Overview

The Ford Puma is one of our favourite small SUVs on sale today because it offers such as broad range of ability. It can turn heads on a Friday night, transport flatpack furniture on a Saturday afternoon and provide an entertaining drive on a Sunday morning.

The Puma owes a lot of its success to the Fiesta. It shares its underpinnings with Ford’s now discontinued supermini, which means it has a fantastic range of engines, a sharp-shifting manual gearbox, very well-weighted controls and a suspension setup that savours winding backroads.

It’s not all good news, though. The Puma’s cabin is a little dull and its infotainment system looks dated when compared to the system used in the Peugeot 2008. However, the Puma has been on sale since 2019, which means its approaching its mid-life facelift – and there’s a good chance Ford will fit the car with the same larger infotainment screen found in the updated Focus.

The standard Puma is offered with a choice of two engines. They’re both turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol units – the basic model has 125hp, while the more potent variant serves up 155hp. Both are mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, although you can have a seven-speed automatic as an optional extra (which we’d strongly suggest you avoid). If you’re a speed freak, Ford also sells a Puma ST, which we’ve covered in a separate review.

There are four specifications to choose from called Titanium, ST-Line, ST-Line X and ST-Line Vignale. The Titanium model features 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and an 8.0-inch infotainment system. You also get a good range of standard safety equipment, including rear parking sensors, cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

ST-Line cars get a more aggressive body kit, a unique set of 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, sports seats and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. ST-Line X models build on that specification with 18-inch alloy wheels, half-leather seats and a wireless smartphone charger, while ST-Line Vignale cars have all the toys Ford can throw at a car. Upgrades for the top-spec car include front parking sensors, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and keyless entry.

Over the next few pages, we’ll review each aspect of the Ford Puma. We’ll consider its practicality, interior quality, driving experience and running costs before offering our final verdict on the car.