Ford

Puma

The Ford Puma is a practical compact SUV that offers five-door versatility and great driving dynamics. It has class-leading storage space and is offered with a choice of frugal, yet punchy powertrains.

The good

Styling, handling, space and running costs

The bad

Up against stiff competition

Tech Specs

Price from

£26,580

Combined Fuel up to

52.3mpg

0-62 from

7.4 seconds

max speed up to

119mph

co2 from

129g/km

Test Drive

Ford Puma ST-Line X (2025)

There was a time when an SUV meant a chunky, larger-than-life family car that seemed to have an unquenchable thirst at the petrol pumps and wasn’t particularly stylish to look at.

Fast forward to present day models and SUVs come in all shapes and sizes with numerous compact SUVs on the market, such as the impressive five-door Ford Puma ST-Line X model.

Boasting excellent real-world fuel economy of 49.6mpg and with sharp handling, the Puma offers a perfect blend of sporty good looks and performance, while covering practicality bases too.

While the standard Ford Puma boasts a wealth of technology and great styling traits, the X version raises the bar further with additional creature comforts such as heated seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, superior upholstery and plenty more besides – basically, it’s the fully loaded Puma.

Eye-catching features include LED headlights with distinctive LED daytime running lights, ST-Line body kit with a specialist grille and large body-coloured rear spoiler, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels with a black finish.

Moving inside, the cabin is bright and spacious with a clutter-free layout and light flooding in via the panoramic sunroof. There is a lot of black coverings which are complimented by neat red stitching to the doors, steering wheel, seats and dashboard for an upmarket appearance.

The main focal point is the 12-inch landscape infotainment set-up which offers access to the many on-board features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, the navigation system and a pitch perfect B&O sound system with a huge speaker on top of the dashboard.

Despite the seats being manually adjustable, it’s easy to find the ideal driving position and all the vital details such as speed can be clearly viewed on the 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster.

Priced at £30,600 (£33,500 with options factored in), the Puma ST-Line X is not exactly cheap, but you do get a lot of car for the money. Powered by a 1.0-litre Ecoboost mild hybrid petrol engine with 125PS and 170Nm of torque, the vehicle can complete the 0-62mph dash in a respectable 9.6 seconds, topping out at 118mph. The impressive fuel efficiency is complimented by a decent enough carbon emissions figure too of 131/km combined.

When it comes to performance, the Puma is an accomplished motorway cruiser, sitting effortlessly at 70mph and there is ample power on tap for sharp bursts of acceleration.

The ride can be quite firm at times mainly thanks to the Puma’s sport suspension, but the car is beautifully refined with occupants well protected from road surface, engine and wind noise.

The slightly elevated driving position results in excellent all-round visibility and the Puma is well balanced when faced with twisting country lanes displaying little sign of body sway through tighter bends.

It’s not the fastest hatchback out there but there is a more powerful 155PS version for anyone seeking a little more engagement.

However, it’s no slouch either and there is a super smooth seven-speed automatic transmission. Despite there being no paddles to take over the gear changing manually, there are drive modes that alter the dynamics. These are called Normal, Eco, Sport (for a more spirited and engaging performance), and Slippery which reduces the power and optimises stability settings.

On the practicality front, the Puma ST-Line X has ample room for two adults in the back (three at a squeeze) and would be ideal for a trio of youngsters. Storage space impresses too with a huge MegaBox beneath the boot floor which can hold shopping, cabin cases or dirty wellies. This can also be washed out with a hose if it becomes too grubby but remember to remove the drainage plug first!.

The boot is accessed via a powered tailgate and can swallow 456 litres of kit, increasing to 1,216 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats lowered. Additionally, there is a glovebox, central cubby with removable tray, front cup holders, door bins, seat back pockets, a charging pad and some trays to accommodate smaller items.

All in all, the Ford Puma is a superb all-rounder that perfectly fits its compact SUV name-tag. Its stylish, well equipped, fun to drive and exceptionally practical. It’s not cheap, but few cars of this quality ever are.

Test Drive

Ford Puma ST Gold Edition (2022)

Ford has certainly struck gold rush with its latest Puma model thanks to the help of some social media and a huge fanbase of loyal followers.

It was a brave step to ask the public to suggest both design cues and the model naming process after the rather spectacular Boaty McBoatface naming incident a few years back. And there have been other splendid examples such as Mister Splashy Pants for an endangered humpback whale and even Spirit of the Walletsuckers for a new ferry following ticket price hikes. But nevertheless, Ford entrusted this limited-edition model to its fans who came up with design ideas as well as the ‘Gold Edition’ name.

So, the end result is the rather stunning Puma ST Gold Edition and it is quite the head-turner to be honest thanks to 19-inch alloy wheels with a gold finish, a unique ST body-styling kit, including large rear spoiler, bespoke vehicle decals and Ford Performance embossed splitter plus red brake calipers. A black painted contrast roof and dual tail pipes perfectly add the finishing touches to this five-door model.

Move inside and you are greeted by a sporty, clutter-free interior with a flat-bottomed ST sports steering wheel that features gold stitching and sports seats finished in similar gold craftwork. Both the seats and steering wheel can be heated to fend off the winter blues and there is a unique ST gear shift knob, along with alloy sports pedals.

On-board technology impresses with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster with sharp graphics and the Ford SYNC 3 Navigation system with an eight-inch touchscreen, pitch perfect Bang & Olufsen sound system with 10 speakers and subwoofer, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad and plenty more besides.

