2023 Ford Puma ST-Line review

June 16, 2023

Ford Puma ST-Line

The Ford Puma ST-Line is a small crossover with sharper-than-average driving dynamics, making it more fun to drive than its rivals. Buyers looking for a fashionable small SUV have more choice than just about anyone else right now. That means every brand keen to compete must stand out from the herd on price, technology, design, practicality or, in Ford’s case, a sporty look backed by particularly agile handling.

What is the Ford Puma ST-Line like on the inside?

Our test car came with the optional proximity-sensing key fob, so it unlocks when you pull the handle. At the same time the side mirrors fold out and illuminate the side of the car.

The seats, trimmed in dark fabric with a checkered pattern and red stitching, offer good side support but could use more side bolstering. Adjustment (forwards and backwards, up and down) is manual, and there’s another manual dial that adds middle-back (lumbar) support. While the interior is narrow and feels it, there’s ample headroom (I’m 194cm tall), and the requisite slightly elevated driving position over a comparable light hatchback.

The slightly flat-bottom wheel has the squishy perforated hand grips typical of Ford’s sportier products, and spoke-mounted buttons for cruise control and volume (left) or trip computer, voice control and track skip (right). Unlike many Europe-sourced cars the Puma’s indicator stalk is on the right-hand side of the steering column.

The digital cluster looks sharp and offers a nifty animated start sequence, as well as animated graphics when you cycle through the various driving modes. It’s vivid and well-designed, but limited in what it can do. For instance it can’t display maps like VW Group products.

The satellite navigation system includes live traffic updates, a helpful motorway exit information pop-up, and responds nicely to pinch and zoom touch inputs. There’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto of course, albeit of the outdated USB-A wired variety.

A wireless charging pad is standard, and mounted in such a way to keep your phone secure and not sliding about. The single-zone climate control dials and buttons are easy to work out, and temperate changes are displayed on the touchscreen above. At night the controls are illuminated in icy blue, something of a Ford signature.

Along the centre tunnel you’ll find a 12V socket and a distinctly old-school gear shifter and manual handbrake combination, plus a bank of buttons for driving mode adjustments, and to disengage parking sensors, traction control and start/stop.

Our test car had the optional powered tailgate which is able to open higher than most, revealing a relatively capacious 410L boot. It has a floor divider allowing two different boot depths, and while the lip is high it’s much roomier than you might have guessed. The back seats fold down 60/40, and there are bag hooks and a 12V, plus a temporary spare wheel – better than a repair kit.

How does the Ford Puma ST-Line drive?

The 4.2m-long Puma lives up to its badge by offering frankly cat-like agility in the urban jungle. The steering is quick and responsive, and the nose keen to duck into sharp corners.

This is no surprise given the Puma shares much under its skin with the sprightly little Fiesta (RIP) and was engineered for Ford of Europe, which generally has a real dynamic focus. The tuning circle is 10.4m, and you’ll have great time if you decide to test this! While the ST-Line comes with ‘sports’ suspension that reduces clearance by 2mm and ensures the body stays quite flat in corners, the ride quality is pretty good over bad roads too.

Perhaps because there’s a decent amount of tyre sidewall (215/55) on the Goodyear tyres (more than the ST-Line V’s 18-inch wheels), or just because of the well-tuned springs and passive dampers, it dispatches potholes and cobbles with little fuss. It also feels stable and sturdy at highway speeds, with our test car’s optional adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping aid with steering assistance both working really well, and more importantly with a good degree of subtlety.

It has a charming exhaust note and plenty of torque available right down low, and it’s quite responsive to a hard dose of accelerator, with less turbo and transmission lag than some similar engines out there.

Being a DCT, the gearbox changes ratios really quickly on the move. There’s a little hint of jerkiness and indecision at low speeds unless you progressively modulate your throttle inputs, but again it’s not the worst offender in class. In fact it’s rather polished.

While claimed fuel efficiency is just 5.3 litres per 100km, our average was 6.8L/100km over about 800km of mixed-route driving. Good, but not nearly the claim.

There are a few different driving modes to cycle through, controlled by a button on the transmission tunnel and confirmed through a popup in the instruments. For example the sports setting tells the transmission to hold lower gears longer, for better response. While there are also paddle shifters for those who prefer manual mode, the gearbox is generally pretty intuitive at grabbing the right gear on its own.

Is the Ford Puma ST-Line safe?

The Puma scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on 2019 Euro NCAP testing – a rating it will carry until at least December 2025. It scored 94 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 77 per cent for vulnerable road-user protection, and 74 per cent for safety assist features.

CarExpert’s Take on the Ford Puma ST-Line

If you’re after a cute-looking small urban crossover, don’t forget the Ford Puma. This is especially the case for those who want the most driving fun in the segment. Downsides include the fact driver-assist aids remain optional, and the pokey back seats. If you can go without a few of the sporty add-ons and the digital cluster, the base variant strikes me as a better-value bet than the ST-Line.

This article was original featured on carexpert.com.au and can be viewed here.