Peugeot 2008 vs Ford Puma

What's the difference?

Looks are subjective but Peugeot’s updated 2008 small SUV is good looking from every angle.

The update brings a raft of design tweaks and some tech upgrades, but mechanically there isn’t anything new.

It’s not a cheap car and its diminutive size might scare off some buyers who can cross-shop cheaper and more value focused alternatives from mainstream Japanese and Korean brands.

We are driving the range-topping 2008 GT variant to find out if it’s more than just a pretty face.

S FAR as makeovers go, Hollywood has nothing on the transformation of Ford's small SUV.

Based on the Fiesta supermini only sold here in sizzling ST form, but using a stretched and widened version of its platform with heavily reworked underpinnings, the strikingly styled Puma is as charming – beguiling even – as its EcoSport predecessor was awkward. And we're talking about capabilities that are more than merely skin deep here.

We're not alone in our admiration – one respected UK publication awarded the Ford a 'car of the year' gong – and after nearly a month with our range-topping ST-Line V (for Vignale), we can understand why.

But the German-engineered, Romanian-made Puma is also a complicated proposition in Australia that requires some context, because it is certainly not for everyone.