Ford Kuga Plug-In Hybrid range, MPG, CO2 & charging

The Ford Kuga Plug-In Hybrid has a decent electric range, but there’s no fast charging, so you need to trickle-charge overnight

Overall rating

4.0 out of 5

Range, MPG, CO2 & charging rating

4.0 out of 5

Price
£37,755 - £41,355
Fuel Type:
Hybrid Petrol
Fuel economyCO2 emissionsElectric rangeWallbox charge time
202mpg32g/km35 miles3hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW)

Despite the fact that no Kuga Plug-In Hybrid comes with fast-charging capability, the top-up times aren’t as long as you might imagine. As long as you’ve got off-street parking and the ability to recharge overnight, it should be easy to start each day with a full battery. Do so and you’ll benefit from an official 35 miles (more realistically 28-30 miles) on electric power, before the car toggles into one of its other drive modes.

You can charge the battery using the engine, but this isn’t a particularly efficient way of doing things – expect your average fuel economy to plummet if you use this feature on a regular basis. Unless you’re due to enter a specific low-emissions zone, we’d suggest leaving the car in hybrid mode and letting it figure things out.

Ford Kuga Plug-In Hybrid range, MPG & CO2 emissions

Ford claims the Kuga Plug-In Hybrid can return as much as 202mpg. You’ll need a short commute and the ability to charge regularly to realise this lofty figure, but low CO2 emissions give the car an appealing Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax banding; the diesel model’s percentage rating is almost double, so there are huge savings to be made if you’re a company-car driver. No matter which specification or wheel size you go for, every Kuga Plug-In Hybrid emits 32g/km of CO2.

Charge time

The Kuga's 14.4kWh battery is a good size for a plug-in hybrid like this. But a big battery doesn’t mean it takes an age to charge – Ford says a standard domestic socket will give you a full 35 miles of electric power in around six hours, while a 7.4kW wallbox or public charging point will reduce this to a little over three hours.

To charge at a public point, you’ll need to specify the relevant cable at a cost of £195 – the Kuga Plug-In Hybrid only comes with one lead for home-charging as standard. The charge flap is located on the front wing, but opening it reveals only an AC port – there's no option to top up the Kuga from a DC rapid charger.

Most Popular

Electric Ford Puma could become the UK’s best-selling EV
Ford Puma EV
News

Electric Ford Puma could become the UK’s best-selling EV

The Ford Puma EV is set to arrive in 2024 with a range of over 200 miles and a tweaked exterior design
22 May 2023
Vauxhall Corsa Electric facelift brings sharp new look and tech
2024 Vauxhall Corsa Electric - header
News

Vauxhall Corsa Electric facelift brings sharp new look and tech

Vauxhall’s top-selling electric supermini has been updated for 2023, now getting the ‘Vizor’ from the Mokka Electric
24 May 2023
BMW i5 breaks cover as 5 Series EV
BMW i5 - eDrive40 dynamic front
News

BMW i5 breaks cover as 5 Series EV

BMW has unveiled an all-electric version of its long-running 5 Series, with a range of up to 362 miles
24 May 2023