At a time when many believe that buyers are indifferent, that the category does not "take off" sport oriented compact SUVs, η Ford, he dared. Puma... galloping in sales, and the international feedback is rave. What can be the ""secret" of?
In the B-Segment, the competition is fierce and Ford thought it would take a risk by launching a small SUV which combines the amenities of an SUV, the... grace of an city car and the... joys of having a hot hatch. Loading it with technology, but also plenty of horsepower (155 hp from 1 litre), the Puma ST-Line we drive, seems to be the only choice for someone who wants a small SUV, but also not to part with the joys of driving. With the Price below the threshold of 26.000 euros...screams like the... Sirens, take it or leave it... Puma ST with the 1.5 Ecoboost and 200 hp (with which the model now "escapes" completely from antagonism).
But that's not all. Like almost set of tests agree that in comparisons with all the competition, the Ford emerges as a winner, as it is one of the few SUVs that make driving fun, so is our experience. It is also smart, economical and practical, values of the time.
The Puma can be based on the Fiesta floor, but the (voted by its buyers) name, it derives from older supermini of the brand, which is one of the most underprivileged hatches of history when it comes to "posterity". The new generation is not related to the previous one, as it is more "muscular" and less discreet.
Not that it resembles in many ways the hatch "bro" with whom they share the same platform. Η distance from the ground reaches the 16.5 cm and the total height of the 1.534 mm. The wheelbase reaches the 2,59 m, increased by 10 cm compared to the Fiesta. It is, however, by 4 cm shorter from the new Juke and Kamiq, which will be noticed by rear passengers.
It is, however, shared common mechanical parts with the Fiesta and... features. Yes, and in the Puma ST-Line the drive is transmitted exclusively on the front wheelsYes, the front suspension consists of McPherson kneesbut the semi-rigid rear axle has been redesigned so that it is by 50% more robust, while different are the shock absorbers, compared to the Fiesta.
The "meat", however, lies in what cannot be seen. With Ford being the first teacher in downsizing, the Puma ST-Line wears it under the hood award-winning Ecoboost 1,000 cc, performance 155 horsepower and 240 Nm torque. The latter number is assigned with the help of the 48-volt mild-hybrid system, a electric motor which helps to acceleration and the reduction of consumption, recovering energy during braking.
Essentially, the starter/generator system (BISG) stores the energy it recovers in a Li-Ion battery 10 Ah which he uses as "extra supercharging", contributing power 11,5 kW and torque 50 Nm, where appropriate, with a focus on low revs. The torque is maintained fixed at 190 Nm from the 1.900 to 5.500 rpm., it reaches 220 Nm at 3.000 rpm. and culminates in the 240 Nm when the driver presses all the way down on the accelerator and gets maximum performance from the combination of thermal and electric motor.
The BISG, not noticeable "spinning" and a bar on the dial shows when and how it works, while more prominent is its presence by switching off the engine when the speed drops Under 15 I lose, but also in smoother restart than stop/start with a conventional starter.
On the roadbut, however, is the real surprise. To begin with, who would have thought that we would once say that a thousandaire engine has power sufficiency across the entire rev range, so you don't have to spend too much time with the otherwise accurate and pleasant 6 gauge box to move fast?
Ford gives 9 seconds for the sprint from a standing start at 100 km/h. and final at 200but in practice, the Puma ST-Line seems to be much faster and has particularly good intermediate accelerations, while the top speed is indeed limited shortly after 200 (205, to be precise). The engine is very live and, contrary to what you'd expect from a three-cylinder millennium, the more you press the throttle, the more "soul" shows. With the help of both the electric motor and the tight scaling relations, the Puma ST-Line shows that it has an appetite to rev upbut also quite a few power reserves to show off the nicely set up frame. So gas, you'll never miss it!
And who would have thought that one day we'd be saying an SUV is pleasant and capable of sports driving. Assisted by the low weight (1,280 kg), the most tight post setup and the 18mm wheels, along with the rubbery and direct motor, can take you on a driving rhythms that are most suited to sport hatch;
Odigocentric. This is the Puma ST- Line. Η Response on the gas, the Power across the spectrum, but also the conduct of the tight, mountainous tracks, is vindication for Ford and its selection. Puma is everywhere and always lively and ready to play, with the inclinations be so minimal as to bear any resemblance to his height and Box be controlled and behave excellent. Η flexibility and the speed with which it changes direction are monumental and, with the perfect weight steering wheel with essential information, the driver can take advantage of the high adhesion margins. You won't see any surprises even if you're carrying momentum into the corner. And speaking of "game", this Puma has a hypertrophic predisposition, which allows you to use it in order to position yourself at the entrance of a turn.
Η post and the excellent framework they also help in sport program the gradients are minimal and the excellent body control. The Puma has information steering wheel with right weight, it is flexible, changes direction directly and follows faithfully the lines that you carve, with the adhesion margins to be high and the general behaviour Progressive, "standard" Ford that leaves you to position yourself at the entrance. In combination with the Top in feel and performance brakes, the Puma ST-Line is the best of the category. To these he added consumption, which is approaching the weaker hybrid of the category, since in our test it moved in the 6.9 lt/100 km (it can easily reach 6.0) but also the top payback of posts that doesn't let the whole thing become tedious in everyday life.
At Inside, there are no changes from the dashboard of the Fiesta, with the exception of impressive 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel which changes colour depending on the driver selection (it has 5 such) and displays a impressive graphic with a puma when opened, while the 8 inch screen SYNC3 is integrated as standard in the middle of the dashboard. With the sports details such as the red seams and the leather details, the materials satisfy in terms of texture and fit, while there are front and rear compartments, as well as dozens of goodies such as a wireless charging case for your phone. Ο luggage compartment of 402 lt, "hosts" and the MegaBox, a "hidden" space space 80 lt on the floor that has drainage hole and can even be washed with a hose. Which is handy for those of us who do crazy things like bringing watermelons, cheese, oil and the like. from the village.
In conclusion, with the rich equipment which includes from clima to B&O sound system with 10 speakers, ad. cruise control, fully automatic parking and fun to drive character, perhaps Ford has given the category, with the Puma, what they couldn't find so far the buyers...
