2021 Ford Kuga PHEV - How NOT to charge a PHEV 

I took delivery of one of these 10 days ago and used it during the half term week in the West Country (Somerset). We chose a PHEV (cancelled a Tesla M3 order) because there are virtually zero charging points within a 15 mile radius of the place we visit every summer and we can only recharge using a 13-pin socket, which charges the Kuga overnight with no problems. The first part of the journey was a 150 mile drive to our holiday destination which predominantly used the petrol engine, but we got an unexpected boost as the Kuga effectively runs in MHEV mode once the battery is exhausted. We got an additional 26 electric miles out of the 150 we initially drove to our destination, saving the 35 mile battery for our first trips around the area. Overall, on the trip we got ~60 miles to the gallon across petrol and electric engines, which included some long, fast motorway stretches. We managed ~650 miles on a single tank of fuel (45 litres) with 5 litres left when I filled her up again. There and back with some significant driving in between on a single tank, something even my wife's oil burner Zafira has never achieved!! One word of advice, use the 'L' mode to maximise brake regeneration. Once we'd worked this out, even though the battery was showing zero charge, nearly every part of each drive where we didn't go above 30mph was in electric mode. This also obviously saves on brake wear as you never have to touch the brakes if you drive sensibly. The Kuga PHEV is a joy to drive, it's my first automatic and electric vehicle of any kind and it has changed my driving style completely to one which is much more relaxed and less stressful. If I could ask for one thing, it would be a charging cable that's just 2m longer for our 'away' trips. At home we'll soon have a wall charger and this will be irrelevant.

If you look up ecodriver on YT he tests the car both electric only and separately from flat. He got electric only in the mid 40,s and from flat at 74mpg. One point he focussed on when running from flat is not putting the car in charge mode. He does it accidently for part of his test but the majority is just normal mode. Doing this on a lengthy drive the car still generated 2 thirds of its power from regenerative electricity. The morale of the story is explore what affect the different modes have on your driving. Charge mode isn't always the best mode to be in when the battery is flat.

Got my phev St line X just a week ago, full equipped. It is one of the best car I have had so far. Extremely happy.

I don't understand why you use EV Charge mode when the battery is empty. You can easily drive in EV Auto and it will only use the engine as primary source for requested power with much better mileage. You charge at home, not with the petrol engine.

Best Kuga review I’ve seen well done 👏

My new ST-Line X Edition PHEV is my third Kuga, having previously owned a Kuga Mk1 (2010) and a Kuga Mk2 (2013) which was quite simply the best car I have owned in 45 years ... until now. This new Kuga takes the title for me. It is stunning to drive. Running on electric only on my daily commute, with a sensible right foot, I have achieved up to 48 miles on a full charge which takes into account the energy recovered through regen braking. Well impressed.

Very nice review, well done to you !!

Excellent all round review….

I’ve just put a deposit down on this exact car from Hendy in Tunbridge to have it delivered to Fareham. I will be having a look and test driving it next week 👍🏻

Thank you for your review. I like this car👍🚘💪

Thanks for your review. Very down to earth. I’ve had this model as a company car for six weeks now. I get reimbursed for business mileage at the HMRC agreed rates and the current figure is 18p/mile. I think the figures you mention in the review are for diesel vehicles. Over 1,200 miles I’ve averaged 120mpg. That’s mostly shorter journeys and charging at home, but about 400 of those miles were journeys of over 100 miles, so I’m pleased with the efficiency. The 19 inch wheels are standard on the ST-Line X. All in all, a really nice car.

I think the Fords may be more popular in the UK than in the states. Good video, not sure I am ready for an EV or a partial EV just yet. Wheels are really sharp on this car, looks good going down the road with that style. Boy can't get used to the lack of engine noise. I thought you were saying Cougar and then saw the title....so now I have to go look up and see what a KUGA is if anything! What a hoot I watched the PP video on that $100,000 plus Audi and then followed up with this one, next I think is a Land Rover and then I missed the one you did on the BMW at which point it will be time to walk the dog, go to the garage to change the rear lights on the Roadster from the OEM to the Union Jack ones. You UK RU-vidrs motivate me to learn which is always a good thing.

