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, but there are no vents or USB points out there. 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?

The layout of the controls is easy to get your head around, with Ford's Sync 3 touchscreen neatly handling the infotainment duties while separate physical climate controls do their stuff. Hurrah too for Ford's placement of the lane-keeping switch right on the end of the indicator stalk.

The digital dials bring things on-trend, and stitched soft-feel plastics on the dashtop and doors impart a higher-end feeling than a T-Cross. It’s not stunningly graphic, but as these systems go, workmanlike and effective is more than enough. 

Is it spacious enough for my family? 

Talking of which, the T-Cross has a sliding rear seat to grow the boot. The Ford's seat doesn't slide but its boot, if you hinge up the floor over the wet bin, is extremely tall. Total is 456 litres. Plus because they 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.

Even the top-spec Vignale trim with its posh leather seats and swathes of kit gets the MegaBox boot floor. At just over £28,000 that's getting into Puma ST territory though, so probably worth avoiding.