Yahoo Autos 2021 Ford Puma ST: Simple, Fun, and Not for Us
First they denied us the hatchbacks, then the sedans, and now even Ford's more interesting crossovers aren't being sold in the United States. And we're not the only ones feeling the loss. The European-market Puma ST has won the attention of Ford CEO Jim Farley, who tweeted that he'd love for the company to bring it stateside. Which is why we arranged to drive one in the United Kingdom.
The Puma name was first used by Ford of Europe for a two-door baby coupe based on the Fiesta hatchback and sold between 1997 and 2001. (It is now probably best remembered for having led to the creation of this Bullitt-inspired ad with the groundbreaking CGI inclusion of Steve McQueen.) The new Puma, launched in 2019, shares nothing with this earlier car except the fact it, too, has the underpinnings of a Fiesta and a certain fleeting similarity in headlight design.
Like the Fiesta ST Mk 7 we drove in 2018, the Puma ST uses a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-three that produces 197 horsepower, the same as the turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinder of the previous-generation Fiesta ST that was sold in the U.S. But with 236 pound-feet of torque, the ST Puma makes 22 pound-feet more than its Fiesta sibling. Power is routed to the front axle through a six-speed manual gearbox.
The technical sophistication is limited—the Puma shares the Fiesta's low-tech torsion-beam rear axle—but the ST is a hoot to drive. It feels raw, keen, and exciting in a way that very few baby crossovers are allowed to be, behaving pretty much exactly like a taller and firmer version of a hot hatch. The suspension settings are stiffened to both impart a sense of dynamic purpose and to keep the Puma's slightly raised center of gravity in check. The ride always feels hard and sometimes borders on uncomfortable, especially over rougher surfaces at lower speeds.
The combination of firm springs, the engine's abundance of low-down torque, and a quick-acting steering rack also creates noticeable torque steer and a tendency to tramline, although never enough to divert the ST too far from a chosen line. Our test car came with the optional performance pack, which adds a Quaife limited-slip differential that helps the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires find impressive front-end grip, even in greasy conditions.
