Ford Puma ST

A performance SUV built on Fiesta ST hardware

The Ford Puma ST is a small SUV with a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox. PistonHeads calls it the first European-market Ford SUV to get the ST performance treatment. Our catalogue describes the 2020 to 2024 car with the 1.5L EcoBoost turbocharged inline-3 petrol engine, which produces 197 bhp and 320 Nm, with 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 220 km/h. This guide is scoped to that 2020 to 2024 car with the 1.5 engine. PistonHeads says the 2024 refresh dropped the 1.5 and made a 168 hp 48v mild hybrid 1.0 three-cylinder the ST powertrain, with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as its only gearbox, so do not carry the engine, gearbox or battery findings below over to that later car.

We have not driven this model for this article. This is a desk-researched ownership guide built from two sources: Ford's preliminary technical specification sheet for the Puma ST (its file name is dated 24 September 2020 and it is hosted on a Ford Belgium press site), the PistonHeads used buying guide by Tony Middlehurst published on 18 May 2024. We did not consult the government recall check for this article, and you should use it yourself. The Ford sheet says it reflects preliminary specifications and that the right to change them is reserved, so it describes the intended car rather than every car that reached customers.

Checking the figures

Ford's sheet gives 200 PS (147 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 320 Nm of steady-state torque between 2,500 and 3,500 rpm, from 1,497 cc with an 84.0 mm bore, a 90.0 mm stroke and a 9.7:1 compression ratio. PS is metric horsepower, and one PS is about 0.9863 bhp, so 200 PS converts to the 197 bhp in our catalogue; the 147 kW figure gives the same answer. PistonHeads lists 197 hp, which is the same rating written in a different unit, not a different engine. Its 236 lb ft of torque is the same 320 Nm.

For performance, Ford quotes 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, 50 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds in fourth gear and a maximum of 220 km/h. PistonHeads lists 6.7 seconds to 62 mph and 137 mph, and since 62 mph is 99.8 km/h and 137 mph is about 220 km/h, the two sources agree. The sources disagree on weight. Ford gives a kerb weight of 1,358 kg, defined as the lightest car with a 75 kg driver, full fluids and a 90 per cent fuel load and without the panoramic roof, while PistonHeads lists 1,283 kg. The gap is exactly 75 kg, which suggests but does not prove that PistonHeads excludes the driver. PistonHeads itself warns that its power and weight data is hard to pin down and should be treated as relative.

The economy figures also differ. Ford's preliminary sheet lists 6.9 litres per 100 km and 155 g/km of CO2 on the WLTP cycle (134 g/km and 6.0 litres per 100 km on the older NEDC cycle) and says officially homologated figures would be published closer to the on-sale date. PistonHeads lists 42.8 mpg and 148 g/km, and 6.9 litres per 100 km works out at about 41 mpg, so the PistonHeads numbers are probably the later homologated ones, although we cannot confirm that. Check the car's own paperwork. Finally, dates: Ford's sheet is, going by its file name, from September 2020, PistonHeads says the car was orderable from October 2020 and lists it as on sale from 2021, and says you will see few 2020-registered cars.

Engine and gearbox

Ford's sheet describes a cast-aluminium in-line three with twin independent variable cam timing, four valves per cylinder, a chain-driven camshaft, a two-stage variable displacement oil pump, a low-inertia turbocharger and cylinder deactivation. Fuelling combines six-hole direct injection with port injection, and the car meets Euro 6d with a gasoline particulate filter. PistonHeads says this EcoBoost "Dragon" engine is essentially the Fiesta ST's with a new air intake and roll-suppressing engine mounts, with the same power but more torque, and that it feels unburstable and serves up linear power to over 6,000 rpm.

PistonHeads reports that some engines suffered a random stuttering under load with no warning lights. It lists contaminated fuel, a faulty cam position sensor and worn spark plugs as suggested causes, and says Ford's plug interval is every two years on the Puma ST (every three on the Focus ST). Ask for evidence of plug changes and the fuel the car has been run on. PistonHeads also mentions a recall to replace right-hand engine oil separators that may have been damaged before engine assembly, but says it is not sure which Puma it applied to, so confirm it through the DVSA service rather than assuming it is closed.

The one-cylinder cutoff lets a steady run get close to the 42.8 mpg WLTP figure, but PistonHeads says it can fall to the high 30s in spirited use, a real-world range of about 300 miles from the 45-litre tank (Ford's sheet gives the same capacity). The six-speed manual, with ratios Ford lists and an optional Quaife limited-slip differential, is said by PistonHeads to be unchanged from the Fiesta ST. The stick can feel low and slightly far back, some owners needed care selecting first or third to avoid graunching, and one owner whose lever did not return to neutral had the linkages greased by a dealer. PistonHeads found no particular fault with the ST gearbox, and its report of second gear failure and jumping out of first concerns the mild hybrid Puma 155, not the ST. The sources describe no automatic for the 1.5 car.

PistonHeads says service intervals are every year or 12,500 miles. It says the standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty on the earliest cars was running out in 2024 and could be extended to five years or 100,000 miles, so check what cover remains. It also names tuners offering remaps to 255 hp, 275 hp and 315 hp (the last with a hybrid turbo) and a Mountune upgrade with intercooler, induction, charge pipework, throttle body and remap. Dated prices are omitted. Ask what has been fitted and who did it.

