The Star: June 03, 2021

32 The Star Thursday June 3 2021
SENIORS’ LIVING LIFE
Puma ready to pounce
By Ross Kiddie
While the sport utility market is
ever-expanding, the cars within it
are shrinking.
Ford’s newcomer into that
segment is the Puma, a cheeky,
squat SUV that is bulbous and
well rounded; if you think
Nissan Juke then the two aren’t
dissimilar, although my son likens
the front of the Puma’s design,
especially the way the lights are
angled, to Porsche’s Macan.
Of course, the Puma is built for
a completely different market, it
will attract a wide cross-section
of buyers, those from the younger
generation who like its trendy
style, right through to those in
retirement who will benefit from
its ease of access and easy-todrive
characteristics.
Sitting at just 4.2mm, the
Puma is a compact five-seater,
but there’s good load space so
that the belongings we tend to
carry with us can be adequately
stored. Ford claims a 410-litre
load space capacity extending to
1170-litres if the rear seats are
folded forward.
At the other end sits a 999cc
three-cylinder turbocharged
engine.
This configuration is somewhat
the direction Ford has been
travelling in lately – no pun
intended. Some Focus models
have three-cylinder engines, and
I’m sure as other models come
through, so will engines of this
size be utilised.
Even though it is just 1-litre, the
Puma’s unit is quite feisty. Ford
rate it with healthy power outputs
of 92kW and 170Nm, as is the
case with most new-generation
turbo units, it has strong midrange
performance, the torque
figure is broad, being available
all of the way from 1400rpm to
4500rpm.
Adding in the proximity of
ratios through a seven-speed
automatic transmission means
there is little chance of the engine
going off-boost during the
acceleration process.
The Puma lands in two
specification variants. The
evaluation car was the ST-Line
model which lands at $37,990, the
base model car lists at $34,990
and shouldn’t be dismissed, it too
has all of the features which make
today’s modern car so appealing
The ST-Line Puma is
recognised by its high level of
fitment even though cloth trim
greets the occupants. The seat
fabric has red stitching which
fits with the ST (sport tuned)
specification. Satellite navigation
is fitted along with Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto connectivity,
keyless entry and ignition, voice
control and wireless mobile
phone charging. It also gets
• Price – Ford Puma ST-Line,
$37,990
• Dimensions – Length,
4186mm; width, 1805mm;
height, 1550mm
• Configuration – Threecylinder,
front-wheel-drive,
999cc, 92kW, 170Nm,
seven-speed automatic
• Performance – 0-100km/h,
11sec
• Fuel usage – 5.3l/100km
adaptive cruise control which is
part of a five-star Australasian
New Car Assessment Program
safety rating, the Puma is
chock full of the electronic and
mechanical functions that keep
you safe in the first instance and
to protect you in a collision.
The Puma is built in
Romania, it shares many of
the characteristics which make
European Fords so desirable,
especially so with the way it feels
connected to the road and the
associated satisfaction you get as
a driver.
Sure, the power outputs are
such that the Puma will never
set the world alight with its
acceleration or speed, but it
handles beautifully, a lot of
that is attributable to the sport
suspension settings. However,
don’t be put off, ST specification
doesn’t mean a hard ride, I still
rate in-cabin comfort as perfectly
acceptable and, of course, the
base model Puma has standard
spring and damper rates.
Three-cylinder engines are
generally built to enhance
economy and lower emissions.
That can certainly be said for
the Puma’s unit, with little in
the way of reciprocating mass it
contributes to the light weight of
the car in total (1285kg).
That being the case, there are
fairly healthy fuel usage figures
to report. Ford claim up to
5.3l/100km can be achieved on a
combined cycle average.
My time in the evaluation car
consisted of several suburb to city
commutes and a long highway
excursion. The fuel usage readout
was listing at 6.4l/100km when I
took the car back to the Sockburn
dealership. At 100km/h the
readout sits at 4.4l/100km, the
engine spinning over gently at
just 2000rpm in seventh gear.
The Puma is effectively a
replacement for the popular Ford
EcoSport. That car sold well in
New Zealand, it’s my guess the
Puma will pick up where the
EcoSport left off.
BOOK A
TEST DRIVE
TODAY
The internationally award-winning Ford Puma fuses stunning exterior design and sophisticated
technology. Engineered for a busy lifestyle and packed with state-of-the-art features including:
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection 1 , Award-winning
EcoBoost engine, Wireless charging 2 , FordPass Connect, Smart Storage – adjustable luggage floor
3
1. Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment and need to control the vehicle. May not operate in some driving and road conditions (including at certain speeds) or adverse weather. 2. Wireless
charging - mobile phone compatibility see: www.owner.ford.com/support/how-tos/technology/convenience/wireless-charging.html 3. Warranty conditions and exclusions apply. Visit www.ford.co.nz/owners/warranty for further information.
Avon City Ford
Anywhere Ford
123 Cnr Sample Main Road South | SAMPLEVILLE Rd and Epsom | P 01 234 Rd, 5678 Sockburn | anywhereford.co.nz
| CHRISTCHURCH | 03 348 4129 or 0800 655 551
Rangiora Service Centre | 78 Ivory St | 03 313 7059 | avoncityford.com