Ford Puma addresses its critics with direct hits but also misses

With its long-overdue reveal last year, the Ford Puma became one of the most talked about vehicles of 2023, but for reasons the Blue Oval probably didn’t want to hear.

No escaping the main issue

On the cards as a “will it, won’t it” option for South Africa ever since its global reveal in 2019 – which attracted controversy for being an SUV and not a follow-up to the tiny sports coupe made from 1997 to 2002 based on the underpinnings of the Fiesta – the indirect replacement for the EcoSport caused an immediate rift within the local motoring media for a variety of reasons.

Lauded but also heavily criticised, the successor for the now discontinued Fiesta, which Dearborn cites as its real replacement, debuted in a two-model line-up priced at R569 900 for the range-opening Titanium, and at R613 300 for the subject of this test, the flagship ST Line Vignale.

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The former’s sticker being almost R100 000 more than the Titanium version that topped the EcoSport range, the Blue Oval’s argument involves the Puma being a newer design, comparatively better equipped, and competing in more premium capacity instead of a volume selling role as the case has been in the United Kingdom.

A market approach seemingly similar in conceptualisation to the Everest, whereby the flagship models were introduced first and the more attainable variants later, the Puma’s overall reception has at best, been beset with descriptions such as “overpriced”, and “badly equipped” on local online platforms.

It’s multi-award winning 1.0 EcoBoost engine also not immune from the backlash as a result of being carried over from the Fiesta without additional grunt considering its price, the lack of a service plan also comes in for extensive scrutiny.

A R17 692 option due to the “Right to Repair” requirements, this, together with the confusion of Ford having combined its sportiest moniker with its most luxurious – a first in South Africa – into a single model, all but threatened to dismiss the Puma before its wheels even started to roll.

As the seven-day stay commenced, some of the Puma’s promised talents did arise, the first being its styling.

Not all bad…

Appearing sportier and more compact than the EcoSport, the Puma does loose out on the wheelbase and height fronts, but boasts a width uptake of 40 mm, a 69 mm longer wheelbase and gains on every dimensional front compared to the Fiesta.

Sourced from the Craiova plant Romania, where the Titanium derivates of the EcoSport originated, the Puma’s focus on Europe compared to the EcoSport’s emphasis on developing markets, translates to a good looking little crossover – even if the Grey Matter Metallic paint option felt unsuited for a vehicle supposed to stand-out.

Inside, the interior is more of a mixed bag and in places, a sign of the Puma’s age Ford has since addressed with the updated model launched earlier this week in the EU.

Logically laid-out, functional and ergonomically easy to understand, the cabin forgoes the same size infotainment systems as those of the Everest and Ranger, for the almost outmoded eight-inch display used in the EcoSport and Fiesta.

Still running the older SYNC 3 software, the setup belies the cabin’s age by being as user-friendly as ever, and with physical buttons shortcut buttons, plus dials for the audio system that sports 10-speakers and B&O branding.

..but not all is happy inside

Although a step-up from the EcoSport, the cabin isn’t perfect as some of the materials, especially the imitation carbon fibre trim, felt plasticky, while the seats’ inclusion of a massaging function but no electrical adjustment or even heating, made for a compromise some found strange.

The chairs themselves are snug and require a fair amount of adjusting to get comfortable, however, the steering column, resplendent with a grippy ST branded leather multi-function wheel, can be adjusted for rake and reach.

Given its demeanour, the Puma’s biggest downfall is rear passenger space. Whereas those seated in the front are offered decent amounts of moving roof, those in the rear will feel cramped, not helped by the sloping roof or the (optional) panoramic sunroof.

Opening the latter’s sunblind did improve matters, although it is unlikely that this will be undertaken during the hotter months when the roof acts like a sauna.

Space to load lots

With electrical, no-hands assistance included, the tailgate opens to reveal what appears to be an equally small boot, but one able to swallow 123-litres more than the EcoSport for a total of 456-litres with the rear seats up.

Although no figures are provided for when the rears are folded, the Puma does get what Ford calls the MegaBox.

