Safety and practicality

The Ford Puma was never subjected to Euro NCAP crash testing, so there was no official star rating to gauge its crashworthiness. However, by modern standards, its safety equipment was fairly basic. Built on the underpinnings of the Mk4 Fiesta, it inherited a platform designed well before modern crash regulations became more stringent. As a result, while it felt solid enough on the road, it lacked many of the safety features that became common in later small cars.

Standard equipment included a driver’s airbag, but most models did without a passenger airbag unless it was added as an optional extra. Only the limited-run Racing Puma included a passenger airbag as standard. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) were also missing from early 1.4-litre models, and traction control was never offered. While this minimal approach was acceptable at the time of launch, it meant that safety-conscious buyers needed to check individual specifications carefully when shopping for a used example.

Security was stronger than the safety kit. All Pumas were fitted with a factory-fitted alarm, immobiliser and central locking as standard. The alarm system was fairly sophisticated for the time and helped deter theft in an era when hot hatches and small coupés were common targets. As the Puma aged, electrical issues could occasionally affect the alarm system, but it was generally regarded as robust.

On the practicality front, the Puma’s boot was a decent size for a small coupé, especially with the rear seats folded down. This created a surprisingly large, flat load area for larger items or occasional IKEA runs. However, the narrow boot opening and relatively high loading lip made it awkward to lift bulky items in and out. The rear seatbacks folded to expand capacity, but the lack of a split-folding arrangement limited flexibility. Still, for single drivers or couples, it was more than adequate for day-to-day use.