Thank you for your nice review. Ik like this car👍😃🇳🇱

Got an ST-Line X in 1.5 Petrol on order, this is a very good review of the specs and drive.

Just got one of these and absolutely love it. Drives beautifully and so easy. Couple of negs - mine came without a mini spare wheel and now they cannot provide one. Also what about the parcel shelf??? what is the point in that?! Could you perhaps do a video explaining the use of all the interior controls as cannot find a decent one anywhere and there is a lot of stuff to get to grips with. Thank you so much for this video

Battery capacity can drop down to about 50% when the temperature is below zero degrees outside. Similar issues with other PHEV or EV cars but perhaps other brands cope with the cold better than the Ford Kuga.

Thank you for this nice review. Is there anything you can say about whether to go for the panoramic roof option or not? I mean, it looks great and I am certainly considering it, but doesn’t it add like extra top weight to an already heavy car with that battery of 250 kg? And did you experience any additional noises from it at high speeds?

QUESTION: I have been trying to source information on how this performs on longer journeys. I regularly go 50-100 miles at work, which would be between charges at home. Can you program the car to anticipate longer journeys and not use EV only? I am trying to calculate the true MPG I would get when doing higher daily milage between charges.. Any info welcome.. thanks

Hi there getting a kuga phev stline x hybrid. It not the plug in mode so does it work similar to review. Great review.

Good review, we had a choice of an X1 PHEV or the model featured in your video. We've ordered the X1 but I remain intrigued by the Kuga. Boot capacity on the Kuga PHEV is circa 410 litres, the battery and optional spare stealing quite a lot of space. CVT gearbox put us off a bit as we'd test driven a RAV 4with one, loved it asides from the gearbox. How did you find the ride of the Kuga? I've read reports that it is hard and choppy because of the battery weight. Overall the car looks good, is certainly well equipped, shame cabin quality couldn't have been improved a little, doorcards in particular.

I don’t actually think that 33/34 mpg while charging the traction battery and driving a heavy SUV at the same time is bad at all. Bear in mind that in 21 miles it increased the battery charge by 12 miles. If you then changed the car to EV only and drove those 12 miles, the mpg for the 33 miles then driven would be 51/52. The Kuga PHEV is more technical and efficient than the video portrays.

I've had one of the first models of Kuga since it first came out in 2008 so now nearly 13 years old and I still love it, but time is coming that I feel I need a new car and don't know what to choose. This one looks good but I do need plenty of boot space to carry p.a. equipment about sometimes. I like the way my present Kuga's seats fold down completely flat but I notice in your film you don't pull the bottom seat upright before lowering the back of the seat - can you still do this on this model? it might put me off having one just for this reason.

When charging the battery whilst driving (charging mode) it will reduce mpg quite a lot.

great review,very informative.Question though-are you zammo from grange hill?😂

St line x is the better option because you don’t get the pan roof in the vignale… I have one due to come in November , I sat and went through all the options and even the agent agrees vignale shouldn’t be too spec

Try and get your hands on a ST LINE X. With a Diesel engine. I’ve been waiting for six months. Ford UK have told me there isn’t a bill date for the vehicle and they don’t know when it will be built. Shocking

What is the consumption difference between ev auto and ev charge?

To much functional central console? Well 2023 model will definitely make you smile with AC controls on touchscreen. Good luck with that ;) And manual? In electric mode single gear?

Are the indicators an extra price to use or what. It's like watching a BMW driver

I was looking at a Ford Puma, but the interior sucks, bought a Mazda XC 30 instead. Nice review 👍

If you run out of battery the car will still do about 49 mpg as long as you dont use the engine to charge the battery

had 2 problems not happy

Hmmmm black color... sporty

POINTLESS stick with my diesel 1.5 ecoblue 72 mpg on a run 52 round town and 10k cheaper than hybrid save ya money

300 to 500 miles drugs have been kicking in then

why go into normal mode to get the figures up when the correct mode would have been ECO MODE not a true representation of its economic capabilities