This is the new Ford Puma, and it raises two big questions. Why is this called Puma, because that used to belong to the funny little coupé from...
the nineties? The rival to the Opel Tigra back in the day. It was a very popular sort of car back then, with emphasis on 'back then'.
Nowadays however, there's no market anymore for cars like that. There is a market for SUV's and crossovers though, because they're...
selling like hotcakes. So Ford must've thought 'Puma sounds good, let's continue the name'. I mean, they've already turned the Mustang into an...
SUV as well. Then, the second question. Why would they build an SUV or a crossover in the segment they already have the EcoSport in.
Another good question, and you can answer it in a very short fashion. Ford didn't have a B-segment SUV in their range,
but they had one in South America. That was the EcoSport, which they imported to Europe. And everybody thought the same:
it's a desperate measure. It just didn't fit in the European model range. They've since improved it, but it's still not the greatest car they've ever built.
That's why Ford must've thought 'we'll position the EcoSport as the tough, small SUV', and make the Puma the funky little crossover.
Anyway, it looks pretty good. According to my own opinion of course. Some people think of it as some kind of small Cayenne.
I get them with that front, just look at the headlights. Whatever you think it looks like, it's quite the appearance.
My colleague Lars already did a comprehensive introduction on this car. He sat in it and talked about all the ins and outs.
So I'll won't go into the specs as much, I'll focus mostly on the drive.
When it comes to the drive, Ford usually delivers. Their cars are known for their light and sporty handling.
They steer very nicely, with nice chassis' and good handling. Even the most basic versions don't disappoint.
And since this Puma is based on the B-platform of the Fiesta, despite the bigger wheelbase and trackwidth, this car is very nice to drive.
I've been driving this for a while now in the mountains around Malaga, and it's slippery here. So you'll have to keep that in consideration,
since this is the most powerful version. A 155 horsepower 1.0-litre EcoBoost, but you're still driving it with a smile. A rare occurrence...
in this compact crossover-segment. They're supposed to look nice and be practical, but they won't be exciting to drive.
But this is. Exactly what Ford does best, and they haven't disappointed. Let's start with the engine. Like I said, it's a 1.0-litre EcoBoost,
in this case 155 horsepower. You can also get a 125 horsepower-version, the only engines Ford supplies in the Netherlands.
And what stands out is that this is the first Ford with that 1.0-litre EcoBoost connected to a mild-hybrid system.
In this case, it means it has a 48V-battery aboard, which powers an 11 kWh-electric motor. In turn, that electric motor supports the...
combustion engine. It supplies some extra torque at setting off, but it can also supply extra torque if you need all of the power.
That relieves the engine a little and you save fuel. Around 9 percent according to the WLTP-cycle.
So it all sounds advantageous, on paper. So how does it do in the real world? If you ask me, it does very well.
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost-engine is a very nice engine to have, and with the electrical support, there's more power to play with.
And it all goes very smoothly. On the dashboard, there's a hybrid gauge. When I'm braking or when I've released the throttle, it regenerates a little,
and when I put my foot down, you can see it assists the engine. Until you run out of electrical juice that is, after that it has to recharge.
But you always have some extra boost available, which is very nice.
Right, the drive then. The experience. The steering is nice and sharp, or nice and Ford as I should say.
Around the middle, it can feel a bit senseless though. You have to get through that. It has light steering though, that could be heavier.
Especially for a sportier driving experience, but it's not bad at all. The gearbox then, always alright in a Ford as it is in here.
It's a 6-speed manual, but in time a 7-speed double clutch automatic will become available as well. The chassis itself is at the good side...
of sporty. Not too hard, but exciting enough. It dares you to push it a little further. It doesn't heave too much either, so it's a very nice...
chassis. You can even choose between different driving modes. They won't change anything about the chassis, but they do have...
effect on the throttle response. There's Sport-mode, Normal, Eco, Terrain, Slippery... I should go for the latter right now,
because the mountains are getting very slippery indeed. Driving really is the strong point of this Puma. It offers lots of driving pleasure.
Finally, I want to show you something Ford is very proud of. The boot, and mostly the possibilities you have with it.
Colleague Lars already showed it in the studio-video. It has quite a large boot for its segment.
456 litres, and that's including the extra well over here. The Megabox, as Ford calls it. It now fits the bags of our...
camera man Mark. It's supposed to fit 80 litres to make the cumulative luggage space 456 litres. But that isn't possible yet.
It only fits 401 litres now because next to the Megabox, we have the battery packs for the mild-hybrid system.
Ford is going to move them to underneath the passenger seat, so the full,bigger boot will become available in the near future.
And you can also close the lid very nicely.
To be clear, the EcoSport will remain available next to this Puma. They cost about the same, this Puma starts at €26.900.
And the EcoSport will have a similar entry price, and you can guess what car will get the most customers.
This is not the first compact crossover slash SUV in its own kind, because it's a very crowded market with the Captur, T-Cross, the Juke,
and the CX-3. How it's going to hold its own, we'll find out shortly. When it releases on the Dutch markets in the near future, we'll immediately compare...
it with the tough competetition. We'll find out how it does, but I already know its going to ace the driving-part.