Ford Kuga verdict

It goes without saying just how prominent the UK's fleet market is these days, with 600,000 cars registered in 2024 compared with 490,000 at the same time last year, which means plug-in hybrids like this - themselves part of a growing market - have to work harder than ever to prove their worth.

The Kuga brings with it the sort of cornering dynamics that make it feel just above the class standard, as well as handsome looks and refreshed technology inside to bring it in line with its most fiercely-contested rivals, but even so it doesn't quite cut the mustard among the competition anymore.

While commendably spacious and practical, the PHEV version isn’t without compromise in terms of dynamics and ergonomics, with awkward-feeling steering and a distinctly non-compliant ride quality on the UK’s rutted roads. 

What we would have liked to have seen improved over the pre-facelift car is greater precision and finesse in the way the hybrid's electrified powertrain conducts itself. Its unpleasant noise and uncompetitive range make it seem as if Ford has little in the way of experience developing hybrid powertrains; a fact which we know is untrue.