Puma’s at the peak

Unusually for a compact family crossover, the Puma features the kind of enjoyable driving dynamics for which the blue oval badge marque is renowned.

It’s also a real head-turner and comes packed with creature comforts and goodies – especially in this trim.

My test car was powered by Ford’s excellent 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine developing 125PS and mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

A simple push of a button in the centre console allows you to select between five drive modes – normal, sport, eco, slippery and – and these really make a difference.

The car was noticeably more willing and the thrum of the three-pot unit very pleasing when I engaged the sport setting along country lanes.

Wintry weather also led me to try out the slippery mode and it controlled things beautifully, dampening the throttle response and preventing any wheelspin.

The steering is nicely weighted and responsive, while the sports suspension enabled me to take corners with confidence.

There was no hint of alarming wallowing that can often be common with crossovers. But I also noticed how well it rode over weather-rutted surfaces.

For the record, this Puma can manage 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds and has a top speed of 116mph, so longer motorway journeys are very manageable.

Meanwhile, official fuel stats put the average miles per gallon at 45.6, with CO2 tailpipe levels at 140g/km.

And the cabin of the ST-Line Vignale is a very pleasant place in which to spend lots of time – with plush, quilted and perforated leather seats to cosset you.

These are heated up front, as is the perforated leather flatbottomed steering wheel, and there are plenty of other softtouch finishings atop the instrument cluster and in the door panels.

I also really liked the carbontrail look detailing that ran across the front of the dashboard, which seemed to be in keeping with the quite sporty driving position.

There is good room for up to three kids in the back, depending on their ages, while the boot is a healthy 456 litres, rising to 1216 litres with the 60/40 split rear seats folded.

The clever bit is the 80-litre MegaBox compartment below the normal floor level. With a waterproof lining and drain hole, it’s ideal for mucky outdoor gear and means you can stand taller items upright.

I also appreciated the way that the car doors wrap over the side sills – so your clothes stay clean as you clamber in and out.

Families will also love the Ford

SYNC 3 infotainment system incorporating a three-way split eight-inch touchscreen that lets you see the map, music and phone details at once.

It features full smartphone connectivity as well as the ability to respond to natural voice commands. It can read out your text messages, too.

The set-up also includes a B&O 10-speaker sound system, on-board wi-fi for up to 10 devices, intelligent sat nav with live traffic updates and there is a wireless charging pad.

As the driver, I also admired the fully digital 12.3in instrument cluster, which features a glowing puma on start-up and changes appearance depending on the driving mode selected.

Other goodies include keyless entry and start, automatic air con, auto lights (including high beam) and wipers, cruise control, lane keeping aid, autonomous emergency braking, and front and rear parking sensors.

I would be tempted to add the optional £900 Driver Assistance Pack, which includes blind spot and rear cross traffic alerts, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, active park assist and a rear-view camera.

The Puma – which costs from £27,340 on the road in this guise – also has plenty of kerb appeal, with bold front and rear ends, swooping lines and dynamic creases.

The ST-Line Vignale enhances these looks with smart use of gloss black and chrome elements all around the car, 18in five twin-spoke alloys and a large rear spoiler.

As the Puma is able to tick so many boxes, it’s no surprise that it was crowned Scottish Car of the Year by motoring journalists at the end of 2020.