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THE Ford Puma is one of my favourite cars ever. Of course, I’m referring to the small coupé that was launched back in 1997 and will reserve judgement on the new one that’s just been revealed by Ford. The old Puma was a car that made every single journey an event. Thanks to its 1.7-litre engine – co-developed with Yamaha – cute looks and playful chassis it was just pure fun. It ticked a few sensible boxes, too. I took one down to Spa in Belgium for a weekend, I took one to the shops more often, and, of course, a colleague even had his picture taken with the car and its feline namesake. It’s a car full of memories (and I’ve still got one of the solid metal gear…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor ● Ford’s Juke rival sits between EcoSport and forthcoming new Kuga ● On sale in early 2020; prices expected to start just below £20,000 THE Puma badge hasn’t been seen on a Ford for 17 years, but the company has just brought back the name from the dead – not on a coupé but on an SUV. The new Puma is designed to plug the gap in Ford’s line-up between the EcoSport and the forthcoming new Kuga. It’ll rival the fast-approaching new versions of the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008. The original Puma was a svelte coupé based on the Fiesta, and for the badge’s 2020s reboot, Ford has again pinched the best-selling supermini’s platform. But this time the firm has added a five-door SUV body…

Citroen C3 Aircross Well-established model scores highly for practicality, with sliding second-row seats Peugeot 2008 New platform for second-generation 2008 allows brand to make pure-electric edition SEAT Arona Proven MQB tech underpins SEAT’s baby SUV, which has a long list of standard kit Skoda Kamiq Forthcoming small SUV from Czech brand should rival new Kuga for boot capacity Volkswagen T-Cross Funky small SUV has won many plaudits for combination of cabin space and style…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods ● More power for hybrid coupé ● Longer battery range, too “Its supercharged four-cylinder petrol engine and electric front axle make total of 592bhp” THIS is the BMW Vision M NEXT, and it’s yet another concept from the brand previewing an upcoming electrified car. In this case, it shouldn’t take long to work out what this new concept hints at: it’s our first look at the model set to replace the i8 hybrid sports car early next decade. It will sit at the top of a new-look electrified range that’s launching with the iNEXT large SUV in 2021. Like the i8, the Vision M NEXT combines electric and small-displacement petrol power in a plug-in hybrid configuration. A supercharged four-cylinder engine is used alongside an electric front axle, giving…

i Vision Dynamics LOW-slung four-door coupé wowed at Frankfurt Motor Show in 2017. It previews the i4 – an ultra-long-range electric saloon capable of 435 miles on a single charge, which is due in showrooms in 2021. iX3 THE iX3 concept landed at the Beijing Show in 2018 and the production car – due later this year – will be built in China. It uses the same platform as the regular X3, and a 70kWh battery for a range of 249 miles. Vision iNEXT FULL-size all-electric SUV is coming in 2021, and was previewed by a concept at the Los Angeles Show last year. It shares its platform with the i4, and will shape up as a technological flagship for the brand. Vision NEXT 100 REVEALED in 2016 to celebrate…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk @LT_Wilkinson ● Range of diesel and petrol units ● Styling, chassis revisions, too AUDI has revised the Q7 SUV for 2019, by introducing a host of styling tweaks, a range of new mild-hybrid powertrains and a honed chassis set-up. The design updates for the seven-seater include a reworked grille, fresh front and rear bumpers, new side sills and chrome trim for the tailgate, plus a pair of revised exhaust tips. The Q7 also now comes with two-tone paint as standard, which highlights the front splitter, side skirts, wheelarches and rear diffuser in anthracite. LED headlights are included as standard, with either Matrix LEDs or HD Matrix LEDs and Audi Laser Light offered as additional cost options. The latter system combines an automatically controlled high beam with a small laser…