Summary
The Ford Puma is a small SUV/crossover, which was unveiled in 2019 and arrived in the UK in early 2020. It is a similar size to the existing Ford EcoSport but does not directly replace it.
Based on the Ford Fiesta, the Puma has received consistently good reviews from the UK motoring media, and its Expert Rating of 76% from 27 different reviews (as of September 2023) is currently the best score for a supermini-sized SUV or crossover that we have analysed to date.
As well as being the best baby SUV on sale, the Puma is also effectively the replacement for one of the best small cars on sale. The Fiesta ended production in summer 2023, and the Puma has taken the reins as Ford’s best-selling model.
The Ford Puma has been praised for an outstanding driving experience and surprising practicality, especially in its boot capacity and layout. However, its styling hasn’t been universally well-received, and the interior quality isn’t as good as some of its rivals.
Key specifications
Body style: Small SUV/crossover
Engines: petrol mild hybrid
Price: From £24,940 on-road
Launched: Winter 2019/20
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Ford Puma’s looks won’t appeal to everyone, but few rivals can better it for boot-space and virtually none can outshine the Ford from behind the wheel. Equipment levels are strong, but there are more upmarket-feeling and spacious rivals out there for this sort of cash.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol automatic ST-Line Vignale
Score: 6 / 10
“The seven-speed auto doesn’t really fit with the Ford Puma’s sporty character, and we’d only recommend it if you must have a self-shifter. Adding Vignale extras to ST-Line X spec seems an extravagance, too, unless you really need all the creature comforts it provides.”
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Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The historic Puma badge now adorns a baby SUV with a choice of 1.0-litre petrol engines and hybrid tech, that rivals the likes of the Audi Q2, Nissan Juke, BMW X1, VW T-Cross and Skoda Kamiq.”
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Autocar
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol automatic ST-Line X Vignale
Score: 6 / 10
“New dual-clutch gearbox isn’t the greatest addition to an otherwise very commendable car and range-topping Vignale trim is best avoided, too.”
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Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Much as the completeness of its dynamic performance impresses, the Ford Puma is just a little bit plain and ordinary in terms of on-board technology and perceived quality and it doesn’t excel for fuel economy quite as you might imagine a modern hybrid might.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0T 125 Titanium
Score: 8 / 10
“For pure driver enjoyment, the Puma leads the way in the compact crossover class.”
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Car
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual ST-Line X
Score: 8 / 10
“The Ford Puma is a distinguished newcomer in an undistinguished class, and ticks the usual boxes with a flourish each time. Ford’s crossover is the most fun to drive, extremely eye-catching and packing a really sweet powertrain if you stump up for a mild-hybrid.”
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Car Keys
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual ST-Line X
Score: 10 / 10
“The market might not have demanded yet another crossover, but this is undoubtedly one of the best small crossovers to date, and it sits right at the forefront of this sector. It’s impressively practical and also great to drive – two things that can’t be said about much of the competition.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.4 / 10
“The Ford Puma is the best small SUV to drive and represents good value but its looks are divisive.” (Andy Goodwin)
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Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“The Ford Puma is fun to drive and comes with super-practical boot, but it isn’t quite as comfortable as some less grin-inducing alternatives and you don’t sit up high like in most SUVs.”
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Company Car Today
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual ST-Line X
Score: 7.9 / 10
“No matter what you think of the name, or to some extent the looks, the Ford Puma is a great little car underneath – fine-handling, practical and very efficient.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual Titanium
“Excellent small crossover addition that propels Ford into competitiveness for the first time in a rapidly growing segment.”
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Daily Mirror
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual ST-Line X
Score: 8 / 10
“New compact SUV puts the boot into rivals.”
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Fleetworld
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Not a cheap option but the Ford Puma is great to drive, should be cheap to run and certainly looks sharp compared to rivals. Could the B-SUV class have a new leader?”
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Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“With frisky engines, sharp styling and impressive kit levels, the Ford Puma sits proudly at the top of the small SUV sector. You’ll pay more for one compared to the budget Ford EcoSport, but there’s a very good reason for that.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“There’s not much going against the Ford Puma. Not everyone will appreciate its looks, while it looks pricey alongside the EcoSport, you get what you pay for – and it’s certainly no more expensive than the likes of the Volkswagen T-Roc and Peugeot 2008.”
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Motoring Research
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“A fine compact SUV that entertains, as well as being practical”
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.8 / 10
“Best handling small SUV is surprisingly practical too”
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The Intercooler
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual 155hp ST-Line X
“The Ford Puma has, by a distance, the best ride and handling of any car of this kind I’ve driven, which is good news in its own right and augurs well for the ST version to come. And that little motor is as charming as ever.”
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The Sun
Model reviewed: ST
“The Ford Puma ST is a highly useful, highly entertaining car.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual
“How does the Ford Puma compare against crossover rivals like the revamped Nissan Juke, VW T-Cross or Kia Stonic? You’d be happy in any of them but the Puma has that magic MegaBox, excellent standard kit, hybrid tech and the best handling by some distance.”
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The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual ST-Line X
Score: 8 / 10
“Big-booted crossover delivers smart looks and hatchback-like handling”
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol (mild hybrid) manual Titanium
Score: 10 / 10
“As we’ve already mentioned, we really rather like the Ford Puma. However, what we hadn’t yet discovered was the best news of all: the best version is also the most affordable.”
