RIDE AND HANDLING

Puma’s firm-ish tuning of springs and dampers help align it with its ST-Line badge, yet it’s sufficiently comfortable to ensure it’s not tiresome for daily driving. The Ford is also slightly better at absorbing bigger bumps. A chubbier, perforated steering wheel feels more tactile in the hands than that of the Hyundai and delivers a stronger sense of connection to the front end. Turning in to corners more keenly than the Kona and feeling even more poised with directional changes, the Puma has a wonderfully playful nature that showcases some of the DNA it shares with the Fiesta ST. It imparts this feeling irrespective of speed, so the Puma is rewarding to drive even when navigating suburban streets. With a kerb weight of 1291kg, the Puma is also notably lighter than the N-Line that’s closer to 1500kg. 23/25

The Kona has the slightly more supple suspension of the pair, though still N-Line firm, which delivers a generally smooth ride. A dynamic link to the i30 N hot-hatch may be more tenuous than that of the PumaFiesta ST relationship, but the Hyundai offers its driver copious amounts of confidence with its grippy tyres, tied-down chassis, and nicely modulated brakes. To best enjoy the Kona, however, its lane-keep assist system must be switched off (done by holding the steering wheel icon on, well, the steering wheel for a couple of seconds). The system, at 60km/h and above, can otherwise act like a phantom driver, making small tugs at the steering wheel in the frequently erroneous belief that the Kona is crossing lane markings. 22/25