► Puma ST crossover with hot-hatch creds
► Fiesta ST-matching 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds
► We drive auto and manual versions
The RS nameplate might have the allure, but Ford Performance’s finest work wears the ST logo. A sweet-spot of practicality, budget and all-out performance, the ST badge has spawned the relentlessly-rounded Focus ST and Fiesta ST – the latter being one of the most tactile superminis you can buy until it was discontinued earlier in 2023.
Now fans of small fast Fords are left with the Ford Puma ST. It’s essentially based on Fiesta hardware but hoiked up to a taller stance courtesy of the all-consuming crossover bodystyle. We’ve now tested it in manual and latest 2023 automatic form.
The twin-clutch auto Puma ST is interesting in having an entirely different drivetrain from the 1.5-litre manual model. Here you will find the 1.0-litre Ecoboost married to a mild-hybrid system and driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Ford Puma ST: the lowdown
Bug-eyed from the front but smart from the rear, the Puma’s looks betray its ‘Fiesta-on-stilts’ skeleton. Of course, there are ST-specific add-ons here, too: a diffuser at the rear, Pilot Sport-wrapped 19-inch alloys and extra dollops of extra gloss black – it works effectively, gifting the achingly sensible Puma a more macho streetside appeal.
The hotter Puma’s cabin provides the first signs of ST magic. It starts with Recaro seats carried over from the Fiesta, that lock your lower torso into position – suggesting this Puma can pull some G-force without massively understeering. Plumper occupants may find them too focused and heavily bolstered.
Control weights and driving position are only half the equation; the powertrain and chassis carried over from the Fiesta ST have been tweaked perfectly for the crossover’s extra heft.
How has the Puma ST powertrain changed?
The 1.5-litre turbo from the Fiesta ST is used in the manual model and power is unchanged at 197bhp to the front wheels – that’s 46bhp more than the next most powerful Puma – but Ford has squeezed more torque from the three-cylinder. It’s up from 214lb ft to 236lb ft, and that helps the Puma ST manual match the Fiesta’s 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds – not bad for a car nigh on 100kg heavier. For reference, that’s just one second behind a Focus ST…
Get the Puma ST on some twisty roads, and crucially there’s very little compromise there either. Thanks to tweaks by Ford engineers, the Puma ST does a good job of masking its extra weight from the driver in every phase of the corner.
The Puma ST wears discs 17% larger than the standard car to cope with the extra speed, and they allow a decent amount of modulation, too.
Ride, handling
Steering is quick and direct thanks to a rack 25% faster than standard the Puma’s and it makes the Puma ST far easier to tuck to the line you want. Add 50% stiffer rear twist beams coupled with new anti-roll bars, and the Puma ST remains surprisingly flat in the corners. And because all these solutions are passive and mechanical, their response is incredibly predictably and intuitive.
After you adjust your line with the tactile steering rack, the Puma can drag itself out the other side, with a mechanical LSD and torque-vectoring removing any torque steer from the equation.
Working in parallel to this is the Puma ST’s six-speed manual box. Slightly notchier than the Fiesta ST’s but arguably more reassuring to use, it’s more than up to the job. Of course, there’s no rev-matching here like the Focus ST, but pedal placement makes heel-and-toeing possible should you see fit.
Of course, the Puma ST does take a more mature and decisively softer approach in some areas. Regardless of the driving mode you’re in, softer springs make cruising speeds more comfortable, whilst still providing ample feedback on the road surface. It’s arguably a straight improvement over the Fiesta ST’s skateboard-like chassis.
The extra weight and higher centre of gravity don’t just disappear; it’s noticeable when you put the car on more extreme loads – but the Puma ST isn’t about defying physics Bentley-style – more giving you intuitive, mechanical tools to cope with it.
What about the Ford Puma ST automatic?
We’ve tested the new 2023 auto version and found the seven-speed transmission well suited to the small performance car. You can stick it in D and forget about gearchanges or use the paddles to row up and down the ‘box. It’s unusual in locking it fully in gear – no manner of stamping on the throttle will encourage a kickdown.
The mild hybrid set-up in the auto is keen to shutdown the engine and we recorded 40mpg+, even under duress. The Puma ST auto’s smaller 1.0 Ecoboost proved quite efficient.
Power is down to 168bhp, but there’s a handy 183lb ft slug of torque; Ford quotes 130mph top speed and 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds. Performance is brisk, without being stellar, but we found the large 19-inch wheels of our blue test car pattered over corrugations in the road. The ride was verging on too busy.
Verdict
The market is awash with SUV coupes and sporty crossovers, so it’s easy to be sceptical of the Puma ST. The use of the Puma name is questionable to those with long memories, but the ST badge is certainly not.
By carrying over a working formula – and making a few key changes – Ford has largely recreated the magic of one of its most highly acclaimed superminis – in a 100kg heavier crossover.
The whole car feels just as pliable and adjustable as the supermini on which its based; from the seating position which simply feels a little higher than the Fiesta’s – to the powertrain, which actually improves on the superminis. The result is an unlikely all-rounder.