The most fun you'll have in an SUV this side of a Porsche Macan
More practical than a Ford Fiesta ST
You don't have to buy a green one
A Cupra Ateca is a bigger, more practical choice
A little firm when you're not in the mood
You could just buy a Fiesta ST
This is what happens when you combine the best small SUV on sale today with the best affordable hot hatch on the market. It’s the Ford Puma ST – a slightly gawpy-looking Juke-sized crossover fitted with the mechanicals from the frankly brilliant Fiesta ST.
But does hot hatch into crossover SUV really work? Well, frog-like front-end aside, it certainly looks the business. Our test car is finished in Essex White (not its official name), meaning its Ford Performance splitter really stands out, as does the not-quite-an-RS-Cosworth rear roof spoiler.
If you’re feeling brave, you can buy the Puma ST in a bespoke Mean Green colour (that's the one in the pictures), while flashy 19-inch alloy wheels complete the racy look. There’s a glossy black finish on the roof, too, as well as on the grille surrounds, door mirror caps and rear spoiler.
Inside, you’re unlikely to confuse the Puma ST with the Posh Spice Vignale model. Recaro sports seats with big, thick bolsters hold you in place, while a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel makes you feel like Ken Block (ask someone of the Tiktok generation). There are ST emblems everywhere, too – on the seats, on the gear knob, on the floor mats, even projected onto the floor when you open the doors in the dark.
Being a Ford Puma, it's also very practical. If the sporty design doesn't excite you, maybe the Megabox will – this is essentially an extra 80 litres of storage space under the boot floor, with a wipe-down finish and even a drain plug at the bottom. Great for carrying hydrangeas home from the garden centre.
Power comes from the same 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine as the Fiesta ST. It produces the same 200PS as the Fiesta, too, taking the Puma ST in around 6.7 seconds.
Concentrating too much on the figures is doing the Puma ST a disservice, though. It’s more about the size of your grin when you drive it. This is a crossover SUV that’ll make you feel like a 17-year-old. From the farty exhaust note to the wonderfully precise steering, the Puma ST is every bit a Fiesta-ST-on-stilts.
Our test car's shod with super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and a limited-slip diff. Both of these do an immense job of pulling you out of bends without resorting to the usual front-drive understeer. It's a lot more agile than something like the Volkswagen T-Roc R.
The downside? When you're not in the mood to thrash it down a country lane, the Puma ST's a bit like an unneutered dog. Don't expect to sit back and enjoy a bit of Radio 4 when this thing wants to hump your leg.
The Puma ST starts from £28,495, although we reckon it’s worth splashing the cash on the Performance Pack. This retails at £950 and comes with the kinda features that’d get Max Power readers exciting – namely the aforementioned limited slip diff, fancy tyres, Launch Control and lights that tell you when to change gear.
While we reckon the Puma ST is worth every penny of its list price, dealers are already offering big discounts on ex-demo models. We saw a Shrek Green model on sale at a dealer in Manchester for less than £26,000, which isn’t a bad saving for a desirable new model like this.
There isn’t really anything else like the Puma ST on the market to compare it with. Prices are yet to be announced for the upcoming Hyundai Kona N (although we’ll be gobsmacked if it undercuts the Puma), while the Volkswagen T-Roc R is a slightly different monster with a hefty £38k price tag.
Model tested: Ford Puma ST
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol
Gearbox: Six-speed manual
Power/torque: 200PS/320Nm
Combined fuel economy: 41.5mpg
CO2 emissions: 155g/km
Price from: £28,510
As tested: £32,865
Prices for the Ford Puma ST start from £28,510. We'd recommend adding metallic paint (up to £500 depending on colour) and the optional Performance Pack (£950).
The standard Ford Puma is one of the best small crossovers on sale, and the Ford Puma ST is even better. It's basically a more practical version of the excellent Fiesta ST – and barely any less fun.
Yes. The Ford Puma ST is in showrooms now. Save money by looking for an ex-demonstrator model on heycar.