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Wondering what this compact SUV is like to live with? Our Acting Continuity Editor Lawrence Cheung has the honour of running the Parkers 2021 Car of Year for six months – in mild hybrid and sporty ST form.

• Puma ST-Line X: Introduction
  
• Puma ST-Line X: Holiday
  
• Puma ST-Line X: Farewell

Update 1: Introduction

The Puma’s been off to a great start at Parkers, finding many fans in the team with its blend of driving fun, practicality, value for money and a dose of desirability. Compact SUVs needn’t be boring, and we’ll see if this Ford can try and prove that.

The Puma continues to be based on the Fiesta hatchback, so we know it’s good to drive, and while it’s SUV formula is contrastingly different to the original version, it should appeal to a broader set of customers – especially since coupes have been falling in popularity over the years. You couldn’t fit much of a human in the rear seats of its predecessor, but you definitely won’t have much trouble with this one.

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I’ll happily concede that I was a sceptic with this SUV at first. The front took a while to get used to, but with the big smiling grille it’s undeniably a happy-looking car.  Factor in the fun-to-drive element and this altogether feels like a cheery car to own that’s far more desirable than the coffin-dodging Ecosport as well.

Out of all the compact SUVs on sale, the Puma is the one I’d personally spend money on. The Skoda Kamiq is the one I recommend to those who’d happily trade the driving aspect for maximum practicality and comfort, but the Puma balances out for my personal priorities.

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The Megabox feature in the boot may not be a substitute for outright cargo capacity, but it’s a trick party piece for anything bulky I rarely carry – and since I’ve moved house recently, this seems ideal for packing the collection of trainers and shoes I’ve accumulated over the years.

Which Puma do we have?

I can dream about the high-performance ST, but I’ve gone for ST-Line X and the 1.0-litre 155hp engine instead to be a better all-rounder.

What options have we got?

• Fantastic Red paint
• Larger 19-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlamps
• Winter pack: Heated seats and steering wheel
• Handsfree power tailgate

The only other ones I’d possibly consider would be the panoramic roof, or the mini spare wheel, although the latter means you lose much of the MegaBox’s capacity, as well as the drainage plug – which seems to undo the Puma’s party piece.

First Impressions

The ride is a little firmer than I remember, but it’s by no means uncomfortable. It’s a little knobbly at low speeds, but the larger wheels are a small compromise I’d happily live with – I find the Puma looks a little malnourished on the standard 18s, otherwise.

It’s a little noisy on the motorway in terms of road noise, though, but the B&O sound system with 10 speakers just about manages to drown it out.

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The steering response is nice and sharp, which livens up everyday driving, and this higher-powered engine is smoother in this than the Focus Active I tested last year.

It’s smiles all round really, and I’m also glad my spec choice hasn’t ruined our car of the year!

Update 2: Ice bucket challenge

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Summer is here and it’s time to make the most of the Puma’s practicality…

Weight training

The first task for our long termer was to load the boot with six bags of stone chippings for the driveway, which barely ate into the Puma’s capacity. Thankfully, the load lip isn’t too high either, given the adjustable boot floor was on its lowest setting, so you don’t have too much trouble heaving cargo over the bumper.

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A bonus point relates to the parcel shelf. I couldn’t figure out why Ford attached it to the tailgate itself rather than behind the rear seats, where traditionally found, but now I fully appreciate it’s out of the way when it comes to accessing bigger items. It saves me removing it or even headbutting it when I haven’t.

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As an aside, I did enjoy the Puma’s new lowered suspension look, which seemed to coincide well with the ST-Line’s sporty bodykit.

Holiday time

It was time to head to the beach and I had a plan for the Puma to make life easier. Most days, I’m usually either too hot or too cold, so to prepare for the former I set up the Megabox as an iced drinks cabinet.

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I should’ve used a trolley while shopping, but with the 10kgs worth of ice my weedy arms could muster, they filled up about a third of the Megabox.

Not only were they useful at keeping the drinks (and chocolate) cool, but they held them in place as we were driving, stopping them from rolling around in the corners. That said, it did sound like I was driving around with a large bucket of loose change as the cubes got shaken around over bumps or when  I cornered a bit too eagerly.

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As we had parked with the boot facing away from the sun, the Megabox kept cool even as the ice had been melting throughout the day. We simply drained the icy water out when we were finished, although I would suggest doing this before setting off to prevent everything sloshing around on your return journey…which I hadn’t, so perhaps it was best I hadn’t bought more ice in the first place!

‘Mission success’ is all I’ll say, though. Here’s to many more drinks cabinets. I mean, holidays.

Update 3: Farewell, of sorts.

It’s time for my Puma to go after living with it for three months, and I already know I’m going to miss it.

The small SUV sector is looking pretty crowded nowadays but whenever anyone asks me which one they should buy, I simply give them two choices: the Ford Puma, or Skoda Kamiq. As reflected by our Best Small SUVs group test, these two are at the top of their game right now.

If you need maximum space, comfort, and practicality for the money, try the Skoda. My cousin bought one to cater for his first-born and it’s easy to see how the Kamiq ticks more boxes for him and his family.

I, on the other hand, don’t need such a focus on practicality and the Puma trades ultimate cabin space for driving fun and desirability. That fun part makes more of a difference in my everyday life, bringing a smile to most journeys, and it’s hardly as cramped as a Fiesta in comparison inside.

There’s enough room for my occasional passengers and the MegaBox boot feature is great for catering any unconventional cargo – not having to worry about deep cleaning mucky carpets afterwards is a bonus.

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Personally, with my own money, I’d choose the ST-Line X we have here, with this engine, in this colour and wheel combo. The larger 19-inch wheels haven’t trashed the ride, and the 155hp engine is quiet and more than powerful enough.

It’s economical, too, with a calculated average of 44.4mpg having mostly covered motorways – using E10 fuel hasn’t made much of a difference either, even though it’s deemed to be slightly less economical than the traditional E5 variant.

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The mild hybrid system is also smooth and incredibly swift at switching the engine on and off in stop-start traffic, with three adjustable settings on how active you want it to be.

As an all-rounder, I couldn’t think of anything that would better this, so it’s hardly surprising that it won our Small Family Car of the Year Award for the second consecutive year.

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Thankfully, all is not lost, as I’ll be swapping for another Puma – the ST. As an owner of the current Fiesta ST, to say I’m excited and intrigued is an understatement. Will I be underwhelmed?

‘Mission success’ is all I’ll say, though. Here’s to many more drinks cabinets. I mean, holidays.

• Find out what the Ford Puma ST is like to live with with our long-term report