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Model reviewed: 1.0-litre petrol manual ST Line
Score: 10 / 10
“After a glut of quite ordinary cars rushed into this burgeoning sector by a host of manufacturers, the new breed of second-generation vehicles are really quite good. Yet the Ford Puma takes this several steps further, with a specification and luggage capacity that rivals struggle to match and a driving quality which surpasses them all.”
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“It’s an impressively rounded thing. Its combination of an interesting engine, strong cornering and dignified ride are hard to match in the class, and the interior is cleverly versatile as well as nicely furnished.”
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What Car?
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 10 / 10
“With its agile cornering and surprisingly nippy performance, the Ford Puma will put a bigger smile on your face than any other small SUV. But it’s a car you can buy with your sensible hat on, too.”
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Which?
Model reviewed: Range overview
“The Ford Puma does a lot of things well: it drives nicely, has a smart cabin and incorporates a clever ‘megabox’ in the boot. But it stumbles on a few family car basics and the engine feels very unrefined by modern standards.”
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Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 4 stars
Date tested: December 2022
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 75%
Child protection: 84%
Vulnerable road users: 70%
Safety assist: 69%
Despite being recently downgraded from top marks to a four-star crash test rating, the Ford Puma has a competitive set of safety scores, particularly for adult (front seat) and child (rear seat) protection. Scores for vulnerable road user (pedestrian and cyclist) protection and safety assistance systems (to help you avoid an accident in the first place) are also above average for the small SUV sector.
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
Model tested: 1.0-litre petrol manual
Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: September 2021
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 6.1 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 5.1 / 10
Model tested: 1.0-litre Flexifuel Ethanol Mode E85 FWD Manual
Overall score: 3 stars
Date tested: December 2022
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 5.3 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 6.9 / 10
Model tested: 1.0-litre Flexifuel Petrol Mode E10 FWD Manual
Overall score: 2.5 stars
Date tested: December 2022
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 5.2 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 3.7 / 10
Please note that Green NCAP ratings are very specific to the engine/gearbox combination tested. These ratings only applies to the 1.0-litre petrol manual versions of the Puma. Any other engine, or models with automatic gearboxes, are not covered by this rating.
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of September 2023, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Ford Puma to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusive from extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as we have sufficient data on the Puma, we’ll publish the score here.
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Fuel consumption | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
Petrol models | 49 mpg | C | 48 – 51 mpg | B – C |
CO₂ output | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
Petrol models | 127 g/km | A | 122 – 144 g/km | A – B |
Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
All models | 28 | B | 20 – 50 | A – F |
Service and maintenance | Cost | Score |
Year 1 | £166 | A |
Year 2 | £429 | A |
Year 3 | £697 | A |
Year 4 | £957 | A |
Year 5 | £1,285 | A |
Overall | £3,534 | A |
Running costs for the Ford Puma are generally very good, according to data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our partner, Clear Vehicle Data. Fuel consumption is average overall, but some models are better than others.
CO2 levels are very good, so road tax should be reasonable, while insurance and servicing costs are also excellent. Overall, the Puma should cost less than most new cars to run.
Independent vehicle theft and security ratings from Thatcham Research
Rating: Superior | Good | Basic | Poor | Unacceptable
Relay Attack: Pass
Date: 2019
The Ford Puma performed well in Thatcham’s testing programme to measure anti-theft protection.
A Superior rating is the highest score, and the Puma also passed the new relay attack test, which measures the security of a car’s keyless entry and/or keyless start system. This means that the Puma is resistant to thieves intercepting the car’s keyless signal and using it to steal the car.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Ford Puma has received
2022
- Auto Trader New Car Awards – Best Car for New Drivers
- Company Car Today CCT100 Awards – Best Compact Crossover
- Parkers New Car Awards – Best Small Family Car
- What Car? Awards – Best Small SUV
2021
- UK Car of the Year Awards – Best Small Crossover
- Auto Trader New Car Awards – Most Loved Car
- Business Car Awards – Best Comapct SUV
- Company Car Today CCT100 Awards – Car of the Year + Best Compact Crossover
- Fleet News Awards – Best Company SUV
- Parkers New Car Awards – Best Small Family Car
- What Car? Awards – Best Small SUV
2020
- Autocar Awards – Game Changer Award
- Business Car Awards – New Company Car of the Year + Best Compact SUV
- The News UK Motor Awards – Best Small SUV/crossover
- Parkers New Car Awards – New Car of the Year + Best Small Family Car
- Scottish Car of the Year Awards – Car of the Year
- What Car? Awards – Car of the Year + Best Small SUV
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Ford Puma, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Audi Q2 | Citroën C3 Aircross | Dacia Duster | Fiat 500X | Ford EcoSport | Honda HR-V | Hyundai Bayon | Hyundai Kona | Jeep Renegade | Kia Stonic | Mazda CX-3 | MG ZS | Mitsubishi ASX | Nissan Juke | Peugeot 2008 | Renault Captur | SEAT Arona | Skoda Kamiq | SsangYong Tivoli | Suzuki Vitara | Toyota Yaris Cross | Vauxhall Crossland | Vauxhall Mokka | Volkswagen T-Cross | Volkswagen T-Roc
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Ford Puma at The Car Expert
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