It looks like a crossover, but it drives like a hatchback. You could almost describe the Ford Puma. A story about a contradictory car.
For a compact crossover, the new Ford Puma does an insanely good imitation of a traditional hatchback. It may well be the name of the legendary compact coupe from the nineties, but version two reminds us with its styling. A crossover for people who do not want to drive a crossover. We drive the Puma 1.0 EcoBoost 125 hp, which uses some E-doping. In addition to the 125 hp and 210 Nm strong 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder, the Ford also has a starter motor connected to the engine via a belt, which, thanks to a 48-volt battery, can use the energy recovered during braking to power the Puma. to give an extra push. It is not about big numbers, a small 15 hp and 40 Nm, but because they are immediately available, the effect is that the crossover comes off the starting blocks a lot more quickly, especially at low revs. The system also prevents turbo lag during retakes. Couple it with a tight-shifting six-speed gearbox and you get a powertrain that does more than simply function. He is enthusiastic and ensures that the Puma performs well, while consumption does not suffer. The fairly strong delay when releasing gas, as a result of energy recovery, takes some getting used to at most. The only real disadvantage is that the mild-hybrid system, among other things, the battery adds some weight to the car. As a result, the Puma makes the pointer of the scales turn to 1,280 kilos.
Your playful side
However, there are no adverse effects on road holding. The handling of the Puma fits seamlessly with the drivetrain and appeals to your playful side. The control provides just enough counter pressure, works directly and passes on quite a lot of information for modern concepts. After the carriage then settles down for a while, the fun can begin. Despite the Continental ContiEcoContact tires, there is a lot of grip and once it threatens to run out, you can let the car do whatever you want with the gas if you want. A little less and the nose returns to the set line, a lot less and the rear pushes the rest of the car in a controlled, but tangible way to the inside. Playful without being mean and without going really hard. The dampers control the movement of the springs in a nice linear way, so that the suspension never gets to the end of its travel. That does not mean that the Puma is really comfortable to drive, because that is the downside of the steering fun.
Under the floor
Ford gives 456 liters as the volume of the luggage compartment and that seems at first glance a hard lie when the tailgate opens electrically. Yet both the first impression and Ford’s statement are correct. The brand also counts the space under the floor, where the 80-liter MegaBox is hidden. Fortunately, this space does not only help in making a good paper impression, because in practice such a gaping hole turns out to be quite useful for transporting long items that you do not want to lay flat, such as a large plant. In the passenger compartment, the Puma does not score above average. An adult is at most reasonable. In the front, everything looks noticeably beautiful and modern and the Puma does not drop any major ergonomics. At most, you could say that the digital clock shop responds a bit too slowly for all the functions it contains. The system falters considerably when several menus have to be opened one after the other. Anyway, at least the Puma has a digital dashboard. That is certainly not the only thing the Puma has. In fact, to get more luxury and safety systems on board a compact model, you will likely have to turn to a premium brand. Everything from seat and steering wheel heating to an electrically operated tailgate and adaptive cruise control to 18-inch alloy is on, on and under it. That justifies its hefty price a bit. The Puma never gets really cheap, on the other hand not really bare either.