Puma ST Road Trip - It's not really an SUV and that's a good thing.

So, the Ford Puma. It really was quite a controversial car when it came out in 2019 amongst enthusiasts, being a crossover SUV successor to the old coupe, it just seemed odd. However, when the first generation Puma came out, it was a rather trendy car, coupe's were a huge trend in the mid-late '90s. With the new Puma coming out and being a trendy crossover, surely it means it actually keeps what the original was? If Ford brought out the Puma as a coupe, it really wouldn't sell like the new 'SUV' Puma has, sadly.

Decisions

Anyway, the road trip! My partner had been umming and ahing about what car to replace the Ford Focus ST-Line X with. Another ST-Line X was on the cards but in Estate form with the 1.5T 180ps EcoBoost or the 1.0 155ps Mild Hybrid, however the cost of these cars is quite high compared to the hatch due to being factory orders. The other issue was wanting to change the car now rather than later but, a lot of Fords aren't being manufactured at the moment due to a chip shortage, so it was only current stock in dealers which were available, this is where the Puma comes in.

The Fiesta really is the first choice when it comes to ultimate fun in a hatchback, the new ST really is that good. However, if you need boot space then it comes a problem because the Fiesta doesn't really have much of it. So, the Puma. It's Fiesta based, slightly bigger and a lot more useable in that sense. Oh, and cheaper than the Focus too! See where this is going?

Focus ST-Line X 125 - I really did enjoy driving this.

Focus ST-Line X 125 - I really did enjoy driving this.

Around a week before the road trip, a car was found. It was a Puma ST-Line X 155ps in Desert Island Blue, however, there was a call from the dealer saying the car literally had sold as the deposit was put down, back to the drawing board. A day later, we were phoning around dealers trying to find another one in this spec. But I had an idea on possibly looking into a ST, just to see if the offer could be enticing enough for it to go ahead... It was! Hendy Ford in Southampton was the one who had a great car with brilliant spec, so the deal was done!

The Focus

Just under a week later, it was time to do a 218 mile drive in the Focus to go pick up the Puma. Now, for me, driving the Focus MK4 is quite a treat! I still currently own a MK1 Focus 1.6 and that thing is a great thing to drive, no drama just the ease of chucking it about is great. The MK4 Focus still has this great pedigree of driving well with all the features you need in 2020. Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tyres too, you can have your foot flat on most corners and it won't break into a sweat, lovely thing. The EcoBoost is characterful as well, I love the 1.6 in the MK1, it's like the old twin cam engines of the 60s and 70s, the EcoBoost isn't. The EcoBoost trades the screaming revs for torque and that really isn't a bad thing! Low down you get a little surge from the small unit and it's nice! Plus, being only 125ps means you won't get flashed by them yellow poles.

It was actually quite sad knowing I wouldn't drive this thing again, as it really is a great car and probably, out of most mid-sized hatches available today, the one I'd go for! Doing those miles in this car was great fun, frugal too, how about that?

Here it is!!!! But again, where is this place..?

Here it is!!!! But again, where is this place..?

The Dealer

Arriving at the Hendy Ford dealership was quite a Ford Fan's dream, ST this, MSRT that, it's all there! The service is brilliant too, Sebastian was the one who looked after us, upfront and easy to work with to the secure the car and listened to everything which was needed. It's all you ever want, really.

But the car you say? Yes, it was lovely. I honestly didn't think I'd like the Puma, but this really captured me. Sat there in the summer sun outside the dealership, it was gleaming in all of it's ST-ness. It sits well in the 19" alloys, which are wrapped in the lovely Michelin Pilot Sport 4s rubber, there was a certain feeling you got from being near this thing that it just felt a lot more special than the regular Puma.

Inside you have the lovely Recaro seats which hug you well, if not cut off a bit of circulation on a long journey.. Fully loaded with all the gizmos, it was a nice place to be, there really is nothing else you need in a car, honestly! The mega box, it's a little gimmicky but you'll find some sort of use for it, just a shame there's not the spare wheel but that foam which ruins your tyre, my only gripe!

Pulling away from the dealer you already had a sense that all this car wanted to be, was fun. The 1.5T EcoBoost burbles into life as you start it in the 'Sport Mode' setting, then as you pull away and change gear, there's someone hooting away under the bonnet as the turbo comes off boost, oh more of that, yes please!

Clarkson's Range Rover with the Puma, can someone get that chicken off the roof!

Clarkson's Range Rover with the Puma, can someone get that chicken off the roof!

Diddly Squat Farm

We really didn't want to do a 441 mile round trip without seeing something, we were brainstorming a few ideas of what was around and then we thought Diddly Squat Farm! From Southampton it took around 2 hours to get there, so gave us time to set the Puma up and get to grips with it a bit more. The first thing was that it was really easy to get comfortable in this thing, setting all your phone/in-car entertainment, adjusting the seats and all the buttons and where you'd usually want to find them. One thing people say they don't like about the new Ford products is how the screen is positioned, they usually say "it looks like it's just been stuck on", but it's that high so you don't have to take your eyes far from the road, which I like! It works well!

A little drive on the country roads around 30mins before the farm was a real treat, not driving the car too hard, but it gave a great insight in what this car can really do, but also why the Performance Pack is worth the money. Engine wise, it's got plenty of torque and sounds great, the surge from the turbo is fairly addictive. But the way this thing goes around corners is a real treat, you can carry some serious speed if you're not careful! You turn in, the car tucks in nicely but when you get on the throttle you expect it to do the traditional front drive thing and understeer, but no! The combination of the PS4s tyres and the limited slip diff means it just wants to turn in more, I've not been able to have it on the full limit, but I'd imagine the ultimate cornering speeds of this are fairly high, which surprised me! The arse end is playful too, the way it is set up, it likes to tuck in nicely which assists the front end just dart around the corner, I can tell why they used the Fiesta chassis!

When we arrived at the farm, it was odd being there. Seeing something on TV and then in person was a bit weird, but it looks brilliant! Sadly, the shop itself wasn't open when we'd finally got there, as much as I wanted to buy a candle, which apparently "Smells like my (Clarkson's) bollocks", I couldn't. However, a quick look around I saw his Range Rover was there, which means I had to capture a few snaps, a bit sad I know, but you have to, don't you?

We had a quick walk around the back just to see the rest of the fields and shop, but there was the man himself! I couldn't believe my eyes really. I would have gone and spoken to him but he was in company and the shop was closed, so I didn't want to intrude. But I was in shock to say the least!

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Back to the car. The Puma ST isn't really an SUV at all, it is a Fiesta on stilts with a bigger boot. And with the way this thing drives and goes about it's business, that ain't a bad thing at all. People may not like that or understand it, but I kinda get it now, to sell a car which is trendy but putting Ford's signature on it, it works. If you want a Focus which drives like a Fiesta but the Fiesta is too small, here is your car. It surprised me and it will surprise you.