New Ford Puma ditches ST manual

Thank goodness for the new Mustang. It’s been the only bit of good news for UK Ford enthusiasts in a long time. With the Focus and Fiesta ST gone, things were looking bleak; now the situation is even worse, as the revised Puma having given up its flagship ST model. The 200hp tearaway was proof that Ford really could make anything fun, and now the hottest Puma will be the 170hp ST with the Powershift auto. A car that we suggested ‘does nothing to alleviate the idea that in Europe at least, any lingering interest its maker had in making petrol-powered performance derivatives is fading fast.’ That was only October last year, and here we are without a manual Ford ST hatchback available for the first time in what, more than 20 years? Told you to be grateful for that Mustang. 

The rest of the update is as might be expected. Compared to the previous version, this Puma now has the FordPass Connect with 5G (where it used 4G before), Sync 4 infotainment (where it was 3 before), a 12-inch centre touchscreen in place of an eight-incher, wireless CarPlay for the first time and even built-in Alexa. All the useful stuff for a family friendly crossover, basically. Almost like that’s Ford’s focus for this car rather than making a niche hot hatch hero…

There’s a whole heap more driving assistance tech on top that the Puma has never had before, including ‘enhanced’ blind spot warning, Reverse Brake Assist, a 360-degree surround-view camera and an evolution of the adaptive cruise that now features Lane Centring. Ford says the tech ‘makes journeys more enjoyable and relaxing’, the latter never really a word associated with the old manual ST. A large part of why it was so likeable, of course, though also an easy one to get rid of if ease of use is the aim. 

The Puma’s look has been tweaked ever so slightly, too, with new lights up front with a ‘distinctive signature’ that can be upgraded to Matrix LED with Predictive Dynamic Bending Light. Bumpers, grilles and wheels have also been freshened up, with Cactus Grey joining the colour chart. The model line up remains unchanged, with Titanium, ST-Line and ST-Line X all powered by a 1.0-litre, 155hp, mild hybrid triple, with the ST Powershift at the top of the range. Its seven-speed dual-clutch is available on the lesser models. 

Ford has also confirmed with this update that an electric Puma will be joining the 1.0-litre cars; the ‘Gen-E’ will be revealed later this year. Which is moderately interesting, given the Mustang Mach-E undoubtedly has a character all of its own and has already spawned intriguing variants like the Rally. There may yet be another proper flagship for the Puma, just a battery powered one. As for the lovable rogue that was the manual ST, its days are done. Says a lot about the popularity of a Ford that was three pedal only, quite firm riding and more than the equivalent five-door Fiesta that plenty sold, with more than 60 in the PH classifieds. Prices kick off at £18k for an early, 2021 car; at something like £22k there are low mileage models with the Performance Pack available, which will be a hoot. In the green too, of course.