This is how Ford tries to seduce the Dutch

What stands out about the Ford Puma?

On the outside, nothing really stands out and that is according to Ford exactly the intention. Puma drivers were given a survey and indicated that they were very satisfied with the appearance of their car. Changes? Don’t do too much. And so Ford only stripped the Puma of its chrome, the logo disappeared to the grille and LED headlights and new colors were introduced.

Connoisseurs will notice that a new bumper has been fitted at the rear, which hides the exhaust pipes. The Puma still has normal halogen lighting here.

Never expected that we would think of the Austin Allegro when testing a Ford, but we do. That is because of the shape of the steering wheel. Ford calls it a squirce-steering wheel and says that this square-round shape offers a perfect view of the meters. The Austin Allegro was the first car with a ‘square’ steering wheel.

It is also striking how tidy the price list of the Puma is: you can only choose one engine and that is a 1.0 EcoBoost. It delivers 125 hp in all versions. You can choose between a manual gearbox with six gears or a seven-speed Powershift automatic. In the Puma ST, the engine delivers 170 hp and is always linked to the Powershift automatic.

Some options that the old Puma was not available with but the new one is: matrix LED headlights, a wireless phone charger, a 360-degree camera and a system that warns of crossing traffic when you drive out of a parking space. Furthermore, over-the-air updates are possible and the color department has come up with some new blobs, such as cactus gray.

What’s good about the Ford Puma?

We drove the new Puma ST in December and found the tiny navigation screen endearing. But a modern car only counts with a mega screen and so the Puma also has such a whopper. Not only in the middle, but also in front of the driver’s nose. Both screens are equally large (12.8 inches). The disadvantage is that most of the real buttons were thrown in the bin together with the small screen. And so you now operate the climate control via the large screen.

A detail that we still find brilliant is the sink (megabox) in the 546-litre luggage compartment. You can easily rinse and empty the 81-litre box, thanks to the plug in the bottom. Although most people don’t use it to rinse the dog or wellington boots, but as extra storage space for a suitcase.

For a small crossover, the Puma offers above-average driving pleasure, with a nice (square) steering feel and sporty roadholding. You’ll soon be driving through the hills of the Ardennes much faster than you think. Although that’s not always pleasant given the notorious reputation of the roads there …

What could be improved about the Ford Puma?

If you take a test drive through Wallonia, you will encounter fabulous views and terrible roads. We also drive the ST Line, which has a slightly sportier setup than the Titanium version. The chassis does not make friends with the Walloon Swiss cheese. We bounce around a lot and are happy with the Dutch asphalt. But still: slightly softer shock absorbers would have been nice. On short bumps everyone is shaking in the stomach, but not from laughing.

If you look at the Puma in profile, you will see a sloping roofline. Looks nice, but it is a shame for the rear passengers. They have to pull their heads in a bit while sitting on the bench so as not to build up too intimate a relationship with the roof.

And then a small sore point as a bonus. For many sporty drivers, a manual gearbox is sacred. But the Puma ST with 200 hp three-cylinder and a gearbox where you shifted yourself has been scrapped. The ST is only available with 170 hp and a Powershift automatic with double clutch.

When will the Ford Puma be released and what will it cost?

The Ford Puma is already in the showroom and therefore already has a price: 28,995 euros. Sounds like a bargain and it is; Ford has lowered the price by no less than 4000 euros almost immediately after the showroom debut.

Perhaps the brand wants to take a dig at the Toyota Yaris Cross, which is much more popular in the Netherlands. price difference between the Puma and Yaris Cross in the cheapest versions is now 4200 euros … The price reduction of 4000 euros applies to all versions of the Puma.

Perhaps even die-hard Focus drivers will be tempted to make the switch, because this famous Ford model, which is still our best-selling model, will be discontinued next year.

The range will be expanded with an electric Ford Puma in early 2025.

What do I think of the Ford Puma?

Steering fine, driving sharp, but bounces a bit too much on bad roads. But that was always the case. The substantial price reduction of 4000 euros is, together with the renewed dashboard, the most striking new feature of the facelifted Puma.