Ford Puma review

Compared to the Fiesta, the wheelbase is nearly 10cm longer, so you've decent rear room in an urban-friendly, 4.2-metre overall length. It's also wider than the Fiesta in both body and track, which the engineers say was crucial to getting decent cornering out of a tall vehicle.

The back seat is about as roomy as a Focus's. The seats, like the boot, are life-proof. If your kids spill milkshake or vom on the fabric, you can simply zip off the covers and stick them in the washing machine.

What about the tech?

There's plenty of it post facelift. The steering wheel is almost square so that you can see the giant 12.8in dial display behind it, but we'd much prefer smaller dials and a proper steering wheel. Still, at least there are proper, easy-to-understand buttons on said wheel.

The central screen is much better than before too. At 12in it looks large in such a small car, but the SYNC 4 system is super responsive and there's wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto to boot. Unfortunately, Ford has also got rid of the separate physical climate control panel. Lots of shortcuts do live permanently on the bottom of the screen, but it's a regression on what went before in terms of ease of use. We'd always prefer proper buttons for changing the drive modes too, and the same can be said for safety systems that you'll want to immediately turn off like the bonging speed limit warning and the lane keep assist. 

Top spec ST-Line X trim adds luxuries like a wireless phone charger and a premium B&O sound system with 10 speakers including a giant one sat on top of the dash. 

Is it spacious enough for my family? 

Well, the Ford's rear seat doesn't slide but its boot, if you hinge up the floor over the wet bin, is extremely tall. Total is 456 litres seats up, or 1,216 litres seats down.

Plus, because Ford shaved back the load cover supports and the wheel arches, it's a full metre wide throughout. The cover itself is a flexible stretched-cloth job attached to the tailgate so it just bends out of the way if your load is too bulky.

There's no longer a properly posh Vignale trim at the top of the range, but the ST-Line X trim does get 'premium synthetic leather' seats and a power opening tailgate. Still gets the MegaBox boot floor too.