2021 Ford Puma ST

Ford Performance are spreading the love to their new Puma compact SUV, hoping to re-create the fun factor of it’s Fiesta ST sibling. As you might expect, the Puma ST shares many of it’s mechanical underpinnings with the aforementioned Fiesta ST, a point which is no bad thing.

The engine is a 1.5L EcoBoost petrol that has 3 cylinders and a turbocharger. Power is rated at 197 hp at 6,000 rpm, and develops 320 Nm of peak torque between 2,500rpm and 3,500 rpm. That torque figure is 30 Nm higher than the Fiesta, something which will come in handy to combat the Puma’s extra weight. Tipping the scales at 100 kg heavier, the Puma ST uses a few tricks to help it cover the performance hit. The higer torque number helps, but it’s the tweaked final drive ratio that brings the 0-62 mph acceleration time to within 2 tenths of the Fiesta.

Power is sent to the front wheels through a a six-speed manual transmission with an optional Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential. torsional stiffness has been raised by 40%, with a twist-beam rear axle, 24mm front anti-roll bar and force vectoring springs employed to big the Puma ST some dynamic ability.