In effect, this involves a false floor whereby the boot board hides more space underneath for taller items similar in concept to the Magic Seats of the Honda Fit.

Unlike the Japanese though, the outer lines of the MegaBox are rubberised and should wet or muddy items be stored, equipped with a pair of drain plugs allowing items to be cleaned on the spot, while the water runs out.

A question over spec

Besides the already mentioned specifications items, which includes integrated satellite navigation, voice command, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as part of the infotainment system, the ST Line Vignale gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a neat pouncing Puma starting animation, ambient lighting, push-button start, a tyre pressure monitor and white stitch work.

Fitted to our tester, the R17 300 styling pack adds a black roof and the glass sunroof, while the Driver Assistance Pack makes a surround-view camera system, Adaptive Cruise Control, Driver Attention Alert, Evasive Steering Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Centring possible for another R21 100.

Driver assistance systems such as Lane Departure Warning, Road Edge Detection, Hill Start Assist and Lane Keep Assist are standard, though the Auto High Beam Assist LED headlights, alloy pedals, LED fog lamps and the racy 18-inch ST Line wheels are all bespoke to the ST Line Vignale.

Powertain goal

For the cabin’s shortcomings and apparent lack of spec, the Puma’s main attribute remains its engine.

Producing 92kW/170Nm, the EcoBoost pulls well and in spite of the audible three-pot soundtrack, offers brisk response taken up another notch when switched to Sport mode.

Part of a drive mode selector comprising five modes; Slippery, Eco, Normal, Sport and Trail, the “fastest” setting, willingness of the engine and the Puma’s market projection, makes it rather disappointing that Ford has opted to exclude a manual override or paddle shifters from the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Teamed superbly well with the engine and, devoid of the usual low speed dual-clutch drag, the ‘box is smooth, unobtrusive and willing to play ball when stuck in Sport, or asked to drop a few cogs when required.

Trouble with a split personality

Given its dual specification roles, taking the Puma on the open road meant it had to conform to being a hoot to drive and luxurious in all conditions, something it struggled with.

No sooner had it arrived, it was asked to ferry its minder to Bethlehem in the Free State to attend a wedding.

A task that came with some hesitation given the poor, and in some cases, horror conditions of the province’s roads, ducking and diving to miss the potholes and badly tarred sections that characterise the R57 between Sasolburg and Heilborn, revealed the Puma as being more of a racer than a luxury small cruiser.

Fitted with a sport suspension, plus those wheels, the ride teeters on the firm side and besides the Driver Attention Alert flickering with each evasive pothole direction change, the varying road surfaces resulted in an audible tyre roar inside the cabin that become too excessive at times.

While the Puma felt composed and with more-than-acceptable levels of steering feel, the consensus was that a separation of nomenclatures should have been used as the combination of both thwarts whether the top-spec Puma should be viewed as an ST-lite or a plush alternative to the Renault Captur or Volkswagen T-Cross.

Either way, what impressed the most was the frugality of the EcoBoost once back in Johannesburg.

Prior to colleague Mark Jones’ exploiting its credentials at Gerotek, the weekend trip to and from Bethlehem, with the cruise control and climate control being used regularly, saw the Puma record an indicated best 5.6 L/100 km.

With the run at Gerotek finished and the overall 973 km spell done, the consumption unsurprisingly tanked, but not by much as the consumption indicator displayed a still impressive 6.2 L/100 km.

Conclusion

The controversy surrounding the Ford Puma is unlikely to go away soon as the seven-day tenure simply had more questions than answers.

Engaging to drive and decent if slightly oddly equipped, it finds itself over its head when examples of the Captur, Opel Mokka, Volkswagen T-Cross and even the Mazda CX-3 are priced between R50 000 to R100 000 cheaper with bigger engines, more standard kit and with an inclusive service or maintenance plan.

Ambitious is probably the best way to describe the Puma and although its arrival and step-up to premium status should be factored in, at a smidgen under R670 000 with all of the options included, it is simply too pricy and beside its rivals, in danger of being swallowed up by a member from within its own stable, the soon-to-return Territory confirmed to start from R610 000.

Road Test Data

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