Trunk comparison: Ford Escape vs VW Polo

Key Differences

The Ford Kuga offers significantly more cargo length: with the seats folded down, the Kuga is 13.8 in (25%) longer, and with the first row of seats upright, the advantage is even 12.6 in (48%). The width of the trunk opening is 5.5 in (15%) larger on the Kuga.

In contrast, the VW Polo has a significantly greater depth between the loading edge and the trunk floor: the Polo is 2.8 in (700%) deeper.

Smaller differences — such as the trunk opening height (+2.8 in / 10% in favor of the Kuga), the same loading edge height, and only +0.8 in (2%) more width at the narrowest point on the Kuga — are less relevant for the overall assessment.

Impact on Usability

The longer cargo areas of the Kuga make it better suited for long items (e.g., furniture panels, skis, longer luggage) and for transport tasks with folded seats; the larger opening width facilitates loading wider or bulky parts.

The greater depth in the Polo (the significantly lower trunk floor relative to the loading edge) creates more usable vertical height behind the loading edge and can be advantageous for stackable or tall, narrow items, but it has a downside when lifting heavy items (greater lift into the cargo area) and can make sliding items in sideways more difficult.

The fact that the loading edge height is the same on both models means that overcoming the threshold when loading remains similar. Overall, the Kuga is more versatile for long and wide cargo, while the Polo can score in depth/volume directly behind the loading edge but is overall less flexible for bulky or long goods.