Powering this limited-edition car is the same three-cylinder turbocharged 1.5-litre, petrol engine that drives the normal Puma ST. Delivering 200PS and 320Nm of torque, it can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 6.7 seconds, tops out at 137mph and can achieve a combined 41.5mpg with carbon emissions of 155g/km.

Our test car had a six-speed manual gearbox and there are drive modes to flick through called Eco, Normal, Sport and Racetrack that alter the driving performance and reactions of the car. An ‘S’ button on the steering wheel offers instant access to the Sport setting which is really handy when faced with tempting, twisting lanes.

With a nice tight 10.5-metre turning circle, the Puma ST is perfectly suited to busy city centre driving with lots of weaving in and out of traffic. Plus, the additional parking features will help you find a suitable space and then automatically park the car.

The Puma ST is such a fun model to drive with sharp, punchy acceleration, confident road holding and ample power to overtake slower moving vehicles. There is quite a raspy engine note as you power away, which rather matches the sporty styling of the car. And the dynamic suspension and steering set-up has been designed for thrill-seekers out there.

Yet this car still ticks all the practicality boxes along the way. There is a glovebox, deep trays, seatback nets, a cubby box, front cup holders and a boot that can swallow 466 litres of luggage. Drop the 60:40 split-folding rear seats and that capacity increases to 1,200 litres.

But it’s worth looking beneath the boot floor too as there is a huge storage compartment there. This area is called the Megabox and is ideal if you need to transport muddy boots or the likes, as it can be rinsed out when you get home which is all very clever.

Safety specifications are top notch which is essential on any family car with pre-collision assist with autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist detection and post collision braking, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, hill start assist, electronic stability control and a full suite of airbags.

The Gold Edition, which unfortunately is now sold out, was more than £2k pricier than the standard Puma ST so cost owners £33,125 and our test model also featured a Driver Assistance Pack with parking that added £600 to the total bill.

All in all, it’s always good to see limited edition cars on our roads especially when the fanbase that love the models have a certain amount of input along the way. Thankfully (or maybe not) this time round, we got a sensible name.

Test Drive

Ford Puma 1.0 Ecoboost MHEV Titanium (2020)

Think back to that small coupe model from the 90s called the Ford Puma. Well, now the name has made a comeback and the car itself is ready to pounce on the scene.

That’s because the all-new 21^st Century Ford Puma has many architectural similarities to the ever-popular best-selling Fiesta model on which it is based, but it’s bigger all round and also higher so becomes yet another vehicle vying for sales in the compact crossover sector.

And although that particular segment is bursting with models these days, the five-door Puma has some unique selling points to grab the attention of would-be customers, including eye-catching styling, punchy economical engines, plus class-leading load space which is a ‘must’ for anyone who needs to fill every inch of their boot.

There is also a rather clever underfloor compartment in the boot which is ideal for storing muddy boots or wet clothing etc. And when you get home you can simply rinse this Megabox area out as it has a plug that can be removed to drain away dirty water. It’s very clever and practical. I transported a number of plants from a garden centre and this storage area was ideal for keeping them upright and then any excess dirt was quickly washed away.

We tested the Puma powered by a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder mild hybrid engine delivering 125PS and 210Nm of torque in Titanium guise matched to a six-speed manual gearbox. This model, costing £21,640 (£23,840 with options) could sprint from 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds, topped out at 119mph and delivered 51.4mpg under WLTP testing along the way, with carbon emissions of 96g/km.

Out on the open country lanes, the acceleration from the three-pot engine proved both instant and constant with ample power on tap to overtake slower moving vehicles. The front wheel drive Puma offers impressive levels of grip meaning corners can be attacked with confidence and it’s also nicely balanced with very little sign of any body sway.

In fact, it would be fair to say its dynamic characteristics are very similar to that of a hatchback rather than a compact SUV and the nicely weighted steering offers plenty of driver feedback.

It cruises with ease at national speed limits on motorways, although the engine does get a little more vocal when pushed on, and then the Puma is nimble and easy to manoeuvre in busier town centre settings with a 10.5-metre turning circle.

The driver can choose from drive modes called Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Trail that alter the car’s responses – the Sport setting really sharpens up the handling and is best saved for quieter country roads.

There’s no denying the Puma, which is built in Romania, is a good looking vehicle with its athletic SUV stance, neat curves, LED daytime running lights, distinctive grille, tinted windows, lots of chrome trim, plus 10-spoke, 17-inch alloys.

The interior is both clutter-free and driver friendly with all dials, controls and readouts well placed for ease of use. The cloth seats are comfy with plenty of support and there is a wealth of on-board kit to explore, with techno treats including a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and Ford’s SYNC 3 set-up that features a sat nav, an eight-inch display touchscreen and a 12.5-inch configurable instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. There is full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and a wireless phone charger pad.

Comfort levels are high and there is room for a couple of adults in the back if the front seats are not pushed back too far. Storage options are good too with the boot capacity ranging from 466 litres to 1,200 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. And that Megabox means you can carry two sets of golf clubs in an upright position if so desired.

The Ford Puma also comes complete with a comprehensive list of safety features that helped it secure a maximum five stars when it was tested for its Euro NCAP rating. Our car also had a Driver Assistance Pack costing £900 extra that introduced blind spot monitoring, city traffic assist with active braking, intelligent adaptive cruise control with evasive steering, active park assist, front parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

All in all, the all-new Ford Puma is a very attractive newcomer to the compact crossover scene with smart styling and impressive handling, plus some very clever packaging along the way.