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Muddy drives… the Ford Kuga. The ultimate family car
Muddy Stilettos' Cambs & Suffolk Editor, Holly, took the Kuga Plug-In Hybrid out for 24 hours and she let us know what she thought...
"Clean, streamlined design, flexi rear seats (hello extra legroom), and up to 536L of boot space – aka pack-the-kitchen-sink capacity. Everything feels considered, uncluttered, and surprisingly luxe. I zipped up to my son’s holiday club pick-up feeling a bit smug – not only did I have air con and radio bliss, but I also looked ridiculously sleek doing it. My three-year-old climbed in, ran a hand across the seats and said, completely unprompted, “Well this is a bit lovely, isn’t it?”
"Next morning? Up at the crack of dawn with swimming gear, soggy towels and a chirpy small human. There was space for everything and I still had room to swing my tea flask. Honestly, I was gutted to hand it back."
"Bold exterior? Tick. Big tow capacity (up to 2,100kg)? Tick. Smart connectivity and nav that even plans your route around towing? Tick. Basically, it’s got all the bells and whistles without feeling like you’re flying a plane. Plus, the interior finishes are fancy enough to make you feel like you’ve levelled up – even if you’re still scraping Rice Krispies off the floor mats."
Muddy's Verdict:
Family adventures, long drives, packing it all in and still feeling zen.Worth every penny if you’re looking for grown-up comfort with family-friendly flair.
Let's catch up with Emmaus Suffolk!
After donating the E-Transit to Emmaus Suffolk earlier this year, we had a catch up to find out they had been up to with the van!
From collecting furniture, to dropping off food, the E-Transit has been busy helping the environment and the local community!
Here's a snippet of what they said:
"All of the drivers we've got using the van find it easy to use."
"The E-Transit fits well with all our environmental efficiency goals."
"It's really easy to drive, a lovely vehicle."
WHAT A VAN! Muddy Drives the Ford E-Transit Custom
Muddy Stilettos' Commercial Manager, Fran, took the new Ford E-Transit Custom out for a test drive with her Tradey Hubby and they both raved about it!
"This isn’t the clunky white van of yesteryear. Oh no. This is the Mary Poppins of vans – practically perfect in every way.
While out and about, Fran called in on Multi-Muddy Award winner Emma Peachey (florist and creative queen). In her words: “Floristry is just jazz hands with flowers.” And this van? Well, it’s her dream jazz band.
From muddy fields to moonlit weddings, Emma’s florals need space, style and reliability – and the Ford E-Transit Custom would certainly deliver on all three. Whether you’re doing the school run and a quick paddleboard sesh at the beach (yes, it all fits), or leaving the builder’s yard to head home, this is your new multi-tasking hero."
Muddy's Verdict:
Busy business types who need to move seamlessly from the site to the store and school pick-up on the way home. Your kids will be proud to get in this business mobile.
Let's see what Abby, Technical Manager at the New Wolsey Theatre thought of the Ford E-Transit Van
Our lovely friends over at the New Wolsey Theatre had our E-Transit for their local production tour of the “Hare and Tortoise” across Primary Schools in Ipswich!
See what they thought of the E-Transit van, how they got on with it and would they drive electric again?
"It's my first time driving an electric vehicle, let alone an electric van. I really loved how high tech it was..."
"So much space in the back, had loads of room for all of our equipment."
"The furthest journey we did was about 70 miles, 140 miles round trip. It lasted on a single charge."
I may have changed my mind about having an electric car
CEO of Cancer Support Suffolk, Mark Murphy, recently experienced the All-Electric Ford Capri for the weekend and he's now considering an electric car for himself!
Here's what he thought:
"I was brought up on cars that made a noise, that needed petrol or diesel, and had gears. When I was growing up, I would help my dad fix his own cars and just loved things with four wheels. I left school at 16 and was an apprentice mechanic before becoming a fully fledged auto technician, so I have a real love of cars.
I’m a bit of a Capri nut and had three of them back in the 1980s: a Mark One, 1600gt, a Mark Two, 2 litre Ghia, and a Mark Three, 3 litre Ghia.
It was a beautifully smooth and quiet ride with the acceleration of a sports car. It’s very different from the original Ford Capri, no rattles, no choke, and no blowing exhaust! It came with a full charge, and so we nipped to the local pub for a bite to eat on the Friday night and then pootled around in it on the Saturday.
Everyone’s different, but for me, it’s something I will consider when I change my car next time."
Simon Jay, Local PGA Golf Pro based at Seckford Hall Golf Club, took his family on an adventure in the New Ford Explorer EV!
"We packed up and hit the road in the new Ford Explorer electric car for an unforgettable trip to Legoland and a scenic tour of Windsor!
The drive was smooth, quiet, and surprisingly fun—plenty of room for the whole family. Charging stops were quick and easy, and we loved knowing we were exploring in a more eco-friendly way.
Legoland was great fun. Then, we took a detour to Windsor to admire the castle.
If you're thinking about an electric road trip, the Explorer EV made it effortless—spacious, comfortable, and no range anxiety!"
New All-Electric Ford Capri - It does Gen X beautifully!
Presenter Neil Whiteside from Gen X radio experienced the New All-Electric Capri for himself! Here's what he had to say:
"I'm sitting looking at a brand new gleaming Ford Capri in Rapid Red...it's a beautiful red."
"Let's have a look at the boot...that's more like it!"
"In terms of the seats...these are gorgeous...with moulded in headrest and everything."
