• Huge boot boosted by underfloor storage…
• … which is both waterproof and features a drain plug
• Reasonable amount of space in the rear seats

How much space is there?

The Ford Puma has an average amount of interior space for its class. Space in the front is plentiful, but rear seat passengers might feel a little hemmed in. Legroom is at a premium, especially if you’re sat behind a taller driver. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the Puma remains a fairly narrow car, so a fifth passenger won’t be particularly comfortable for any extended periods of time.

That’s by no means unique in this sector, but some of the Puma’s rivals can do better. For example, the Honda HR-V offers more space in the back seats, while the Renault Captur features a clever sliding rear bench that allows you to prioritise either boot space or legroom for rear passengers.

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Cabin storage is equally middle-of-the-road. The glovebox is large and there’s a handy shelf ahead of the gear lever for items like your smartphone or your sunglasses case. However, the drinks holders in the door bins aren’t big enough to secure anything larger than a Coke can, while the cupholders are positioned uncomfortably close to the handbrake.

Boot space and storage

The Ford Puma compensates for its sub-par cabin space with a class-leading boot. At 456 litres, it’s way bigger than its closest rivals – and it even manages to trounce some of the cars from the class above. The Ford Kuga’s boot, for example, only measures 412 litres, while the Skoda Kamiq’s weighs in at a mere 400 litres.

Quite a lot of the Puma’s extra practicality comes courtesy of the 80-litre storage compartment underneath the boot floor. Ford calls this the ‘Megabox’ – and it has a variety of uses. It’s lined with waterproof plastic and it has its own drain plug, which means you can even use it as a makeshift cooler by filling it with ice and packing your food and drink into the space.

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The Megabox is also great for holding muddy or wet sports gear. Plus, the drain plug means you can rinse them off in the boot with a hose before carrying them into your house. Alternatively, you can remove the boot board and use the space’s extra depth to give you a greater loading height. It means the Puma can carry items over a metre long upright, such as golf clubs.

There are more clever storage solutions for the boot, too. For example, the parcel shelf is flexible and attached to the tailgate, which means it doesn’t get in the way. Plus, the maximum loading weight for the boot is 565kg – handy for those heavy-duty trips to the garden centre or DIY store.

Is it easy to park?

It’s more difficult to park than a Fiesta, but not by much. It’s taller, wider and longer than the average hatchback, but it’s not a whopper by compact SUV terms – so it’s relatively easy to steer into both parallel and bay parking spaces. Our only complaint is that is it uses the same frustratingly small door mirrors as the Fiesta which makes parking more difficult than it should be.

Still, there’s enough technology on offer to relieve some of the burden of parking. Rear parking sensors are standard across the range, while top-spec models get front sensors, too. You can also optionally specify a rear-view camera on every model.

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However, you don’t even need to park the Puma if you don’t want to, as you can also opt for an automatic parking system. Simply press the button, drive past the spot you want the car to be in, follow the instructions on the infotainment screen and it’ll park for you. It’s one of the simplest and most effective systems around.

Safety

• Four-star rating from Euro NCAP
• Loads of autonomous technology
• Can communicate hazards to other cars

When Euro NCAP first crash-tested the Ford Puma in 2019, it awarded the car a full five-star safety rating. However, when it retested the car in 2022, the safety body downgraded its score to four stars to reflect its poorer performance in the safety assist category compared to its rivals.

The Puma’s autonomous emergency braking performance dragged its score down. The Puma crashes quite well, though. Its body stayed stable in the impact tests and the overall protection of both the adult and child the crash test dummies were good. The tester’s complaints centre on the lack of an airbag between the front seat occupants, which means they’re at greater risk of clashing heads in the event of a side impact.

And even though the Puma’s AEB system isn’t perfect, it’s still loaded with lots of other safety tech. The most ground-breaking innovation is Ford’s Local Hazard Information system – an on-board modem that communicates a warning with other so-equipped cars when there has been a crash or other hazard on the road ahead. Examples of the dangers include broken down vehicles, objects in the carriageway and even hazardous driving conditions like fog or ice.

Other available technology includes adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and cross traffic alert. We found the adaptive cruise control to work well, responding to other vehicles soon enough and shedding speed gradually – unlike other systems which can slam on the brakes abruptly.

Watch: Ford Puma Euro NCAP crash test video