The verdict: The 2022 Bronco Raptor delivers on just about every promise Ford made when the off-road SUV debuted, with incredible off-the-lot capabilities that seem up to tackling almost anything owners can throw at it. Versus the competition: The Bronco Raptor has the specs and abilities to match or beat the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 off-road, and it can more than hold its own on-road, too. Ford used to have the high-performance, factory off-road market cornered with the F-150 Raptor, but in the last few years, Stellantis — parent company of Jeep and Ram — has one-upped the Blue Oval with vehicles like the Wrangler Rubicon 392 and Ram 1500 TRX. Both vehicles subscribe to the “put a powerful V-8…

PROS Amazing to drive As practical as a regular Puma Good value CONS Harsh, unforgiving suspension Not as fast as a Hyundai Kona N Frog-like looks aren't for everyone Is the Ford Puma ST any good? The Puma is a revered and award-winning SUV. The Ford Puma ST turns things up to 11 thanks to a 200hp 1.5-litre engine borrowed from the Fiesta ST. Its closest rival in terms of hot-SUVs is the Hyundai Kona N. But bigger and more expensive cars such as the Cupra Formentor and Volkswagen T-Roc R will also be on similar shopping lists. And yes, the Puma ST is very good. It’s a tiny tearaway designed to offer the driving thrills of a Fiesta ST…

Verdict This mid-life update for the Focus isn’t dramatic, but the subtle styling changes on the outside are complemented by a huge boost to the in-car tech. It’s just as sharp to drive as ever, and there’s plenty of space inside, too. However, with many rivals offering some significant form of electrification – be it full EV or plug-in hybrid – Ford’s mild-hybrid set-ups are at risk of leaving the Focus behind the competition. The Ford Focus is fast approaching its 25th anniversary, and ever since the radical first Focus hit the road, few other models have so consistently delivered such a strong all-round package in the family car segment. With SUVs stealing sales from traditional compact hatchbacks, the fourth-generation…

The Maverick compact pickup reimagines the simple and small entry-level Ford for the modern age. Despite ever-increasing advancements in pickup-truck refinement, the good ones are still defined by offering an appropriate amount of capability for the money. Relatively inexpensive fleet-oriented full-size trucks still exist at the low end of every pickup manufacturer's lineup. However, the once-simple compact pickups that could fit most suburban garages and wallets have ballooned in size and equipment, pushing their prices toward $40,000. Buyers seeking an affordable small truck for Home Depot runs or towing a couple of Jet Skis had limited options until Ford introduced the Escape-based Maverick. "FOR MANY FOLKS WITH MODEST FUNDS AND SMALL JOBS TO DO, IT'S ALL THE TRUCK THEY'LL NEED." …

Agile hot hatch combines performance and practicality PROS Entertaining to drive Spacious rear seats Plenty of standard equipment CONS Rivals are faster... ...and cheaper Interior quality a disappointment Is the Ford Focus ST any good? If you’re talking hot hatches, you’ll probably soon start discussing products with a blue oval on their nose. That’s because the Ford Focus ST is the latest in a long line of pumped-up hatches from the brand and one of the most potent. Opt for the 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine and you get 280hp and a 0-62mph time of less than 6.0 seconds. It’s not quite as fast as some rivals, but it’s certainly more practical with oodles of rear seat space, a perfectly usable…

With 480bhp and a 310-mile range, does the new Ford Mustang Mach-E GT offers the perfect blend of performance and practicality? We find out... Verdict The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT proves that EVs can be engaging – to an extent. The performance is a given, but the sharp steering and extra agility in Untamed mode help the GT’s case. However, the mass means this is only true up to a point, although the practicality on refinement on offer, mixed with genuinely usable range and respectable charging, make the GT a solid flagship for Ford’s first bespoke electric model line and a good electric SUV. Ford has long been known for taking its run of the mill family cars and souping…

With a strong driving experience and trendy SUV styling, the Fiesta Active has a lot to recommend it – but the standard car is cheaper The SUV boom shows few signs of stopping any time soon, and manufacturers have tried to cash in as much as possible. Ford not only sells ‘proper’ SUVs like the Kuga, but also jacked-up Active versions of the Fiesta, Focus and Tourneo Connect (plus, previously, the KA+ city car). The Ford Fiesta Active brings a slightly higher ride height than the standard Fiesta, not to mention roof rails and cladding around the wheel arches to make it look tougher. In pretty much all other respects, it’s the same as the standard Fiesta and features the…

They say to understand where you’re going you need to know where you came from, but so stark is the contrast between this third-generation Ford Kuga and the Blue Oval’s first European mid-sized SUV – the developed-with-Nissan Maverick of 1993 – that the scholastic learning is worthy of a Masters dissertation in crossover evolution. In fact, it’s quite the leap from its immediate eight-year-old predecessor, having grown (89mm longer, 44mm wider), yet become more lithe (6mm lower, up to 80kg lighter) in the process. Doesn’t it look, you know, very Focusy?As with both previous iterations of Kuga, the Mk3 shares its platform componentry with the contemporary Focus, but this time around the styling closely apes its hatchback sibling. Perhaps too…

The Ford Puma is back - the small, sporty coupe is now a stylish, practical compact SUV that’s good to drive, but lacks cabin space. We’ve waited a while for Ford to give us a proper compact SUV based on the Fiesta. Until now, the firm’s sole offering in the B-SUV market - the EcoSport - has not been good enough. The new Ford Puma hits the right notes and is precisely what you’d expect of the brand, blending practicality and affordability into a package that’s good to drive. The Puma’s looks won’t appeal to everyone, but few rivals can better it for boot-space and virtually none can outshine the Puma from behind the wheel - equipment levels are strong…

While the rest of the world still sees pickup trucks as "prehistoric" work vehicles whose sole purpose is to do work on farms or construction sites, Americans have long found a way to make them civilized enough to be in every garage "across the pond." parked one copy. The trend actually began in the late 1970s when pickups first received identical equipment from passenger cars, so American buyers quickly realized that they could use such vehicles for transportation to the office on weekdays and then for small chores around the house or weekend fun. During the nineties, the trend spread to high-performance street racers, but no one dared to make an extreme SUV that will be able to compete on…