Strange but TRUE

Ford Kuga - competent, capable, pretty, but what was Ford thinking with the name?

Let's get a couple of things straight. Ford's SUV crossover is Kuga not Cougar although that didn't stop one bloke from suggesting women driving it could be type-cast as on the prowl for the younger male demographic. But he's an Aussie motor industry executive so we discounted his viewpoint immediately.

Kuga, in fact, is the Serb-Croatian word for plague. Huh? Surely Ford could have had more imagination than that but, ours is not to reason why. Still, it's a pity such a strange name can cloud perceptions because this is a competent, adaptable and pretty looking motor car.

This SUV is based on the Ford Focus which has gathered more awards than John Rowles has had farewell tours and if the Kuga's bodywork gives the impression of being much longer, it's only just. The height makes it look longer is all and is another of those perceptions that need closer examination. Clever engineering that lifts up the roof and puffs out the bodywork a bit means the head and legroom is really rather substantial.

The Kuga benefits from years of Focus experience in other ways too - think of suspension, cornering abilities and sheer fluidity which Ford call 'kinetic' design and it doesn't stop there. You might recognise the instruments as Focus facelift 2008. Of course no SUV can compete in terms of aerodynamics with the low-slung slippery shape of your road car but it's fair to say the Kuga handles very well indeed given the weight and height. The 'brainy' all-wheel-drive system ensures it has the road manners of a decent family sedan.

What it doesn't have are those tricky bits that control down-dale traction. Ford argue it's not necessary and they're being honest. How many premium SUVs do you honestly see mud plugging? No, the Kuga is designed unashamedly for middle age executives or younger couples with families. It's high enough on the road for the kids not to get car sick, it has enough room for holiday luggage, it can ably cope with towing a boat and offers a double-opening tail gate.

In New Zealand you can have any model so long as it's the premium Titanium model with a 2.5 litre Duratec turbocharged petrol engine but the lack of choice doesn't detract from what it offers. There's a huge range of quality specifications included in the nearly $54,000 price tag and if comparisons have to be made have a look at an entry level BMW X1 and spot the difference.

To WoF

or not

to WoF?

The MTA is not convinced the proposed reforms to vehicle licensing will save the time and money the government suggests. Furthermore, assuming the roadside checks will be carried out by the police, that resources will be stretched.

Marketing Manager, Ian Stronach, says the existing WoF system does a 'relatively good job' of protection now and he'd like to see any changes improve rather than weaken the system.

"Only 36 per cent of owners get their WoF on time. There are 275,000 cars on the road now without a WoF. If we can't enforce these things as they are, how will we do more?" he asks.

"The police are stretched now and cannot cope. If New Zealand was to add 500 more police, and they admit it costs $145,000 per year for every officer, it equates to an additional $72.5 million per year."

He says the MTA doesn't believe the police have the time or resources to carry out effective inspections on the side of the road and it's a job for trained specialists in proper premises.