AWD system is added. Independent rear suspension is retained.
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