Ford Puma for Australia

The all-new Ford Puma will be launched in Europe this week and carsales can confirm it will also become available in Australia this year.

Finally giving Ford a genuine competitor for top-selling small SUVs like the Mazda CX-3 and Hyundai Kona, the European-designed Puma revives a nameplate last seen on a well regarded front-drive sports coupe that never made it to Australia.

While Ford’s all-new ‘baby Bronco’ is not on the cards for Australia, the Puma will join the new mid-size Escape, which will arrive with hybrid power in mid-2020, the large Endura and the Ranger ute-based Everest flagship in Ford Australia’s SUV line-up.

The Fiesta-based compact SUV will replace the slow-selling Ford EcoSport, which found less than 500 local homes last year – almost 60 per cent fewer than in 2018 – in the fast-growing small SUV segment. Meantime, the aged Mitsubishi ASX notched up more than 20,000 sales.

Like the EcoSport, which is currently priced from $22,790, the Puma is a five-door, five-seat, front-wheel drive small SUV powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

But that’s where the similarities stop between the Indian-built EcoSport and the Romanian-made Puma, which is based on Ford’s latest global B-segment platform. The same architecture also underpins the all-new Fiesta, which will only come to Australia in ST hot hatch form in coming months.

Ahead of its European launch this week, the Puma has been in production since October at Ford Romania’s plant in Craiova, where Europe’s EcoSport is also produced.

The 2020 Ford Puma is already on sale in the UK, where three manual-only powertrains will be available, with a manual transmission (a seven-speed dual-clutch PowerShift unit) to be added at a later date.

We understand Ford Australia will announce the Puma’s local release imminently, but the launch will be delayed until automatic versions, which will account for the vast majority of sales here, become available later this year.

Three high-spec variants are being offered in the UK initially – Titanium, ST-Line and ST-Line X – priced from £20,545 ($A30,089). It remains to be seen whether the Puma will match the sub-$25K starting prices of its predecessor or Australia’s most popular small SUVs.

While a diesel engine will join the European Puma range at a later date and a hot 150kW Puma ST range-topper is also expected, for now there are three 1.0-litre turbo-petrol powertrains comprising a six-speed manual gearbox.

Opening the range is the 92kW EcoBoost engine that consumes 5.8L/100km (WLTP) and emits 103g/km of CO2 (NEDC), while two more efficient mild-hybrid (mHEV) versions of the same powertrain add a 11.5kW belt-driven integrated starter motor (BISG) and 48-volt lithium-ion battery.

Ford says the BISG supplements torque by 50Nm and enables recovery and storage of energy during braking and coasting, while other fuel-saving measures include cylinder deactivation and idle-stop.

The 92kW Puma EcoBoost Hybrid consumes 5.5L/100km and emits 96g/km, while a more powerful 115kW version consumes 5.6L/100km and emits 99g/km.

The 2020 Ford Puma has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and is available with a host of advanced safety features.

These include a host of Ford Co-Pilot360 driver aids like Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Post-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Assist with Active Braking and pedestrian and cyclist detection, Lane Centring, Lane-Keeping Aid, Lane Departure Warning, Evasive Steering Assist, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert, Active Park Assist, Speed Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Limiter, Local Hazard Information, Wrong Way Alert and tyre pressure monitoring.

The UK’s Puma Titanium range-opener includes segment-first massaging front seats, plus wireless phone charging, heated steering wheel and seats, 17-inch alloy wheels and a 180-degree reversing camera.

High-end features reserved for more expensive ST-Line models, which score a gloss-black sports body kit and roof rails, include a 12.3-inch 24-bit ‘true colour’ digital instrument display cluster and 8.0-inch SYNC 3 touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,

Additions for the top-shelf Ford Puma ST-Line X include WiFi hotspot connectivity for up to 10 devices, hands-free powered tailgate, 18-inch or matt-black 19-inch alloys, sports suspension, partial leather seat trim with red stitching, a flat-bottom steering wheel, selectable drive modes, Panorama Roof, 10-speaker/575-Watt B&O premium sound, LED headlights and alloy pedals and gear shifter.

The 2020 Ford Puma measures 4186mm long, weighs 1205kg and offers a class-leading 456 litres of cargo space – augmented by the MegaBox lower load compartment that adds an extra 80 litres of waterproof storage space and can house items up to 1500mm tall.

Ford’s says its global B-car architecture was further optimised for the Puma via a stiffer new twist-beam rear suspension, larger shock absorbers, stiffer suspension bushes and optimised suspension top mounts to reduce friction and enhance stiffness throughout the chassis.

The list of 10 bright exterior paint colours includes Blazer Blue, Frozen White, Race Red, Solar Silver, Agate Black, Lucid Red, Grey Matter, Desert Island Blue, Magnetic and Metropolis White.