Ford Puma review - Engines, drive & performance

We have been impressed with the Ford Puma’s driving feel since it launched in 2019, so the post-facelift model has a great foundation on which to build. Sadly, though, Ford has chosen to discontinue the hottest 1.5-litre turbocharged Puma ST with its slick six-speed gearbox.

We praised the discontinued Ford Fiesta for its handling and the Puma loses little of that with its taller body and ride height. There’s a little more body roll as you’d expect of a high-riding model, but the Puma is by no means wallowy and still feels just as playful and engaging to drive. ST-Line models get sports suspension keeping it very composed, yet it’s well balanced in terms of harshness and comfort, so longer journeys will still be more than bearable for passengers. We wouldn’t go with the 19-inch wheels, though – these make the Puma a little more fidgety at lower speeds so we’d stick with the smaller wheels on offer.

Sadly the Ford Puma ST feels like a watered-down version of the pre-facelift model. Essentially it’s now just a renamed version of the old ST Powershift, so it gets an automatic gearbox as standard with no manual override, which takes away some of the engagement from the old model, and that’s before you even take into consideration the new car’s lower performance compared to before. 

Ford Puma petrol engines

Both of the Puma's petrol engines are 1.0-litre EcoBoost units with three cylinders and Ford's new mild-hybrid technology, producing 123bhp and 153bhp respectively. Acceleration is competitive for a crossover, with 0-62mph taking 8.7 seconds for the more powerful version with its seven-speed automatic gearbox, while the 123bhp engine with the same gearbox takes 9.6 seconds.

While the manual version of the 123bhp engine takes slightly longer from 0-62mph at 9.8 seconds, its gear shifter has a delightfully satisfying feel to it, like something that’s been pulled straight out of a hot hatchback, rather than an SUV.

At the top of the range is the Ford Puma ST, but it’s now less powerful than before with just 168bhp from its 1.0-litre mild-hybrid turbocharged engine. The automatic transmission is not very engaging, but it’s at least smooth – it’s just a shame there’s no manual override option and the gearbox can be a little slow to change even in Sport mode. 0-62mph takes 7.4 seconds.

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