RAY MASSEY: Ford wins the plaudits with Puma and Kuga SUV

Ford is on a roll. Its Puma vary was the best-selling new automobile mannequin for 2023 with practically 50,000 delivered final yr.

And by the top of this yr, Ford will reveal an all-electric Puma as certainly one of 9 electrical fashions to go on sale in 2025. To cap all of it, the Puma ST 1.5 Ecoboost was named sports activities SUV of the yr on this week’s What Car? Awards. 

The Capri can also be set to return again, reimagined as a sporty electrical SUV crossover. Disguised fashions have been spied on take a look at in Germany.

The Ford Transit Custom was the UK’s best-selling van for the tenth consecutive yr, topping the business car league. It goes all-electric this yr with the E-Transit Custom already on sale forward of first buyer deliveries within the second half of the yr.

The Ford Ranger pick-up truck loved a file yr with gross sales of greater than 18,750 because it added the brand new Tremor, Wildtrak X and Platinum fashions to its line-up with a brand new plug-in hybrid Ranger to observe.

Power ranger: The new fourth-generation Ford Kuga SUV is on sale this month

Adding to the combo this week comes the upgraded and refreshed new Ford Kuga SUV vary — on sale this month — the fourth era since 2008.

Powered by a 2.5-litre engine linked to an electrical motor, the 243 hp plug-in hybrid (PHEV) petrol-electric model guarantees as much as 43 miles of pure electrical driving and is geared toward ‘clients who can make the most of residence or public charging’. 

For drivers ‘who could not have handy charging shut at hand’ — at present many individuals, notably the 40 per cent of households who shouldn’t have their very own driveways — there may be the self-charging Kuga Hybrid, additionally with a 2.5-litre petrol engine (180 hp front-wheel drive and 183 hp all-wheel drive).

The upgraded and refreshed new Ford Kuga SUV vary — on sale this month — is the fourth era since 2008

Powered by a 2.5-litre engine linked to an electrical motor, the 243 hp plug-in hybrid petrol-electric model guarantees as much as 43 miles of pure electrical driving

Both Kuga Plug-In Hybrid and Kuga Hybrid AWD (all-wheel drive) ship considerably improved acceleration, with the lowered emissions

This, says Ford, presents the comfort of an electrified powertrain with as much as 576 miles of driving vary on a single tank of gas. 

There’s additionally a petroleum mild-hybrid 1.5-litre EcoEnhance (150 hp front-wheel drive). Prices from £32,080.

Both Kuga Plug-In Hybrid and Kuga Hybrid AWD (all-wheel drive) ship considerably improved acceleration, with the lowered emissions, says Ford.

Mokka order books open  

Vauxhall has opened order books for its new Mokka Electric Long Range crossover SUV.

It encompasses a new 54 kWh battery and a 156 hp electrical motor for improved effectivity, efficiency and vary — up by greater than 20 per cent to as much as 252 miles.

Prices are from £37,610 in Design trim, £39,985 for GS and £42,295 for Ultimate — a rise of £1,000 on the present, much less highly effective 50 kWh battery and 136 hp motor variations which is able to proceed to be provided alongside.

Improved effectivity: Vauxhall has opened order books for its new Mokka Electric Long Range crossover SUV

There are three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. Range might be preserved by activating ‘B’ mode through a button on the gear selector to extend regenerative braking.

Acceleration from 0-62 mph in 9 seconds (0.2 seconds quicker than the 136 hp model) with a high pace of 93 mph.

Charging as much as 80 per cent takes 27 minutes on a 100 kW fast charger. Deliveries start in March.