Ford Puma ST Powershift

Our favourite sports SUV gains the option of a mild hybrid engine and an automatic gearbox On sale Now Price from £31,060

- Doug Revolta

WE LOVE THE Ford Puma ST. It was one of the first great sports SUVs that wasn't a two-tonneplus monster with a long line of zeros in its price. Instead, it was a compact, agile, joyous thing that was well priced and very practical for a car of its size.

And what's this? A new version with an automatic gearbox? Intriguing. But hang on: it also has a different engine with less power.

While the manual Puma ST borrows the 197bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine from the sadly departed Fiesta ST hot hatch, this 'Powershift' version has a 168bhp mild hybrid 1.0-litre unit. It comes with a seven-speed automatic 'box, and the 0-62mph time slows from 6.7sec to 7.4sec.