Ford Puma ST

Fiesta ST200 owner Meaden samples Ford’s crossover alternative

ITEND TO LIKE FAST FORDS AND HAD been curious about the Puma, not least because it’s the popularity of cars such as this that has led Ford to kill off the Fiesta. So recently I managed to grab a few weeks with our Puma ST to find out what it’s all about.

In terms of looks the Puma is likeable, at least if you’re drawn to chunky crossovers. Being a five-door means it’s practical, and the doubledepth ‘Megabox’ boot is handy for containing full grocery bags or muddy boots, or, one might imagine, smuggling contraband. It’s a comfortable and generously equipped car, too, with a heated front screen, a decent Carplay-enabled hi-fi, a simple touchscreen interface and a conductive charging tray for your mobile. So far, so good.

Ford also tends to be pretty darned good at small-car dynamics (OK, smallish car in the case of the Puma) and I’d expected big things from the ST. Especially as ‘our’ car comes with the optional Performance Pack (£950), which includes a Quaife limited-slip diff and brake-actuated torque vectoring. Sadly, despite the promise – and DNA closely linked to the excellent Fiesta ST’S – it feels surprisingly at odds with itself.

The suspension is lumpen and struggles to settle, and the steering tends to pull and be generally distracted by cambers and white lines. There’s decent grip and a playful balance, but country roads always feel a bit of a fight as you try to keep it on an accurate course. You also feel like you’re being tossed around, head continually bobbling about like you’re experiencing turbulence in an airliner.

The turbocharged three-cylinder engine has a characteristically gruff note but feels a bit leaden unless you switch to ST mode. Given this is an ST, I can’t help thinking this should be its default mode, but it’s probably held back to minimise emissions on start-up. There’s something quite satisfying about the torquey delivery and vaguely 911-esque burr, but it doesn’t feel as smooth or free-revving as a decent four-cylinder.

The gearshift isn’t particularly sweet either – not obstructive, just a bit notchy – and the brakes have an abruptness that requires effort to finesse. In isolation, none of the aforementioned issues are deal-breakers, but they work like an inverse of marginal gains, combining to make the ST feel less than the sum of its parts, and a strangely hard car to bond with. The Puma may have many fans, but I’d rather be in a Fiesta ST.

(@Dickiemeaden)

Date acquired April 2022 Total mileage 11,010 Mileage this month 499 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 35.6