New (to me) car time, check my thinking.

Have you tried the 1.0 Ecoboost engine?

I test drove a Fiesta with it in and I found it to but absolutely gutless. I wasn’t exactly expecting sports car performance but it was awful. I’m not sure it would be much better in a bigger car.

A4 all road, Octavia scout?

1.0 Ecoboost engines have a rep for detonating themselves, i think.

I'd avoid personally, someone my partner works with had to drop 8k on a new engine when theirs went. 

Have you tried the 1.0 Ecoboost engine?

The 125hp version is okay in a Fiesta, might feel a bit sluggish in something Focus sized, but I've got an i30N so I'm probably not very objective when it comes to performance.

Unsure why you think the Hyundai will start to get "spendy from 66k", or is it old?

Kia Sportage ticks most of those boxes, and has a 7-year warranty.

I think / from memory, the 1.0 ecoboost has a timing belt that runs in the oil (what a totally dumb idea). And they had a LOAD of problems with the oil causing the belts to deteriorate and fall apart (what a surprise), ****ing the engine on many fronts (inc blocking the oil lift pipe and starving everything of oil). 

Yup I had an Ecoboom that kept trying to overheat and didn't have a warning light to tell me that it ditched all it's coolant. I got this sorted under warranty but then I also had the timing belt breaking down.

No way would I have another. No way are these designed to last for a decent mileage.

I was having similar Qs to the OP 2 years ago.  Really wanted an XC70 as it ticked all.my boxes, but none imported for about 7 years,and even a 6 year old with 60k.miles was stupedly pricey.

Ended up with a 2 litre diesel Ford Kuga Titanium X.  Dry timing belt !!  Leather anti-drool seats.  Dark tinted back passenger and boot windows.  Based on the same Ford platform as a Focus.

Weight wise something like 1700-1800kg kerbside (Ford info says 1705kg but I think that ignores the glass roof which adds mass). So lighter that you say for a Santa Fe. Prob 300kg heavier than a Focus though.

Just wish the boot space was a foot longer.  And the glass roof means the roof rails load is only rated to 60kg rather than 75kg. (Suspect I've exceeded that by some margin in the past before I knew 🙈).

Unsure why you think the Hyundai will start to get “spendy from 66k”, or is it old?

Yeah, this. We have one vehicle with 160k on it, another with 120k on it, neither are 'spendy'. Certainly not as spendy as buying a new vehicle.

[sanctimonious mode]Plus, the most eco friendly car you can have is the one you've already got[/sanctimonious mode]

I have a 2016 Focus Estate. Performance of the 125hp is OK but the Ecoboost engine seems to have been a bit innovative for a production model. The first ones (up to 2015) tended to lose coolant, and weren't tolerant to overheating. After 2015, the wet cam belt sheds fibres into the oil and clogs the oil pump, which again kills the engine. It's been developed a lot, and current models have a cam chain so shouldn't suffer the same issues - I don't know what your potential purchase has, but if it's the wet belt I wouldn't touch it. The biggest issue is the way Ford have declined to take responsibility.

So are all the engine issues confined to the petrol engines. Will I be okay with stinky diesel?

Have you tried the 1.0 Ecoboost engine?

I test drove a Fiesta with it in and I found it to but absolutely gutless.

Hang on a minute. The small turbo petrol concept is widely used by many manufacturers and they are available in lots of versions from weak to rapid.

The biggest problems with these seem to be Ford related.

and at 66k miles on the clock its going to start getting spendy soon.

Or it could do another 60k with no major faults.

Personally I'd keep it. A car you know well and trust is better than one you have no knowledge of.

sanctimonious mode]Plus, the most eco friendly car you can have is the one you’ve already got don't use[/sanctimonious mode]

Stinky diesels are generally OK in the Ford range don't get the 1.0 in the petrol range with a wet belt, don't know how the newer cam chain versions are doing yet.

How often do you actually go up a track which requires the extra ground clearance or slippery surfaces?

I commuted an 8 mile single track 'road' and 'driveway' in the Highlands for a few years in 2wd, small, lightweight cars. Even in snow and ice, or mud, the all-season tyres gripped well. The road and driveway had sections which required accurate placing of tyres to avoid 'beaching' or really big potholes - slow down, take time.

If you don't *need* that extra few cm of ground clearance, there are a lot more cars available to you.

Yup I had an Ecoboom that kept trying to overheat and didn’t have a warning light to tell me that it ditched all it’s coolant. I got this sorted under warranty but then I also had the timing belt breaking down.

Exactly the same with our work Puma.
It's also horribly built and terrible to drive.

Hang on a minute. The small turbo petrol concept is widely used by many manufacturers and they are available in lots of versions from weak to rapid.

The biggest problems with these seem to be Ford related.

Yup. We have the Suzuki 1 litre three cylinder turbo in a Vitara and it's the nicest 'modern' engine I've ever used. The local dealers have seen them at 200,000 miles on the original turbo and injectors.

Having said that, the last gen
/pre latest facelift Kia Sportage just oozes quality. It feels like they were making a statement about how they could match the competition. Absolutely everything was overenginered and the interior is delightful.
We had no issues with ours over 70,000 miles as an abused company car.
Not as fun to drive as a Vitara, but the interior is several classes above.