The Ford Puma just got a little bit posher

Last month Ford confirmed it was doing a faster Puma. And now it’s revealed it’s doing a posh one too. At £25,240, the Puma ST-Line X ‘Vignale’ costs an extra £1,550 over and above the already reasonably plush ST-Line X, and gets a load of chrome trim, a special grille, spangly 18-inch alloy wheels and fancy leather to try and justify it.

Vignale was an Italian coachbuilder. Established near Turin a few years after the end of World War Two, it was responsible for the some of the world’s most gorgeous cars. Ford bought it in the early Seventies, but only a few years ago decided to dust-off the name for posh versions of the Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo and so-on.

You don’t see many around, and that’s fine by us. Vignales are expensive and, far as we’re concerned, not worth the extra cash. But hey, maybe the Puma will be the one that changes that…

In other Puma news, Ford has added a seven-speed double-clutch automatic gearbox to the line-up. It’s paired with the 125bhp version of the company’s excellent 1.0-litre engine, but doesn’t get mild-hybrid tech’ like manual cars.

We’ll try the new versions ASAP. In the meantime, click here to read our review of the Ford Puma.