We’ve been waiting a while for Ford to give us a suitable compact SUV based on the Fiesta. So far, the company’s sole offering in the B-SUV market – EcoSport – has not been good enough. The new Ford Puma hits the right notes and is exactly what you’d expect from the brand, blending practicality and affordability into a package fit to drive.
The Puma’s looks won’t appeal to everyone, but few rivals can better it for boot space and almost no one can get past the Puma from behind the wheel – the level of equipment is also good. very strong. However, there are many competitors that give this type of cash a more upscale and spacious feel.
About Ford Puma
Think back to 1997, and you might remember Ford rolling out a fun, small, front-wheel drive coupe based on what was then the fourth generation. Fiesta. It added a bit of much-needed richness at the smaller end of the brand’s British lineup. It was a hit – the Ford Puma has landed.
Now, the Puma name is back, and it’s an extremely similar story, save for one very important detail; The new Ford Puma is not a small coupe, but a small five-door SUV. It is based on the current seventh generation Fiesta superminishare its chassis and engine, as it enters a market flooded with immediate choice.
Main competitors include Renault Capturthe Peugeot 2008, Skoda Kamiq and SEAT Aronawhile handsome Mazda CX-30 and spacious Volkswagen T-Cross offers even more possibilities for customers considering a small family SUV. Left field alternatives include cars like design lead Nissan Jukechunky Jeep Renegade and classic Fiat 500 CZZ.
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Puma’s lineup isn’t quite as extensive as the Fiesta’s, but there are still plenty of models to choose from and even more engine options coming soon. The trim structure is pretty simple too, with four core versions: Titanium, ST-Line, ST-Line X and the luxury ST-Line Vignale, although ST-Line and ST-Line X include variants, respectively. Design and Gold Edition.
The Puma ST The performance model is at the top of the range, with buyers able to upgrade to the ST Performance Pack or ST Gold Edition.
The Puma range doesn’t have a really basic import model, so the cheapest Titanium car costs around £24,000, but is well equipped and finished with flair. Standard kit includes 17-inch alloy wheels, power-folding mirrors, an 8-inch central touchscreen, air conditioning and cruise control. The other side of this is that the starting price of the Puma is high compared to its competitors, some starting from around £22,000.
ST-Line models add a little more standard equipment such as a widescreen 12.3-inch digital instrument, but these cars are mostly sportier, including body-kits, wheels and wheels. Various alloys, sport seats and pedals and a sport suspension setup help the Puma shine as one of the best crossovers to drive.
The ST-Line X builds on this with luxury features like premium upholstery, privacy glass on the windows and 10-speaker audio setup from Bang & Olufsen, while Vignale brings a power charging dock wireless smartphone, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, front parking sensors and keyless entry. We recommend taking a close look at which kits you really need as the Vignale model, which costs close to £28,000 to buy, looks a bit tempting.
The Puma is front-wheel drive only and buyers are offered three petrol engine options. The EcoBoost 125 uses the 123-hp turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder found in the Fiesta. It uses 48-volt mild hybrid technology, achieve a slight increase torque compared to the previous non-hybrid model, while managing a slight reduction in CO2 emissions and increased fuel economy. A second option is another 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol with the same mild-hybrid system, but output is pushed to 153bhp.
For performance enthusiasts, the Puma ST is arguably the best handling compact SUV discount, powered by the Fiesta ST’s 1.5-liter engine for a total of 197 hp.
A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with a seven-speed automatic transmission optional. If you want the 153bhp version with the automatic, you’ll have to specify the top-of-the-line ST-Line Vignale or Gold Edition trim, while the racy ST is manual only.
For an alternative review of Ford Puma, visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk…