"It's blissfully quiet. Comfortable and gentle ride. Don't give me any of that 'electrics haven't got any go in them'...that's extraordinary!"
When asked 'Would you buy one?' by his fellow presenter, he said "I would! 389 miles, I could do most of my average days on that!
It's not like any other car I've sat in."
And finally, putting the entertainment system to the test, Neil found Gen X on the DAB radio and said, "It does Gen X beautifully!"
The Ford Ranger has Pulled....Rudolph
John Grose have been proudly supporting the Ipswich Round Table for many years with their Rudolph Appeal in Ipswich.
This initiative brings a huge amount of festive cheer to the town - with Rudolph and Santa being towed around the streets of Ipswich collecting for local charities.
We supplied them with a Ranger Wildtrak 2.0TD EcoBlue Auto to take on the task in December 2024.
Glenn from the Ipswich Roundtable said "The Ranger is ideal, the 2 seats in the front for the driver & Navigator, rear seats if any of our collectors get tired and the truck bed is perfect for generator, overalls and anything else we may need. The ranger towed brilliantly in all of the rural/ hilly areas we went too."
When asked about how it was to drive? Glenn said "It's brilliant, easy and very comfortable to drive with and without the reindeer. We really enjoyed the heated seats and steering. The rear camera also made attaching the trailer easy.
"The use of the Ranger is absolutely vital to make it work, we've been doing for over 10 years and it is hugely appreciated."
Tyre Assist test out the Explorer
Recently we leant our Ford Explorer to Graeme at Tyre Assist, for a day driving in and around the Ipswich area.
Taking to Instagram Graeme posted:
"Matching Blues - doing sone 'Exploring' in the John Grose Ford Explorer whilst the van is having a brake issue resolved. Great family sized car, great spec, pulls well AND rear wheel drive."
Capri fun! Muddy puts the brand new All-Electric Ford Capri through its paces
The legend is back - and after loving the All-Electric Ford Explorer, Hollie from Muddy Stilettos was keen to get behind the wheel of this electrified legend and "modern drivers will be delighted by all the updates."
Hollie took the New Capri out to see how it faired on a day out Christmas shopping, taking on today’s busy roads, on-the-go lifestyles and tricky car parking spaces.
"The tapered coupé-style boot gives the car a sporty profile and makes a nice change from all the boxier SUVs on the market at the moment. It isn’t style over substance though because the boot space hasn’t been compromised at all by the shape. It's practicality, meets sporty style to perfection."
"While Ford have kept elements of the coupé in the looks, the driving position is much more like a large SUV and you feel a good height above the road with clear visibility."
Muddy goes exploring in the new All-Electric Ford Explorer
Muddy Stilettos were among the first to see the New Ford Explorer when we held our preview event back in December 2023, so as soon as we had a model available to be test driven, it seemed only right that they were at the front of the queue to experience everything this ground breaking all-electric SUV had to offer.
Hollie at Muddy Stilettos Suffolk Cambs team took the New Ford Explorer out on the roads of Suffolk to put it to the test.
"We pushed the battery range to the max too, heading from East Suffolk to South Cambridgeshire and back again without charging."
Venturing off into the Suffolk Countryside, Hollie was able to experience the drive and make good use of the features and technology saying "The car’s excellent suspension made light work of the bumpy off road lay-by and car park and it felt sturdy and excellent quality."
The journey then continued to Cambridge on the busy A14 dual carriageway - "Using the adaptive cruise control made the drive a joy though as the clever car basically drove itself. You can easily set the distance you want to remain from other vehicles as well as the speed using controls on the steering wheel and once I’d learnt to completely trust that the car would slow down I relaxed and just concentrated on the steering."
Hollie's final verdict - "Well, if all electric cars are as good as the All-Electric Ford Explorer then the future’s very bright indeed! I would trade my uneconomic diesel car in for the All-Electric Ford Explorer any day."
St Elizabeth Hospice - Hop Into the Ford Transit
St Elizabeth Hospice provides support to patients and families living progressive and life-limiting illnesses via their facilities and and out in the wider community including in people's homes.
Fund raising is crucial for them and the work they do, and the Art Sculpture trials across the town have historically proved to be a tremendous success. The 2025 campaign will see 38 Hare sculptures scattered across Ipswich & Suffolk - and in order to get these distributed then they were going to need a van.
"We had a rather unusual request for John Grose! Did they have a Transit van large enough for the team here at St Elizabeth Hospice to be able to deliver giant hare sculptures in readiness for our next art trail. The answer, a resounding yes they do! The Transit provided has a great space to safely deliver our large hares, it’s very easy to drive, a 10/10 from us!"
The All-Electric Ford Explorer is Coming...
Hollie from Muddy Stilettos was at the front of the queue to see the New Ford Explorer at our preview event in November 2023.
And with first impressions, we were off to a good start "They’ve really pulled out all the stops in the style department"
As this was a preview event, the model in the showroom wasn't available for test drive - but this meant Hollie could explore the interior features in more detail.
"The interior is really spacious and comfortably seats four adults or a family of four. The look is very luxe with black leather seating with cool zig zag stitching and nicely contrasting light grey details, so it’s not too dark. I love the steering wheel that isn’t a circle or a square, but a squircle – designed for maximum comfort and control when driving and also providing extra knee room for any tall drivers. In front of the wheel there’s also a digital cluster showing all the info you need at a glance – speed, battery charge usage, visual warnings and driver-assistance system displays."