It’s true that a launch of a new crossover in the automotive world of 2019 is a rife occurrence, but it isn’t the case that the first run at an all-new model appears from Ford. In the case of the Puma, though, a Fiesta-sized high-riding soft-roader, its name has been cribbed from the automaker’s archives.
The Ford Puma name first appeared in the latter half of the 1990s on a fun but quite compact two-door - incidentally, also based on the Fiesta hatch of its time. And because such a vehicle would all but be doomed to dismal sales numbers in today’s world, we get a crossover as the name’s new bearer.
Ford Europe had been rumoured to be developing this very kind of vehicle for some time now, and in the flesh does strike at many of the same design cues the Blue Oval’s division executed admirably in the Focus and others. Oddly, Ford has not committed to saying that this will replace the ageing EcoSport.
“We believe Puma is going to really resonate with drivers in Europe, We've gone to every length to give customers the flexibility they want, and the best-looking car they've ever owned.” - Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe.
Like the 7th-generation Fiesta, the Puma rides on the marque’s B-car platform, and sports body that’s rather athletically defined, if quite narrow in relation to its overall height. The trapezoid grille features prominently at the front, flanked by generously sized headlights and a fetching swept-back windscreen (which can be augmented further by an optional panoramic glass roof).
At the rear, the roofline slopes down and the rear bumper scaled up just enough to give the rear fascia the impression of being tautly compressed at the possible expense of rearward visibility. Here in Ford’s familiar blue, large 19-inch alloys, and a faux rear diffuser-like element, the Puma ST-Line certainly is working hard for its street cred.
So far, Ford has only gone so far as to announce a sole powerplant for the Euro-targeted crossover, that being a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol EcoBoost 3-cylinder that’s supplemented by a mild-hybrid architecture and 11.5kW integrated starter/generator.
Excess kinetic energy can be recouped via regenerative braking and gathered within its internal lithium ion battery, and dispensed as 50Nm of additional or substitutive torque over, or instead of, the engine’s peak twist. The three-pot petrol is offered in either 125PS (92kW) or 155PS (114kW) flavours. Drive is send to the front wheels exclusively via a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
To further save fuel, higher variants within the Puma range with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost will be equipped with stop-start and cylinder deactivation as standard. Meanwhile, other tech features are more concerned with safety and driver aid.
Ford will include its Co-Pilot360 suite which enable Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, front and rear Cross Traffic Alert, Active Park Assist, and other pre-collision systems via an array of 3 radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and two constant-feed cameras placed around the car.
Unsurprisingly, the Puma will look and feel instantly familiar to anyone who’s sat in the latest Fiesta hatch, with almost the exact layout and scale of the switchgear and ergonomics. The ST-Line livens things up by adding contrast stitching to the black leather trim pieces, though.
In the centre there is the 8-inch SYNC3 touchscreen infotainment system that also drives the impressive 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Buyers can even opt to fit a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo that can fill the Puma’s modest cabin with a 575-watt audio experience.
There’s no word yet on how much of a future this all-new will have outside of Europe, where it will be on sale toward the end of 2019. That said, it seems almost silly to not offer the far more desirable Puma in markets where the EcoSport already has a foothold.
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