ENTHUSIASTIC motorists who also need to cater for practical family matters really should check out the Ford Puma ST.
It offers a superb blend of driving thrills with the kind of creature comforts and storage space that all on board will appreciate. And the popular marque’s compact crossover is very appealing on the eye – with dynamic and suitably sporty exterior styling.
But let’s start with the gubbins that makes this such a fun car to drive. Under the bonnet, there’s a three-cylinder, 1.5-litre, petrol engine that produces a serious 200PS of power. It’s mated to a short-throw, precise, six-speed, manual gearbox, with a solid chrome and leather-clad lever that’s truly enjoyable to use.
To give you an idea of its capabilities, the dash from standstill to 62mph takes 6.7 seconds and the 137mph top speed matches many sports cars. Nonetheless, it is still officially capable of an average 41.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 155g/km, so it is not outrageously expensive to run.
It’s also a pleasure to get acquainted with the multi-function, chunky, flat-bottomed, perforated-leather steering wheel. This not only provides wonderful feedback but allows you to change the driving mode via a simple punch of a button on it. Your choices are normal, sport, eco and track.
These make noticeable differences to the acceleration, steering and special ST suspension response, as well as the noisiness of the engine and exhaust soundtrack.
Hit the sport option on a country lane and the extra oomph, tighter steering and stiffer suspension will get you grinning as you feel connected to the road. But if you are motorway cruising, sit back in eco mode – which has slightly softer acceleration, steering and ride responses – and you’ll be far more comfortable.
Around town and for other everyday driving with passengers, the normal selection is perfect for the job, blending the best of the other road modes. Slowing or halting the car can always be done rapidly, too, as befits the red brake calipers on show beneath the striking 19in alloys.
While more fierce ST models are available – the Focus and the Fiesta – I felt the overall handling and ride comfort of the Puma better suited families. Not that the interior is any less sporty than its siblings.
You’ll find plenty of Ford Performance and ST logos, and they even flash up on the infotainment screen upon start-up. But more obvious than that are the figure-hugging, leather and eco-friendly faux suede, Recaro sports seats, along with alloy pedals, carbon-effect detailing and dark headlining.
There’s enough room for a family of four or five to travel comfortably – depending on the age of the kids. The 456-litre boot also boasts a washable, drainable, underfloor 80-litre space that’s ideal for wet, muddy gear.
And driver aids and safety features also show Ford views the Puma ST as a sound choice for everyday use. So buyers will enjoy keyless entry and start, auto lights (including high beam) and wipers, cruise control with speed limiter, lane keeping assist, automatic pre-collision braking and parking sensors at each end.
A decent automatic climate control is backed up by the Quickclear electric heated windscreen, along with heated front seats and steering wheel. Tech highlights include the 12.3in digital instrument cluster that changes appearance depending on the drive mode selected and the user-friendly SYNC 3 infotainment set-up.
The latter includes an eight-inch touchscreen, intelligent sat nav, full smartphone integration – there’s also a wireless charging pad, voice controls, wi-fi connectivity, 10-speaker B&O audio system and an emergency call function.
Bold front and rear ends, curvaceous swooping lines and dynamic creases mark out the Puma from its rivals but the ST enhances the kerb appeal. Priced from £28,510 on the road, it has a special body styling kit, including a Ford Performance embossed splitter, black contrast roof and dual exhaust.
After a week in its company, the one thing I didn’t want to do quickly was hand this growling yet purr-fect cat back.
