Ford is a popular automotive manufacturer with a proven record of manufacturing durable and reliable vehicles with advanced technology and features. Ford is a best-seller in hatchbacks, SUVs, sedans, and pick-up trucks. The Kuga and Escape look similar but they differ in some aspects. The Escape was unveiled in 2000 while the Kuga was introduced in 2013 as the successor of the Escape. Even though they somewhat look similar, they actually differ slightly with respect to interior space, performance, etc. This review will focus on the performance, interior, exterior, style, and engine capacity of the Ford Escape and Ford Kuga.
N.B: Prices are reflective of average BE FORWARD prices as of March 2023
Exterior
Kuga
Escape
Kuga
The exterior of the 2023 Kuga is curvy with standard features that include a large grille, bright and spiking LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, privacy glass, a heated windscreen, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Higher-spec models come with adaptive LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels, while the ST-Line Edition adds stiffer suspension and sportier styling.
Escape
The Ford Escape has a curvy exterior, a long hood, and a wide grille flanked by LED headlights and DRLs. On the sides, you find body-colored door handles and mirrors, and sharp creases. Choosing the high-end ST-Line trim, you’ll get a much sportier version with a red interior kit, a matt black grille, a body color kit, and revised suspensions.
Interior
Kuga
Escape
Kuga
The Kuga’s interior is curvy and spacious. It comes fitted with a centrally located user-friendly 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with smartphone connectivity, and physical climate control buttons.
The seats are comfortable and supportive with lumbar support as standard. The high driving position is great, and the supportive driver seat with plenty of adjustments, including lumbar support and height and reach steering.
Unlike the analog instrument cluster that is standard, top trims come with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The car has plenty of legroom and headroom throughout, with the rear bench capable of sliding back and forth to improve or reduce legroom and boot space
Escape
The 2023 Escape’s cabin is spacious and neatly styled throughout. It comes with an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster as standard, with a larger 12.3-inch available on the top trims.
Cloth upholstery is standard, while the top-spec models are fitted with faux leather as standard.
There is enough cargo space behind the rear seat which can be adjusted by sliding back and forth the rear seat.
The appeal of SUVs such as the Ford Kuga and Escape is their powerful performance on steep slopes and off-road trails. Learn about the latest SUVs from The best off-road cars!
Fuel efficiency
Kuga
Escape
Kuga
The standard turbocharged 1.5-liter powerplant paired with a six-speed manual transmission has an average fuel rating of 15km/L.
The hybrid model with a 2.5-liter engine paired with two motors has an average rating of 22km/L. This model is paired with a CVT transmission.
Escape
The PHEV model is fitted with a 10.7-kWh battery pack, that can power it for an estimated 60 kilometers of electric-only driving. Its average fuel rating is 70km/L.
The turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder model in FWD or AWD has an average rating of 48 km/L and 45 km/L respectively.
The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with AWD has an average rating of 42km/L.
There are many fuel-efficient SUVs similar to the Ford Kuga and Escape. Find the perfect car for you based on the characteristics and prices of each car from the following blog.
Engine
Kuga
Escape
Kuga
The standard engine on the 2023 Kuga is the 1.5-liter Ecoboost(EcoBlue)-powered petrol or diesel engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission. A hybrid system that pairs the 2.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with two motors is an option. It comes with a CVT transmission.
Escape
The Escape has several powertrains, the base turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine in FWD or AWD, two hybrids (PHEV and FHEV) that pairs a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two motors, and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The petrol engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic while the hybrids are paired with a CVT transmission.
Price
| Kuga | |
| 2023 | US$ 40,400 – US$51,500 |
| 2022 | US$ 32,400 – US$39,200 |
| 2021 | US$ 28,500 – US$32,800 |
| 2020 | US$ 26,400 – US$30,300 |
| 2019 | US$ 21,000 – US$24,700 |
| 2018 | US$ 18,600 – US$23,000 |
| Escape | |
| 2023 | US$ 29,495 – US$40,500 |
| 2022 | US$ 27,000 – US$37,000 |
| 2021 | US$ 19,000 – US$33,000 |
| 2020 | US$ 16,000 – US$31,000 |
| 2019 | US$ 14,500 – US$26,000 |
| 2018 | US$ 12,000 – US$26,000 |
Writer’s perspective
The Ford Escape was introduced in 2001 as a compact crossover SUV. In 2013 Ford introduced the Ford Kuga as a replacement for the Ford Escape in the European and other markets outside the USA.
From this review, I have to the conclusion that the Ford Escape and Ford Kuga a identical twins as they are the same car just branded differently. The only difference is that the Escape is only available with an automatic transmission as standard with CVT available on the hybrid models, while the Kuga comes with a manual transmission as standard with CVT available on the hybrid models.
Written by: Samuel
Final Verdict
Ford Kuga Ford Escape
Capacity/Doors 4doors/5 seater 4 doors/ 5 seater
Torque 270 Nm – 400 Nm 184 Nm – 302 Nm
Top Speed 240 Kph 223 Kph
0-100 km/h 8.7 sec 11.6 sec 6.4 sec
Max Power 120 PS - 225 PS 179 PS – 207 PS
Engine 1.5L – 2.5L 1.5L – 3.0L
Fuel Tank Capacity 45L – 60L 53.7L – 59L
Key Features Adaptive Cruise Control with
Stop & Go, Speed Sign
Recognition and Lane
Centring, Active Park Assist
2, Auto high beam, Front
wide-view camera, Front
and rear parking sensorsIntelligent Adaptive Cruise
Control, Rear View Camera,
Evasive Steering Assist,
Lane-Keeping System,
Voice-Activated Navigation
System, Active Park Assist
2.0
Fuel Consumption 15.1 Km/L - 18.1 Km/L 13.0km/L - 15.5km/L
Length x Width x Height 4.45×1.86×1.72 m 4.54×1.84×1.71 m
BE FORWARD PRICE USD 7,510 – USD 14,920 USD 1,490 – USD 30,530
Ford has a good reputation in car manufacturing, with their cars known fro reliability, dependability, durability, and good resale value.
The Ford Escape and the Kuga are some of those car models in the Ford lineup that are countless in almost every aspect of car details, but there are minor differences between those cars. Kuga and Escape seem to have good comfortability and performance but the Kuga latest model seems to have more comfortability, high performance, and space. Both Kuga and Escape seem to have similar fuel economies.
After perusing through this review, we hope you will have enough understanding of these two Ford Kuga and Ford Escape. You can buy Kuga or Escape on BE FORWARD.
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I am a Telecom & ICT specialist with a career spanning over 15 years in the demanding Tanzanian telecom industry.
I am also an avid DIYer with a good knack for everything technical and a wealth of vocational skills, with automotive being the top, and here I am writing about cars.
In 2017 a guy created a WhatsApp group called MyCar for the sole purpose of members helping each other with all matters regarding cars. I joined this group in 2018, and with my enormous wealth of knowledge regarding cars, and my readiness to share the knowledge with others, I became a top contributor, and that didn’t go unnoticed, as one member thought I was a potential writer and had contacts with Be Forward Japan who were looking for writers then. Fast forward to January 2020, I began writing for the Be Forward blog with 2024 being my fourth year.
As far as I can remember, I love cars, and growing up in the farming and tourist city of Arusha Tanzania in the ’80s and ’90s, I ended up being drawn to the Ranger Rover Classic for leisure and Land Cruiser 70 pickup as a workhorse. These were tough cars then, cars that could take you anywhere any time no matter the weather.
