RAY MASSEY: Ford wins the plaudits -Puma was best-selling new car for 2023 and fourth-generation Kuga SUV is on sale this month

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Ford is on a roll. Its Puma range was the best-selling new car model for 2023 with nearly 50,000 delivered last year.

And by the end of this year, Ford will reveal an all-electric Puma as one of nine electric models to go on sale in 2025. To cap it all, the Puma ST 1.5 Ecoboost was named sports SUV of the year in this week's What Car? Awards. 

The Capri is also set to come back, reimagined as a sporty electric SUV crossover. Disguised models have been spied on test in Germany.

The Ford Transit Custom was the UK's best-selling van for the tenth consecutive year, topping the commercial vehicle league. It goes all-electric this year with the E-Transit Custom already on sale ahead of first customer deliveries in the second half of the year.

The Ford Ranger pick-up truck enjoyed a record year with sales of more than 18,750 as it added the new Tremor, Wildtrak X and Platinum models to its line-up with a new plug-in hybrid Ranger to follow.

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

Adding to the mix this week comes the upgraded and refreshed new Ford Kuga SUV range — on sale this month — the fourth generation since 2008.

Powered by a 2.5-litre engine linked to an electric motor, the 243 hp plug-in hybrid (PHEV) petrol-electric version promises up to 43 miles of pure electric driving and is aimed at 'customers who can take advantage of home or public charging'. 

For drivers 'who may not have convenient charging close at hand' — currently many people, particularly the 40 per cent of households who do not have their own driveways — there is the self-charging Kuga Hybrid, also 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 range — on sale this month — is the fourth generation since 2008

Powered by a 2.5-litre engine linked to an electric motor, the 243 hp plug-in hybrid petrol-electric version promises up to 43 miles of pure electric driving

Both Kuga Plug-In Hybrid and Kuga Hybrid AWD (all-wheel drive) deliver significantly improved acceleration, with the reduced emissions

This, says Ford, offers the convenience of an electrified powertrain with up to 576 miles of driving range on a single tank of fuel. 

There's also a petrol mild-hybrid 1.5-litre EcoBoost (150 hp front-wheel drive). Prices from £32,080.

Both Kuga Plug-In Hybrid and Kuga Hybrid AWD (all-wheel drive) deliver significantly improved acceleration, with the reduced emissions, says Ford.

Mokka order books open  

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

It features a new 54 kWh battery and a 156 hp electric motor for improved efficiency, performance and range — up by more than 20 per cent to up to 252 miles.

Prices are from £37,610 in Design trim, £39,985 for GS and £42,295 for Ultimate — an increase of £1,000 on the existing, less powerful 50 kWh battery and 136 hp motor versions which will continue to be offered alongside.

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

There are three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. Range can be preserved by activating 'B' mode via a button on the gear selector to increase regenerative braking.

Acceleration from 0-62 mph in 9 seconds (0.2 seconds faster than the 136 hp version) with a top speed of 93 mph.

Charging up to 80 per cent takes 27 minutes on a 100 kW rapid charger. Deliveries begin in March.