AS GOOD AS NEW
FORD PUMA
Want a crossover that’s as enjoyable as it is practical? Oliver Young has the answer
Interior feels nice and is sensibly laid out
I n the 1990s a small coupé, today a small SUV : the Ford Puma is yet another sporty car revived as a much more utilitarian product. It’s not the first and, judging by the likes of the Ford Kuga and Mustang Mach-E, it won’t be the last.
Putting thoughts about its name to one side, the modern Puma is an outstanding crossover. Introduced in 2019 and based on the excellent Fiesta supermini, it offers a punchy yet frugal turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine with 123bhp or 153bhp. Mild-hybrid technology (cheekily badged Hybrid) is applied to both variants of the three-pot, although at first it wasn’t standard on the lesser-powered one, so keep that in mind when hunting around.