Crossover vehicles have been all the rage for quite some time now - the imperious driving position that fills the driver with confidence when facing down challenges such as the school run or the supermarket car park, the feeling of safety and ruggedness. You wonder whether Ford held out on principle or it was just caught napping, but it has finally made amends with the Kuga.
It doesn't move the game on particularly, but Ford does what it does well - premium mainstream reliability that handles and drives quite nicely, thank you. The styling is rakish and attractive, making rivals like the Nissan Qashqai and Toyota RAV4 look suddenly humdrum in comparison.
The Kuga is based on Focus underpinnings - a little stretching and squeezing was involved but it has lent the car a certain dynamism that other cars in the class will no doubt be jealous of. Of course, the downside of the Focus platform is that space in the rear can get a little tight.
The suspension is excellent here; Focus underpinnings can't defy the laws of physics, but the suspension manages to keep body roll in check whilst levelling out the worst of the ruts and bumps you'll come across. The cabin is well insulated from road noise too, and feels quite luxurious - but then it should for more than £20,000.
The Kuga is an expensive car, but Ford has saved the buyer ignoring the entry-level model by cutting it out completely. Both available specifications come well-equipped, but Ford's shot across the bows of the likes of BMW and VW is seen and understood - Ford has premium pretensions.
The engines occasionally struggle to propel what is quite a heavy car, especially with the 4WD fitted. You probably think we're going to plump for the 2.0-litre diesel as the best all-round engine for the car, and you'd be right, but you want any sort of mildly impressive performance you will need to buy the ageing, thirsty 2.5-litre petrol unit.
The Kuga is designed to be a pricey car, but the Blue Oval manages to pull it off, creating a desirable yet practical SUV. It seems like the Kuga is going to hold its value, too, so it might even make a sensible proposition. It is essentially more of the same from Ford, but when so many of its cars are the best in their respective classes, this is no bad thing.