Car of the Year Awards 2025: Best small SUV to drive
A small SUV's compact size mustn’t come at the expense of practicality and should be reflected by low running costs. It should ride comfortably, too, while maintaining a sense of fun...
Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost 125 mHEV ST-Line
Who doesn't like a car that changes direction eagerly, feels beautifully balanced through corners and steers in a way that gives you complete confidence? That’s what the Ford Puma does better than any other small SUV.
True, it has a firmer ride than a Volkswagen T-Roc, but you never feel as though you’re being punished for having fun. What’s more, the Puma delivers livelier performance than most of its rivals, even in entry-level 123bhp 1.0-litre guise. We prefer this option, because you can still get it with a crisp-shifting manual gearbox, whereas the more powerful (155) version is now available only with a less involving automatic ’box.
Where the Puma loses out to the Lexus LBX (and even most other non-premium rivals) is on interior quality. Despite a recent refresh (and a price increase), there’s still too much hard, cheap-feeling plastic on display, and user-friendliness has taken a step backwards, with physical air-con controls being ditched for touchscreen-based alternatives.
Still, the Puma has one of the largest and most versatile boots in the class. Who says you have to sacrifice practicality for driving pleasure?
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