Ford Puma – leader of the pack

THE Ford Puma has topped the UK new car sales charts for the past two years, and while landing the hat-trick is likely to prove difficult it’s easy to understand how it has remained so popular.

There are various reasons – it’s not only a stylish and fun car to drive but it ticks plenty of practicality and economy boxes too.

And there’s some icing on the cake as well, because if you enjoy nippy performance and pin-sharp handling then this is just about the best compact SUV on the market.

Pumas start at £26,350 and all come with a 1.0-litre Ecoboost hybrid petrol engine under the bonnet, most producing 125PS, though our tested model in high spec ST-Line X trim with seven-speed auto transmission developed 155PS.

And topping the line-up is the performance-related Puma ST with 160PS, yet still capable of returning fractionally under 48 miles per gallon.

But regardless of model the Puma stands out as an enjoyable car to drive with its positive, accurate steering, lively engine and, in the case of ST-Line grade upwards, sports suspension – it really comes into its own cruising round country lanes.

The only downside is that you do feel the bumps on uneven surfaces, though the ride is generally smooth on faster roads and in more level conditions.

Driver assistance aids like Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Assist and automatic LED headlights are also all there along with drive modes for Normal, Eco, Sport, Trail and Slippery conditions.

Move inside and the arrival of a recent revamp has freshened up the cabin where space in front is more than adequate while two adults can sit comfortably in rear, even with the front seats slid fully back.

An adult centre passenger can feels inconvenienced though, having to sit in a perched position with feet either side of the transmission tunnel.

The cabin is dominated by a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen that’s intuitive to use along with a 12.8-inch digital cluster and the space is littered with stowage options.

There’s a deep, lidded central box with lift-out tray, a smartphone charging pad, glovebox, various storage holes and containers along with cupholders in all four doors and behind the gearshift.

Carrying capacity is terrific, mainly due to the 80-litre Ford MegaBox storage space beneath the split-level boot floor.

It’s ideal for loose shopping, unstable items like wet sports kit, muddy boots or houseplants which can be drained out via a plug in the base. The rear seats also split and fold 60:40 to extend the boot space.

You get an impressive degree of standard features even from base level, the likes of 17-inch machined alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, cruise control, body styling kit, automatic LED headlamps and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity.

ST-Line X adds larger 18-inch wheels, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, puddle lamps that project the Puma logo at night, keyless entry and start, synthetic leather seats with red stitching to name but a few.

And there remains the possibility to add a fair few more, our tested model also including £4,400 of extras including Desert Island Blue paint (£800), 19-inch alloys with a matt black and machined finish (£500), a Winter Pack of front heated seats and heated steering wheel (£350), driver assistance pack (£950), glare-free Matric LED headlamps (£800) and a power-opening panorama roof (£1,000), taking the tab to £35,750.

That said, you can pay almost £10K less and still get a Puma Titanium that keeps the compact SUV bar at a high level – it’s enjoyable to live with and represents genuine value for money.