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I’LL admit to heading to Ford of Europe’s Go Further event in Amsterdam last week (above) with a degree of trepidation. Here is a brand that, while still topping the UK sales chart, is a pale shadow of its former self. Its products no longer have the desirability they used to have – and certainly don’t win as many of our group tests. And the financial woes of the company’s European arm have been well documented, with some industry watchers wondering whether this US giant might go the way of GM and exit Europe altogether. I left with far more confidence over Ford’s future, even a level of excitement about the products that I haven’t felt for a while. There’s some great stuff coming. But perhaps what impressed me most…

“At motorway speeds, expect the Tesla to return around 180 miles of real-world range, with the Audi behind on 174 miles” TESLA hasn’t quite managed to become a byword for the electric car in the same way that a Hoover is actually a vacuum cleaner, but it’s impossible to avoid namedropping the American brand every time a new premium electric car hits the market – and that’s something that’s going to happen a lot over the next 18 months. Jaguar was the first premium rival to lock horns with Tesla, with the I-Pace. We liked the big, battery-powered Brit very much, declaring it our Car of the Year last summer. Up next is Audi with its all-new e-tron, before Mercedes and BMW take a swing at Tesla’s SUV with the…

● Verdict on prototype Renault supermini with new platform ● Promises step up in tech and quality, with fresh petrol engine “New Clio’s platform feels more sophisticated. Steering responds crisply and roll is well contained” John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE Renault Clio is one of the best-known models on Britain’s roads – and now there’s a fifth generation of the car on the way. It’s not due until October but Auto Express has been able to try prototypes of the supermini at a test facility in France. The latest Clio is slightly shorter than the car it replaces, and it’s based on a new Renault-Nissan Alliance platform, called CMF-B. This helps to keep the car’s weight down and brings scope for electrification. A mild-hybrid version will arrive in due course, then, but…

●Puma based on Fiesta chassis ● Mild-hybrid tech to feature Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler THE Ford Puma is poised to make a dramatic return, but it won’t quite be the small, affordable coupé we once knew. That little sports car still makes every best used car list we produce. However, the Puma name will be reborn on a five-door SUV that will arrive at the end of this year and it’ll provide Ford with a rival to the likes of the Nissan Juke and Peugeot 2008. The new Puma sits on a version of the Fiesta chassis, as the old model did, with Ford insisting that the new car features “athletic and desirable styling” like its famous namesake. A brief glimpse of the new model in the metal at a special Ford…

AS part of Ford’s all-electric offensive, the company has confirmed that a battery-powered full-size Transit van will be launched in 2021. As a precursor to the battery-electric Transit’s entry into the commercial vehicle line-up, the Transit All-Electric Concept was revealed alongside the teased Puma at a special event in Amsterdam last week. Specifications for the Transit EV have not been outlined, and so far Ford has only stated its intent to electrify its iconic commercial vehicle. However, it says that the Transit EV will be available in multiple body styles once production begins. As such, expect various wheelbase lengths, roof heights and door types. Ford has not issued powertrain details nor an estimated all-electric range, but we believe the brand won’t have a huge figure in mind, given the urban,…

FORD has also announced that its upcoming, Mustang-inspired all-electric SUV will have a maximum range of 373 miles on a single charge, as measured under WLTP standards. The SUV, which is likely to be a competitor for the Tesla Model Y, is known under the working title of Mach 1. It will be revealed this year, before going on sale globally in 2020. That 373-mile range would place the Mach 1 in territory that premium rivals such as the Model Y and the upcoming Audi Q4 e-tron can’t quite reach. In addition to the lengthy range, the Ford SUV is being developed with a performance focus. A teaser image issued last year hints at the Mustang-inspired look. The Mach 1 gets a similar rear treatment to the muscle car’s, but…