Ford Puma Review
Recent refresh ensures the 2024 Ford Puma vies for supremacy against Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq alternatives.
Strengths & weaknesses
- Good fun to drive with any engine
- Practical, deep MegaBox in boot
- Improved tech and interior from 2024
- Tight rear seats for taller adults
- Not the cheapest car of this type
- Alternatives are more fuel efficient
Given that we're singing the praises of the Ford Puma you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd been transported back to the late 1990s. Those were the days — the Spice Girls were in their pomp, Carrie Bradshaw’s Sex and the City ruminations were a constant source of fascination and automotive highlights included a proliferation of sporty coupes.
Among those, the original Ford Puma which burst onto the scene in 1997, was a cracking little number. It was a joyous thing to drive then and — here’s the good news — the passing years haven't dulled its appeal.
Sure, today's Ford Puma is no longer a pert coupe, instead it's morphed into a small SUV. Body style aside, just like the OG Puma, it has the ability to put a smile on the face of anyone behind the wheel — perhaps no surprise given both were based on the Ford Fiesta.
Don’t think that the Puma's a one-trick pony, though, because it can do much more than bring joy on a winding B-road. It comes with a range of punchy and reasonably efficient 1.0-litre mild hybrid engines and it’s pleasingly practical for such a petite package. The boot in particular is noteworthy for its innovative use of space.
Is that enough to beat its rivals, though? Well, the small SUV market is hotly contested, which is great news if you’re looking to bag one. The range of choice is enormous, with many others besides the usual suspects of the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur, Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen T-Cross.
While the Ford Puma isn’t the cheapest of its ilk, it offers strong performance and good levels of equipment for the money. The range kicks off at a whisker under £26,000 for a new one, while tidy three-year-old examples with sensible miles on the clock start at around £15,000.
Key facts
Prices from | £25,800 |
---|---|
Engines | Petrol mild hybrid |
MPG range | 47.1 – 52.3mpg |
Warranty | Three years, 60,000 miles |
Length/width/height (mm) | 4186/1930/1537 |
Boot capacity | 401 – 1216 litres |
History
- June 2019 Ford Puma is unveiled
- October 2019 Production starts, including a limited-run First Edition trim
- June 2020 seven-speed automatic transmission option and high-end ST-Line Vignale X trim introduced
- September 2020 top-spec sporty Puma ST 1.5-litre EcoBoost launched with 200PS, stiffened suspension and a manual gearbox
- June 2021 Limited-run ST Gold Edition launched
- March 2023 Puma ST PowerShift launched with 170PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine and seven-speed automatic gearbox
- February 2024 facelift released, featuring updated exterior design and interior upgrade. 1.5-litre Puma ST discontinued
Ford Puma Engines
All of the Ford Puma's current engines have two things in common — they’re all 1.0-litre turbocharged petrols and all feature 48-volt mild hybrid electrical assistance.
What does that mean? Well, mild hybrid — which Ford abbreviates to mHEV — means it's equipped with a small battery powering a little electric motor that only aids the petrol engine’s performance and helps to reduce its emissions.
If you're hoping for silent, all-electric running in town, as you can with a Toyota Yaris Cross and Renault Captur E-Tech can do, you'll be disappointed. The Puma can't do that but it does shut the petrol engine off if you're coasting and fire it back up again seamlessly when you're ready to get going again.
Although each of the engines is 1.0-litre EcoBoost mHEV, there are three states of tune. The entry-level version has 125PS, which is just fine for most. After all, it zips through the 0-62mph benchmark in a respectable 9.8 seconds, dropping to 9.6 seconds if you swap the six-speed manual for the optional seven-speed automatic.
That's far quicker than the entry-level engines in both the Renault Captur and VW T-Roc. Importantly it feels lively around town and is also able to whisk you up to motorway speeds easily.
The middle-ranking engine has 155PS on offer — if speed matters to you then you should find this version's 8.7-second dash from 0-62mph sating. If not, there’s always the 170PS Puma ST which has the seven-speed auto as standard and ticks off the 0-62mph in a hot-hatch-bating 7.4 seconds.
Ford Puma Running Costs
Stick with the 125PS engine and it'll officially average 52.3mpg, so expect nearer to 45mpg in real-world driving. That's okay but bear in mind that the Renault Captur E-Tech and Toyota Yaris Cross — both are self-charging full hybrids that can run on electric power alone for short periods, averaging nearer 60mpg officially and in practice.
As you'd expect, the more powerful Ford Pumas — the 155PS and 170PS ST — are less efficient, officially averaging 49.6mpg and 47.1mpg respectively.
Those two full hybrid alternatives we mentioned — the Captur E-Tech and Yaris Cross — keep costs lower for company car drivers as well. How so? By offering much lower CO2 emissions that drop them into lower (and cheaper) Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax bands.
Alternatively, you could opt for a fully electric SUV, which would cut your BiK even further — order books for the electric Ford Puma Gen-E are expected to open before the end of 2024 ahead of customer deliveries in 2025.
For the record, the most efficient Puma at present, with the 125PS engine, emits 122g/km of CO2. That’s competitive but still a little higher than several SUV alternatives.
Ford Puma Comfort and Practicality
If you prioritise ride comfort over other driving criteria, then the Ford Puma might not be for you. It’s generally firmly sprung to make it feel sportier than many of its alternatives, so if you favour a bit more waft try the supple Skoda Kamiq or VW T-Roc instead.
That said, the softest-riding Puma in Titanium specification, is no boneshaker. It's the ST-Line models that get firmer sports suspension, while the Puma ST's set-up is even stiffer — to the point it feel quite jarring on poorly surfaced roads.
