Faults:

Got random warning lights, traction control etc; stop and restart and they would go away. Took it to Ford and their solution was "It's more than likely dirty sensors, just restart the car / ignore".

Got an engine malfunction warning light, and permanent going into limp home mode. Took it for a spin on the motorway to force a regen because the error was DPF related. Put chemicals in the tank for the DPF, used Forscan to force a DPF regen etc; no change. Every time I went into 4th gear or higher, I would get an engine malfunction and go into limp home mode.

Took it to the garage and left it there for 3 weeks; they replaced a sensor and said they "think" it was sensor but not 100% sure (£350).

3 days after I got it back from Ford I sold it for half the price I paid for it 3 years prior... in Portugal, that's unheard of... I just wanted to get that car as far away from me as possible and FAST!!

General Comments:

Very spacious, but not the best ride.

Was getting about 700Km on a tank (60 litre) on the motorway, but town driving I was getting about 500km to a tank.

South Africa has major issues with Ford Kuga's just bursting into flames... Do a bit of googling about it!!! Literally 100s of them!!!

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

The Kuga is Ford Europe's first venture into the SUV market... and what a result!!

The Kuga is fantastic. I am not normally a 4x4 or SUV driver as I have always had quite sporty cars, but I immediately fell in love with the Kuga on first sight.

Looks wise, nothing in this sector comes close. Ford were late to the SUV market, but quite literally blew everyone out of the water!

It's not the most hardened off roader by any means, but will hold its own over most rough ground (I have taken my off road, even though most Kuga owners won't)

I chose the Zetec version with appearance pack (blacked out windows, 18" alloys and roof rails) in Panther Black and it looks amazing.

The 2.0 TDCI engine is a peach, and is perfectly suited to the Kuga in every way. Bags of torque for overtaking and a fantastic cruiser due to the 6 speed manual gearbox.

Interior quality is second to none, all the materials are fantastic and everything feels very well screwed together.

The dash is beautiful and the drivers seat is a great place to be.

There is plenty of room up front, and the higher seating position gives a brill view of the road ahead.

Rear space is adequate, but anyone over 6ft will struggle over long distances.

The boot is not huge; for a car of this size it should be bigger, but I find it OK for my family's needs. The split rear bootlid is an absolute gem, you don't realise how handy it is until you start using it.

List price of my Kuga was £21500; with the employee privilege voucher (dad works for Ford) and dealer discount I paid £17350 for it, which puts it at higher spec VW Golfs, and in my opinion the Kuga is a different class.

I'm currently getting around 38mpg (420 miles a tank full), but from my experience of Ford TDCI engines, I will see a lot more once the car has covered around 10k miles.

All in all, a fantastic car from Ford. I have had mine for 2 months and 3000 miles and I still love getting into it every time.

Do yourself a favour and try the Kuga before you buy a Qashqui, Tiguan, Freelander, FRV or any other SUV available.