Ford Kuga vs Hyundai Tucson comparison

The Ford Kuga is the American response to Korean crossovers' takeover of the global market. And frankly, they managed to impose the struggle: the Koreans had to urgently rework the project of the future SUV in order to keep up.

History

The Ford Kuga was introduced in 2007. Almost immediately, the car began to be assembled at the facilities of the now closed car plant in Yelabuga (Republic of Tatarstan). At the moment, the production of the third generation of this model is underway. Previous restyling took place in 2011 and 2019.

Its competitor was originally intended for the American market. The name of one of the industrial centers of the state - Tucson in the state of Arizona should have attracted buyers of the 2007 model. But a crossover of this type has long been awaited in the markets and other states, so the company released it worldwide. Regional versions of the Hyundai Tucson may have different names. In China, it appears under the codename ix35, which caused a little confusion for the author of the article. The German agency TUV tested it under the same name.

Reliability

The new Kugas are completely reliable. According to the British website Carbuyers, the model was ranked 34th among the best in terms of driver satisfaction. Only 13% of owners reported microscopic defects in the first year of use.

Hyundai Tucson ranks 53rd in the same rating. It has the same breakdown rate as the Kuga. But satisfaction hasn't been raised either by the durability of the components or by the unlimited warranty.

Two years after the start of operation, with equal mileage, the Kuga comes to the fore. She was only one tenth of a percent missing to enter the green zone of the German used car rating. The Korean SUV, with its problem sensors, clinking unbalanced cylinders and more, rolls back into the orange zone at 6.5 percent of total cars sold.

By the age of 4, the Tucson's breakdowns have doubled, but so far the car is desperately clinging to the top 100. Adding two percent for the Kuga puts it in the green zone of safety. But on the other hand, by this moment the American has a great differentiation of breakdowns: battery, braking system, suspension. Cases are considered isolated, although complaints are found in almost every third review on independent sites with moderation. Inevitably, one wonders - are pedantic Germans correct in calculating statistics?

You can't blame them for oversight. A twofold increase in breakdowns after hundreds of thousands of kilometers. mileage is reflected in the table. The six-year-old Kuga is again in the yellow zone and this time deep. Koreans continue to remain in the orange zone.

The eight- and nine-year-old cars of the Koreans have practically exhausted their resources. On average, they will be enough for 106 thousand kilometers. And then corrosion and massive decay of units pave the way for scrap. It makes no sense to suffer. You can still make one good out of two or three cars for disassembly, but is it worth it. You will have to invest a lot, but there will be little effect. But Kuga, despite its problems, is able to maintain high positions, closing the top thirty.

Appearance

Kuga immediately took the leading position in this class. The car is one step ahead of similar ones even in its own line. The car looks unusual even in the first generation. The sloping roof has become the hallmark of the model. Although in the reviews it is the roof that is often blamed for everything. It is least protected from flying objects. The pebble makes a deep crack, and at worst it can pierce and cause fatal injury to the passenger.

The Asian take on the design of the first generation Tucson has disappointed consumers. Angry reviews prompted Koreans to start collaborating with European designers. The appearance has been seriously redesigned. Despite the haters' efforts, the crossover has won the industry style award. The next generation only aggravated this attitude.

Salon

Ford and Hyundai are at opposite poles in their interior design principles. The Kuga's interior showcases technological advances. Each new generation makes the trip more comfortable and safer. The Kuga is a typical city car with relative bells and whistles. And it keeps up with the trends.

The Korean is far behind his counterpart. It looks poor compared to the Kuga. The focus of the model is laconicism and minimalism. But there are also complaints. For example, some retardation in development - the usual functions of a keyless start of the car and opening the trunk with a kick are absent. But one thing will nevertheless appear in the coming years: both manufacturers will be obliged to install alcolocks.

Technical characteristics maximum

What machines are suitable for

Hyundai will be appreciated by lovers of economical driving. The Tucson is one of the top fuel-consuming crossovers. It works on budgetary AI-92 and diesel engines, respectively, while Kuga uses only 95th gasoline. Loses the American and the volume of the trunk. The difference in acceleration to hundreds of kilometers per hour is minimal. Therefore, we do not take it into account.

Based on all the analysis, we make an obvious conclusion - Tucson will help out on long-distance highways, while Kuga is suitable for daily trips around the city. Until sales of electric crossovers began.