However desperate its troubles may be in its native America, in Europe Ford seems unable to put a foot wrong. The Mondeo, S-Max, Galaxy and Focus are the most capable cars in their classes, and if the forthcoming Fiesta is even half as good as it looks, life is going to get a whole lot tougher for the marque’s European opposition.

So it will come as a relief to Ford’s rivals to learn that it can put a foot wrong. In fact it can on occasion shoot a hole right through its foot, and I know this because I’ve just driven the brand’s new Kuga “soft-roader”.

For a company that’s usually so self-assured, Ford seems to lack confidence whenever it attempts to build a 4x4. Its two most recent efforts were the Explorer - an American import that told us all we needed to know about why nobody any longer buys Ford cars over the Pond - and the Maverick, which besides being poor, wasn’t even a proper Ford, rather a rebadged Nissan. The Kuga, though, is all Ford, and all European Ford at that. And it’s based on the excellent Focus, so by rights it should offer an outstanding drive.

But it doesn’t. It looks reasonably good as you approach it - the designers have done a fine job in giving the Kuga real presence while retaining the trademark Ford look. And if you think its appearance is a little too “bling”, take a close look at the likes of the Honda CR-V and Land Rover Freelander, and you’ll appreciate how Ford is merely responding to customer requirements.

Drive the Kuga and I’ll wager you won’t get far past the end of your own street before doubts start to surface. At the moment there’s only one engine available - a 2 litre diesel producing just 136bhp – and while that may be sufficient for a Focus hatchback, it is barely adequate in the weighty Kuga.

Although it is based on the Focus, its extra bulk and height, and the four-wheel-drive transmission add considerably to its overall weight. At 1,613kg it weighs fully 222kg more than a Focus with the same engine – approximately the same weight as a family of four. So don’t expect it to be fast, and don’t anticipate great frugality: while in a Focus this engine can better 51mpg, in the Kuga that’s less than 45mpg. Consequently, its greater emission levels place it two road-tax bands higher than the Focus, so you end up paying an extra £50 per year for a tax disc, and in excess of £700 more for company car tax (if you pay tax at 40%).

Maybe I’m being unkind, for despite sharing its platform, the Kuga doesn’t rival the Focus, and instead tackles head-on the aforementioned Honda CR-V and Freelander, plus the many similar SUVs that have exploded onto the market in the past few years. Compared directly with any of these cars, the Kuga fares rather better: it has the lowest emissions in its class and better than average performance, and as for the driving experience I’d be surprised if the Kuga didn’t prove to be one of the best.

Maybe that’s academic, though, for this type of vehicle is for people who couldn’t care less whether their car is any good, as long as it cuts the right dash. To this end they will happily spend thousands extra to buy a car that is demonstrably inferior to the one upon which it’s based, justifying it with the assertion that four-wheel drive makes it a safer mode of family transport . . . even though that can’t be proved. I’d actually argue the opposite: that four-wheel drive encourages people to drive in too cavalier a manner in adverse road conditions, lulled by a false sense of security.

Fairly recently I drove almost all the contenders in the so-called “soft-roader” class - one after the other for two days straight - and in the process I discovered I didn’t particularly care for any of them. At the time the Kuga hadn’t been released, but it’s hard to believe its presence would have altered my conclusion that this is the most underachieving class of car presently on sale.

As an SUV, then, the Kuga is quite good, but by any other standards, it’s not nearly good enough.

Vital statistics

Model Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi Titanium

Engine type 1997cc, four cylinders, turbodiesel

Power / Torque 136bhp @ 4000rpm / 236 lb ft @ 2000rpm

Transmission Six-speed manual

Fuel / CO2 44.1mpg (combined cycle) / 169g/km

Performance 0-62mph: 10.7sec / Top speed: 112mph

Road tax E (£165 for 12 months)

Price £22,495

Verdict Maybe the best in its class, but that’s not saying much

Rating

Date of release Now

The opposition

Model Land Rover Freelander 2 Td4 SE £28,805 For Stylish inside and out, surprisingly good off-road Against Expensive compared with rivals, strange steering

Model Honda CR-V 2.2i CTDi £25,090 For A quite car-like SUV to drive, smooth engine Against Looks rather strange, quite costly, fiddly controls

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