Back in the late 1990s, Ford made a great little coupe based on the Fiesta called the Puma. Now Ford has resurrected the name and stuck it to a crossover because who on earth would try selling a little coupe these days?

Like its earlier namesake, the Puma is also based on the Fiesta. However, though it uses the same platform, dimensionally it is substantially different.

It’s 146mm longer than the Fiesta for a start; 54mm taller and with a 95mm longer wheelbase. That’s what makes a crossover.

The next two dimensional adjustments turn it into a crossover that’s unusually pleasant to drive – not as fun as the coupe Puma but at least it tips in that direction.

These are a width that’s increased by 71mm and, more importantly, the track has been widened by 58mm.

This should create a car that’s better planted in corners because extra width will reduce the effect of a higher center of gravity.

For the moment, you can only buy a Puma with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol engine with a choice of 94bhp or 123bhp power outputs.

The 123bhp one is also available with a mild hybrid system, which is essentially a starter/generator unit that helps the engine by reducing the effect of turbo lag and reducing Co2 emissions. There’s also a 153bhp version of the engine that uses the mild hybrid system.

I don’t quite understand why Ford doesn’t fit all Pumas with this Co2-reducing tech.

Later, Ford will offer a 1.5-liter diesel engine and the rumor machine says there’ll be a high-performance ST model.

There’s no word about a fully electric version of the car or a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

We’re testing a Puma with the 123bhp motor fitted with the mild-hybrid system, which Ford refers to as MHEV, which while not exactly dishonest does rather overstate the ‘hybridness’ of the vehicle.

Our car is in ST-Line X spec which means an on-the-road price of 30.000 USD.

The Puma’s boot floor is higher than the Fiesta’s and because the MHEV’s lithium-ion battery which lives under the boot floor is pretty small, the car’s designers have used the space to fit a square 80-liter plastic recess.

Ford calls it the Megabox.

What’s really useful is that there’s a bung in the bottom of it that allows you to wash out the box if it’s got all muddy from wellies or anything else stowed in it. Simple but useful.

Give me more of that rather than complicated driver-assistance systems that none of us asked for.