What's all this about?

Between 1997 and 2002, during Ford's 'New Edge' era, it sold two attractive coupes. One of them was called the Puma (launched in '97), based on contemporary Fiesta underpinnings, and the other was the Cougar (launched in '98), which sat on a Mondeo platform.

What a lovely history lesson. And your point is...?

Well, after the Cougar passed away in 2002, Ford tinkered with the spelling of its name a bit and then slapped it on the back of the 2008-launched Kuga crossover, which has just evolved into its third generation. And now the Puma name, unchanged, is back... on a small crossover.

Oh no! Really?! The new Puma is not to be a tiny coupe?

No, regrettably not. At its Go Further event in Amsterdam, Ford teased the forthcoming Puma, a vehicle designed to sit between the EcoSport and the aforementioned Kuga. All we've seen is an obfuscated glimpse of the Puma during a laser-lights-and-dry-ice show, from which we could glean that it's going to look a lot like the Kuga Mk3 (high headlamps, smooth bonnet, ovoid rear lamp clusters and, in a bit of differentiation from its big brother, a dropped rear number plate). And the other few facts we have are these: it will be powered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid version of the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine, with up to 155hp, which will also be used in the Fiesta and Focus models; it'll have a 456-litre boot; it will be capable of up to 52.3mpg with 124g/km, meaning Ford is promising the 'performance of a 1.5 turbo for the fuel economy of a 1.0-litre'; and it will be built at the Craiova plant in Romania.

Any words from Ford's top brass about the Puma?

Yes, Stuart Rowley, the president of Ford of Europe, said: "Innovatively engineered and seductively styled, we think Puma is going to really resonate with compact-car customers in Europe. If you want a car that can turn heads on Friday night, and swallow your flat-pack furniture with ease on Saturday afternoon, then you've found it. We've gone to every length to give customers the flexibility they want, with progressive and evocative styling, so that they can drive the best-looking car they've ever owned."

Presumably, Ford is now readying further SUVs called the Capri and the Probe?

Oh, you wag you. Althooough... there is some more coupe-based SUV news from the Blue Oval.

Go on - tell me it's going to do a Mustang SUV.

Er... you've got it in one.

What?!

Ford's going to leverage its iconic Pony car heritage for a pure electric SUV for 2021. It will have a WLTP range of more than 375 miles and, according to Roelant de Waard, Ford of Europe's vice-president for Marketing, Sales and Service, it will also pack enough power to 'go like hell', which is interesting. Ford is also planning an electrification and SUV offensive, bringing 16 electrified vehicles to the roads in the next three years, with eight of them on sale by the end of 2019. Meanwhile, the seven-seat Explorer is coming to Europe, with a 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost petrol engine delivering 350hp and augmented by a 100hp electric motor for a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that will be the only engine choice. Sadly, the Explorer will be for left-hand-drive countries only, meaning we won't get it in the UK.