![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--4zXg2Tzw--\/f_auto,t_related-embed-mobile@1\/v1690903105\/autoexpress\/2023\/07\/Best%20SUVs%20-%20August%202023%20header%20image.jpg\")
Top 10 best SUVs to buy 2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe plug-in hybrid Kuga will continue on and it features a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a 14.4kWh battery \u2013 the same as before. Ford has managed to drop the acceleration from 9.2 seconds to 7.3 seconds. Electric-only range has also improved, but only by one mile, to 42 miles. That means the Kuga stays in the eight per cent BiK tax bracket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
CAP data reveals that ST-Line, Titanium and ST-Line X trim levels are retained, joined by a new \u2018Active\u2019 version. In other Ford models such as the Focus and the old Fiesta the Active was a mildly off-road focused model, with the Kuga however we expect it to be a basic entry-level trim, based on previous spy shots.<\/p>\n
As for the Kuga\u2019s design, the US saw the updated Kuga way back in 2022 and while our version will look a little different, there are unlikely to be any big surprises from the new look.<\/p>\n
Ford\u2019s apparent apprehension over launching the facelifted Kuga here in the UK is understandable when you factor-in how popular the current model still is. The third-generation Kuga arrived in 2019 and is still a regular in Britain\u2019s top 10 best-selling cars list.<\/p>\n
As we\u2019ve said, the US Kuga (badged \u2018Escape\u2019) has already been on sale for a while now. Our spy photography shows we can expect the European car to look almost identical to the Escape.<\/p>\n
Our latest glimpse of the Kuga facelift suggests two distinct trim levels. The white car looks to be an entry-level model and could be called \u2018Active\u2019 – judging from the unpainted wheel arches, unpainted bumpers front and rear and the silver faux skid plate to the rear. It also has unpainted black wing mirrors and a different set of alloy wheels compared to the blue car.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--7egvacjA--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1702574112\/autoexpress\/2023\/12\/2024%20Ford%20Kuga%20-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a more upmarket look to the blue car. The faux side air intakes don\u2019t incorporate a fog light, it has a different grille insert (more akin to Ford\u2019s ST-Line models) together with body coloured bumpers, skid skirts, wheel arches and wing mirrors.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--2ndlamRb--\/v1683626472\/assets\/partners\/powered-by-motorway_150x70.png\")
\n![](\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ad?iu=\/359\/impcount.co.uk&sz=1x1&t=creative%3DAEXMotorwayWidgetApril2022&c=%%CACHEBUSTER%%\")
<\/p>\n
Both cars feature a narrower grille than the outgoing Kuga, with the Ford embedded in a similar fashion to that seen on the facelifted Focus. There are also new LED headlights with a central light bar and a redesigned bumper. The facelift brings a new design of rear light signature as well. As we can see there\u2019s chrome tip dual-exit exhausts too – a feature of the Kuga\u2019s sporty design language.<\/p>\n
We also expect the new Kuga to get an update inside. The latest version of Ford SYNC4\u00a0infotainment will appear, \u200b\u200boperated via a new 13.2-inch central touchscreen, although the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster will probably remain. The US-spec Escape can be had with various safety systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, collision avoidance and pedestrian detection. Optional extras include a head-up display, panoramic roof and a wireless smartphone charging pad.<\/p>\n
Given this is the first time we\u2019ve seen the facelifted Kuga testing in Europe, a full reveal isn\u2019t expected until 2024. Pricing for the new Kuga should start slightly higher than the current car\u2019s \u00a333,380 starting price tag.<\/p>\n
Check out the latest <\/em><\/strong>Ford news and reviews here<\/em><\/strong>…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nSource: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mid-sized SUV will be revitalised in 2024 with a fresh look We\u2019ve been patient but now it looks like the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":249051,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim - AutoMotoBuzz.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim - AutoMotoBuzz.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mid-sized SUV will be revitalised in 2024 with a fresh look We\u2019ve been patient but now it looks like the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AutoMotoBuzz.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-19T19:20:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"mediabest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Ford-Kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-Active-trim-.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"mediabest\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/\",\"name\":\"Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim - AutoMotoBuzz.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-19T19:20:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-19T19:20:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#\/schema\/person\/74db1979fe71b5ea01513ec1ce5bc609\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Car Reviews\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/category\/car-reviews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/\",\"name\":\"AutoMotoBuzz.com\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#\/schema\/person\/74db1979fe71b5ea01513ec1ce5bc609\",\"name\":\"mediabest\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7cef2e0d8d634cb49d54f7c48b549a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7cef2e0d8d634cb49d54f7c48b549a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"mediabest\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim - AutoMotoBuzz.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim - AutoMotoBuzz.com","og_description":"Mid-sized SUV will be revitalised in 2024 with a fresh look We\u2019ve been patient but now it looks like the","og_url":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/","og_site_name":"AutoMotoBuzz.com","article_published_time":"2023-12-19T19:20:05+00:00","author":"mediabest","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Ford-Kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-Active-trim-.jpg","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"mediabest","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/","url":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/","name":"Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim - AutoMotoBuzz.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-12-19T19:20:05+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-19T19:20:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#\/schema\/person\/74db1979fe71b5ea01513ec1ce5bc609"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/car-reviews\/ford-kuga-facelift-to-go-back-to-basics-with-new-entry-level-active-trim\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Car Reviews","item":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/category\/car-reviews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Ford Kuga facelift to go back to basics with new entry-level Active trim"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/","name":"AutoMotoBuzz.com","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#\/schema\/person\/74db1979fe71b5ea01513ec1ce5bc609","name":"mediabest","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7cef2e0d8d634cb49d54f7c48b549a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7cef2e0d8d634cb49d54f7c48b549a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"mediabest"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249052"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--11lee9im--\/f_auto,t_author-mobile@1\/v1570031548\/autoexpress\/alastair_crooks_headshot.jpg\")
![](\"https:\/\/media.autoexpress.co.uk\/image\/private\/s--LXZAtYXR--\/f_auto,t_content-image-full-mobile@1\/v1702574174\/autoexpress\/2023\/12\/2024%20Ford%20Kuga%20Facelift%20-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n