Being an SUV, albeit a small one, you might be hoping for that all-seeing, lofty driving position. Well, the Puma's driving position is higher than a Skoda Kamiq's, which feels rather like a regular hatchback but other small SUV rivals place you on more of a pedestal, including the Renault Captur.
In other ways the Ford Puma's driving position is good. For one thing, there's a lot of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel to accommodate most driver's sizes and shapes. It's also easy to use, thanks to clear instruments and lots of big, physical buttons that are easy to find while you're driving.
Space-wise, there's lots of room in the front seats so there's no issue there. The rear is okay, too, with room for a couple of tall adults but be aware there's more head and knee room in the back of a Kamiq making it a better bet if you regularly need to carry a quartet of tall adults.
If you still have your heart set on a Puma and carry tall adults in the back regularly, definitely don't opt for the panoramic sunroof — that really erodes headroom in the rear.
Where the Ford Puma scores well for families is its boot space. For a start it has 401 litres with the rear seats up, which is very similar to the space you get in the Kamiq. That's enough to swallow a fold-up pushchair, for example. But what makes the Puma's boot clever and unique is the MegaBox.
That's what Ford calls the deep trough underneath the boot floor. The boot floor lifts up and fastens vertically, making the boot deep enough to stow awkwardly lofty objects — a tall pot plant, for instance. Or you can chuck all your muddy wellies in there after a country walk. Because the MegaBox is rubber-lined with a removable bung for a drain hole at the bottom you can hose it clean when you get home. How clever’s that?
Ford Puma Technology
If you’re a nervous parker then rest assured that all Ford Pumas come with rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.
On top of that you also get a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster as standard, which shows lots of information via a relatively crisp-looking TFT screen. Next to the instruments, positioned high and in the centre of the dashboard, is the infotainment touchscreen.
At 12 inches it isn’t that big by today's standards but it is effective. Like the instruments, the infotainment screen is high-definition, the software is pretty responsive and it's mostly easy to navigate you're way through. Even though the screen itself isn't that big, the icons are, which makes them easier to hit while driving.
The infotainment system comes with useful features. All versions include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-built navigation and a six-speaker stereo. ST-line X and ST are upgraded to a 10-speaker B&O stereo plus wireless smartphone charging.
In terms of safety, every version has automatic emergency braking that should save you from rear-ending the car in front. It also responds to pedestrians and cyclists that unexpectedly cross your path. On top of that there's lane assist that steers you back into line if you drift outside your lane.
All Ford Puma trims have cruise control but only the ST has adaptive cruise control as standard.
Ford Puma Trims
Four standard trim levels are currently available across the Ford Puma range: Titanium, ST-Line, ST-Line X and ST. The latter is likely to be bought mainly for its extra performance than for its higher equipment levels.
Priced from £25,800 if you stick with the 125PS engine and a manual gearbox, the Ford Puma Titanium can also be had with 125PS engine paired with a seven-speed auto, pushing the price to £27,600. Opt for the 155PS motor, which has the auto as standard, takes it up to £28,350.
Standard equipment includes:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Quickclear electrically heated windscreen
- dark-tinted privacy glass for the rear window and tailgate
- climate control
- LED headlights and taillights
- automatic lights and wipers
- keyless start/stop
- selectable drive modes
- driver’s seat lumbar support
- cruise control
- 8-inch digital instruments
- 12-inch infotainment touchscreen
- wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- In-built navigation
- six-speaker stereo
If you want a sportier look and feel then the Ford Puma ST-Line might tick your boxes. It starts at £26,410 with the 125PS engine and a manual gearbox, rising to £28,960 with the 155PS automatic.
Standard equipment (over and above Titanium) includes:
- sports suspension
- sporty body styling
- sports interior with red stitching
- black 17-inch alloys
- power-folding door mirrors
Boasting a similar look and feel but with a more generous level of kit is the Ford Puma ST-Line X, costing between £27,960 and £30,510.
Standard equipment (over and above ST-Line) includes:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- B&O 10-speaker stereo
- wireless phone charging
- keyless entry
- power-operated tailgate
- synthetic leather and suede upholstery
- front passenger lumbar adjustment
Sportiest of the range with the 170hp engine and priced at £33,050 is the Ford Puma ST.
Standard equipment (over and above ST-Line X) includes:
- 19-inch alloys wheels
- selectable driving modes with a Track setting
- ST-specific sports suspension
- more aggressive body styling, including a larger rear spoiler, red brake calipers and ST badging
- sports front seats
- LED matrix headlights
- heated front seats
- heated steering wheel
- adaptive cruise control
- blind spot monitoring
- 360-degree parking camera
- front parking sensors
Ford Puma FAQs
How big is the Ford Puma?
At 4,186mm long, the Ford Puma isn't as long as some other small SUVs. The length of the Renault Captur, for instance, is 4,239mm.
Is the Ford Puma the best small SUV?
This depends on what you're looking for. The Puma is the most fun small SUV to drive thanks to stiffer suspension and sharper steering — especially in ST-Line, ST-Line X or ST guises. The Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq are softer, which makes them feel less agile and rewarding on a twisty road, but on the plus side they're much more comfortable. If you're after efficiency, then the Captur E-Tech and Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid will cost you less to run.
How expensive is the Ford Puma?
The cheapest Ford Puma is £25,800, which makes it more expensive than the entry-level Skoda Kamiq or Renault Captur. It's still worth considering, though, because the most basic 125PS Puma delivers a lot more performance than the entry-level engine in those alternatives. In entry-level Titanium trim the Puma's also very well equipped.