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Car Reviews

Ford Focus ST Edition: Everyday Hero with a Hooligan Streak 

THE Ford Focus ST Edition is the only press car I’ve ever had which comes with a large spanner in the glovebox. 

But worry not; the spanner is a sign of the ST Edition’s commitment to ultimate performance rather than a fix for iffy engineering. Adjustable KW coilover suspension may be a manual affair in the Focus ST Edition, but … Read the rest

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Car Reviews

Ford Puma ST-Line X Review: The Crossover That Gets It Right

THE popular Puma remains Ford’s go-to model for drivers who want an SUV that’s more compact and stylish than the Ford Kuga. It’s more crossover than SUV and closer than anything else to the much-missed Fiesta, on whose platform it is based. 

The Puma range starts with the Titanium model, from £26,580, while the middle-ground ST-Line model starts from £27,480. … Read the rest

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Ford Focus Active 1.0 EcoBoost mHEV – Review

THE Ford Focus Active appears to be for people who don’t want an SUV and won’t consider a “Crossover” because it’s still too extreme. But they DO want plastic wheel arch covers and roof rails.

If that’s the case, then Ford has nailed it with the Focus Active, because it just doesn’t look like a Crossover. At first (and even … Read the rest

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Car Reviews

Ford Kuga Black Package Edition – 2.5 Duratec PHEV Automatic – Review

THE Ford Kuga seen some changes in the past year-or-so with the diesel variant being dropped altogether and some sparkly new special editions gracing the forecourts.

This 3rd-generation Kuga is a far car from the jacked-up Ford Focus of 2008 which first bore the Kuga name. It’s now a decent sized, all-out family SUV that packs some excellent … Read the rest

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Meaty, Beaty, Big and (not too) Bouncy – The Ford Ranger Wildtrack 2.0 Diesel

WHO says you need to be a farmer or construction worker to crave a pick-up truck? it seems we still have an appetite for the high-stance, flat load-bed 4×4 that is simply known as the “Pick-up”.

Granted, many would-be buyers have been lured away by the ever-expanding market in all-wheel-drive SUVs and is probably the reason why some manufacturers no … Read the rest

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Ford Puma Titanium 1.0L Ecoboost MHEV 6-speed manual – Review

Now, I don’t know about you, but I see a heck of a lot of Ford Pumas on the roads these days – so there must be something about the Fiesta-platformed SUV that is floating a lot of boats.

I completely understand the appeal of the fiery ST model (Ford Puma ST Review) and I also enjoyed the … Read the rest

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Ford Puma ST – Review

NOW, that’s more like it. The new Ford Puma ST may not be as svelt or cute as the well-loved Puma of the 80s, but now it has some credibility when it comes to mixing it up with the Golf GTi or any of the plethora of hot hatches that are still around these days. 

Outwardly the Puma ST is … Read the rest

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Ford Kuga 1.5 TDCI (EcoBlue) Titanium 120PS -Review

What is it? 

The new Ford Kuga is a medium-to-large SUV that majors on practicality, driving experience and value. An ideal family-lugger that looks pretty smart too, it comes in five trim-levels and offers a range of engines including petrol, diesel, mild hybrid and plug-in-hybrid (PHEV). 

Most Kuga’s will be front-wheel-drive only but the most powerful diesel also offers … Read the rest

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Ford Puma ST-Line 125PS mHEV – Review

THE nation’s thirst for SUV or Crossover vehicles (take your pick on the monika) means more and more hatchbacks have been jacked up and roughed-up. But while the Nissan Juke was the first such vehicle to sell in large amounts, it was never very pretty, was it? 

Not that the new Ford Puma could be described in flowery terms but … Read the rest

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Car Reviews

Ford Focus Active X – Review

THE Ford Focus Active represents the top model in Ford’s Active range of mild-crossover vehicles with the Ka+ Active and Fiesta Active being the other two. 

Having briefly driven all the models recently I was delighted to take a Focus Active on extended loan to see if it’s worth paying a premium for the extra ride-height, tweaked suspension, bespoke chassis … Read the rest