Few will remember the Ford Puma of the late 1990s, a 2 + 2 coupe with bulging eyes and a sporty silhouette. It was the time of the Hyundai Coupé or the strange Opel Tigra , which was based on the Opel Corsa of that time. The success of these models did not pass over and, in the early 2000s, the first Puma was discontinued . The firm took a risk with a concept that involved a change in the manufacturer’s design language and, incidentally, competed directly with its eternal rival Opel. That aesthetic evolution, which was transferred to the Ford Ka among others, is the reason why they have recovered that name: because of what it meant.
The 2020 Ford Puma is, quite simply, pretty. Its body is more sporty, sophisticated and muscular than the rest of the American family. Of course, it leaves behind the capricious essence of the previous model, now it adapts to the SUV obsession of the moment and the practicality of a five-door. A before and after of that name, but also of the current design of the firm.
The new Ford crossover, because it is not a compact to use, is developed from the Fiesta platform. To place it among its brothers, the Puma is managed between the EcoSport and the Kuga, without replacing either. Its dimensions are: 4.20 meters long, 1.80 wide and 1.53 high and its battle reaches 2.58 meters. It is the proposal that the American firm raises for the B-SUV segment , one of the most competitive in recent times with rivals such as the Seat Arona. From a commercial point of view it could not be more successful, these small “SUVs” have eaten the ground to the usual compact. Even newcomers like the Volkswagen T-Cross have overtaken icons like the Volkswagen Polo.
One of the strengths of the Ford Puma is its hybrid variant. It will continue to offer traditional combustion engines (gasoline only for now), but it is this version with the ECO label that has surely placed it as a finalist for the Car of the Year in Europe 2020 (COTY) . This long-awaited award will be awarded on March 2, within the framework of the Geneva Motor Show.
