Ford unleashes the puma. With the completely newly developed mini-SUV based on the fiesta, the cologne-based company has achieved a great feat, and not just in terms of looks. The big cat in sheet metal is also amazingly practical. We’ve already had the chance to drive the puma.
Ford puma – there was something! There was already a vehicle with this name in the years 1997 to 2001. Rather an ugly duckling than an elegant sport coupe. What the puma actually wanted and was supposed to be back then. After four years of relative unsuccessfulness, the (production) end came pretty quickly. Whoever sees a puma like this on the open road today should play the lottery, maybe he’s on a lucky streak.
Even back then, ford engineers took the fiesta as their design basis. And just like today, the car was aimed solely at the European market. Still the same name, but then the similarities are already over. After the first test drives, we dare to predict that this puma will make a big leap forward.
The ford puma extends its claws – this is how it has changed visually
The competition can get hot under the collar. Market leaders such as volkswagen’s t-cross, skoda’s kamiq or kia’s brand-new xceed are likely to tremble before the puma. Poaching he will but probably also a segment over it. VW T-roc, audi Q2 or BMX X2 could become the puma’s fat prey.
For the ford-developed lifestyle SUV looks really good. Look at this: ford is actually building beautiful cars again. in front the puma looks like a hungry shark with its huge cooler mouth pulled downwards. internally it is called superman-grill. The far upward moved headlight-eyes wink friendly and curious into the landscape. The front and rear overhangs are extremely short, the rear of the puma is crisp and muscular.
In terms of dimensions üIt surpasses the fiesta by quite a bit. With a length and wheelbase of 14.6 centimeters and 9.5 centimeters, respectively, it is more than a tidy addition to the lineup. And you can see that in the passenger compartment. Here, you feel more like you’re in a sedan than a small car. The puma is 7 centimeters wider than the fiesta. Which also creates space. And the 6-centimeter wider track, together with the large tires, makes for a self-confident appearance.
The interior of the ford puma is also convincing
With so much elegance and sportiness, one is almost afraid of the interior, which is usually rather sober in ford’s cars and in the best cases. But respect: also here one has not let oneself be lumpen. Well, the cockpit plastic is not necessarily one of the most beautiful of its kind, but at least it is inconspicuous and doesn’t look dirty. The cockpit is – contemporary – fully digital and flexible design. In any case always chic. It’s a pity that the central 8-inch screen for entertainment and settings looks like it’s been retrofitted to the console. If that had still been integrated. Not to be imagined.
beauty is one thing in a car, and it is certainly an increasingly important selling point. But a vehicle like this must also be practical. Simply clever is the motto skoda has set itself for this topic. Fine little gimmicks like the ice scraper in the fuel filler neck are designed to make driving and everything associated with it easier and simpler. With the puma, however, ford now wants to overtake the resourceful czechs. This starts with the zippered, removable and washable seat covers. And when they’re worn out, they can easily be replaced with new ones – perhaps even more fashionable ones.
Ford puma: trunk holds surprises
Even more clever, however, is the so-called megabag. Also known as the trunk by other manufacturers. But the puma actually offers more. The luggage cover, for example, i.e. the old-fashioned hat rack, is attached directly to the rear window and thus no longer gets in the way of taller objects such as flower sticks or golfing equipment. The loading height is 1.11 meters, and the loading width is an impressive one meter. Without having to fold down the rear seat, there’s here space for 456 liters.
But the best gag is hidden under the floor cover of the trunk. Where the spare tire used to be. Downward, the trunk continues like a tub almost over the entire width (81 liter capacity). It’s made of washable plastic and can be even has a drain like a sink. dirt from dirty rubber boots or hiking boots- rinse with the water hose and simply drain off the water at the bottom after opening the bayonet fitting. From therefore the trunk is also suitable as a drivable bar. Put the ice in the megabag, put the bottles on top and head off to the summer party at the dredging pond. The imagination knows no bounds. europe’s ford design chief amko leenarts, for example, is a passionate fisherman who uses the puma’s trunk as a cooler for his fish.
Engine and fuel consumption in the engine: room for improvement
It’s beautiful, it’s practical- the new ford puma. And it can drive too. First with the already several times as"engine of the year" excellent 1.0-liter eco-boost engine. The turbo gasoline engine has a choice of 125 or 155 hp and is supported by a MILD hybrid system. The belt-driven starter generator adds another 50 nm of torque in the short term and thus irons out the existing power gaps. He also supports when starting and sailing and should so für savings of 10 to 15 percent in fuel consumption worry.
Well, yes! In the first practical test, we the predicted dream values of 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers per hour are only achieved downhill. With a moderate driving style and if it’s brake life, you may be at 6.5 liters. However, our two test vehicles showed long-term fuel consumption figures of 9.5 to over 10 liters. And that, even if you are dynamic on the road, is clearly too much. Despite the support of the second drive, the power of the slim three-cylinder engine isn’t really that powerful. The fun is limited, although the extensively reworked fiesta chassis does have its dynamic moments.
If you want more power, you’ll have to be patient and wait for the puma, which has to go through the gym first. As an ST, it should then have considerably more power. The sport-fiesta, for example, puts 200 horsepower on the road with 290 nm of torque and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. Values that are more reminiscent of a puma. The real one has tremendous running abilities and can reach speeds of up to 72 kilometers per hour in no time at all.
What will the ford puma cost??
Market launch for the puma on four wheels is at the beginning of march. Initially, the ford SUV will only be available with the two MILD hybrid gasoline variants from 23.150 euros. And a 120-hp diesel is also in the program. In the üppigere equipment lines ST-line and ST-line X, exclusively for mild hybrids, it goes at just under 27.000 euro off. But for this, apart from a few exceptions, you have- such as the head-up display almost all the on-board assistants that are available one class up in the focus. And get this: even massage seats for driver and co-driver are included.