Ford Puma Hatchback 1.0

from £253.99 per month

From a handling perspective, we can very much expect the Puma to be a Crossover first and an SUV second. Or to put it another way, it'll handle far more like a good supermini than a typical Juke or Capture-class contender. The big engineering interest here lies in the 48V mild hybrid powertrain, which in this case is based on Ford's familiar 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. Here, a conventional alternator is replaced with an 11.5kW integrated starter/generator (called a 'BISG'). The resulting powerplant is available in either 125 or 155PS guises, both versions available with a 7-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox. Like most mild hybrids, Ford's 'BISG' set-up works in a couple of ways. Either it can be used when coasting or braking to recover energy (which then gets stored in a small lithium-ion battery); or it can assist the engine during acceleration. The brand says that extra electrified assistance has enabled it to lower the engine's compression ratio and fit a larger turbocharger - which all sounds promising for those in search of perky performance. The alternative non-hybrid engine is the 1.5-litre EcoBoost 200PS unit that features in the top Puma ST Performance model. This delivers 0-62mph acceleration in 6.7 seconds. Top speed is 137mph. An optimised chassis features bespoke twist-beam, anti-roll bar and damper configurations. And steering response is 25% faster and the brakes are 17% larger than the standard Puma.