Chassis, brakes and wheels

Ford's sheet lists MacPherson strut front suspension with twin-tube frequency reactive dampers and a 24.2 mm anti-roll bar, and a twist-beam rear axle with toe-correcting bushes, a 28 mm anti-roll bar, force vectoring springs and separate twin-tube dampers. The rack-and-pinion electric steering has an 11.4:1 ratio and an 11.2 m turning circle. PistonHeads adds that the ride height was lowered by 21 mm, the steering is 25 per cent faster, and the rear axle is 40 per cent stiffer than the Fiesta ST's and 50 per cent stiffer than a standard Puma's. It calls the turn-in and balance top-notch, though the handling could seem borderline unforgiving to someone coming from a less responsive car, says some testers found it twitchy and that the twitchiness could bring on car sickness, and says some testers thought buyers would be better off with the 153 hp ST Line. Those are opinions, so judge them on your own test drive.

Ford lists 8J x 19-inch alloys on 225/40 R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Look for uneven wear, kerbed rims and mismatched tyres, and ask whether springs or dampers have been changed. Ford's brakes are 325 mm vented front discs and 271 mm solid rear discs, which PistonHeads says are 17 per cent bigger than a regular Puma's. Check disc lips, pad thickness and any pulsing.

The Performance Pack is the option to find. PistonHeads says it adds a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential working with brake-based torque vectoring, electronic launch control and shift lights, and that retrofitting a Quaife unit to a car without one is possible, at a price PistonHeads quotes that we omit as dated. Ask for the original order paperwork to prove a car has the pack. The Gold Edition, a limited run PistonHeads says was chosen by 275,000 Ford fans in mid-2021, includes the Quaife diff, gold wheels and stitching, red calipers and carbon trim, and 350 of its 999 cars were sold in the UK.

Ford lists driver aids including cross traffic alert with active braking, blind spot information and pre-collision assist with active braking, with availability dependent on specification. PistonHeads says early configurators wrongly suggested the Driver Assistance pack included adaptive cruise control, and owners who raised it were given refunds. Ford's sheet lists cruise control and a speed limiter but no adaptive cruise, which is consistent with that account.

PistonHeads has heard of creaking or a ching noise on steering lock on some cars. At least one owner was told the steering rack bolts needed replacing, and PistonHeads found no recall or technical bulletin and wants more action from Ford. Listen on full lock and ask for any dealer diagnosis.

Body, interior and electronics

PistonHeads says Mean Green was a popular colour, contrast black roofs suited any main colour, and the panoramic roof option is rare on the used market. PistonHeads reports bodywork complaints on some cars, including door modules needing replacement, trim pieces coming slightly away from the doors, condensation inside rear light lenses, partly detached washer jet pipes and windows that bounce down after reaching the top of their travel. PistonHeads says holding the switch down for four seconds with the window fully open, then repeating with the window closed, usually resets it. Some owners also complained of glare and flare from the quick-clear windscreen elements.

Inside, Ford lists SYNC 3 with an 8-inch touchscreen, a wireless charging pad, a B&O sound system and a FordPass Connect modem. PistonHeads reports that SYNC 3 updates were not always smooth and sometimes the media player would not load, though the navigation and voice control were good, and phones connect only by USB. The FordPass app, which handles remote locking, starting and location, has not been trouble-free. Some digital instrument clusters flickered, and disconnected parcel shelf clips let the shelf hang from the tailgate. The front seats are Recaros, the rear is tight for tall adults, and Ford quotes a 456-litre boot to the package tray, measured with a tyre repair kit. PistonHeads adds an 80-litre drainable MegaBox under the floor.

The battery gets the most space in the guide. PistonHeads reports many issues with the original 12v Rombat batteries reading low with the engine running, then entering a deep sleep mode, after which the passenger side doors might not open keylessly and the foot-wave boot opening could fail. Stop-start faults and total power-downs were also reported. At least one dealer blamed short journeys without evidence, and a Varta replacement plus a software update did not always cure it. PistonHeads says breakdown crews found that disconnecting and reconnecting the battery restored power. Theories for the drain include an infotainment backlight that stayed on and rear interior lights that refused to switch off. Ask what battery is fitted, when it was changed and whether software updates were done.

Recalls and history

PistonHeads lists several recalls without giving recall reference numbers. It mentions a recall of 300 Pumas built in 2023 to correct the Restraint Control Module, which is meant to warn of incorrect parts in the seatbelt pretensioner and airbag systems, and a recall of some very early cars for airbag retention springs that might not lock the airbag to the steering wheel. It also reports a recall of all 2022 Pumas and Kugas for a fault with the SOS eCall system, following an earlier 2021 recall for that system's software, plus the oil separator recall above. We cannot confirm any of this from Ford's sheet, and whether a given car is affected depends on its build date and registration, so use the DVSA service with the registration and ask the seller for dealer paperwork showing open work was done.

PistonHeads notes that Cat N and Cat S cars are advertised for less than unrepaired examples. Ask for the full service history, evidence of the battery and plug changes, any accident repair and every modification, and run an insurance and finance history check. PistonHeads reported insurance group 22 in May 2024, lower than the Fiesta ST's, but get a quote for your own details.

Buying decision

The PistonHeads verdict is that the 2020 to 2024 1.5 car gave enough ST character to satisfy a demanding owner, that its reliability record is reasonable but far from stellar, and that most issues are niggly rather than apocalyptic. It says owners were prepared to accept the glitches in exchange for the driving. It names the Hyundai Kona N, which has 276 hp but an automatic gearbox, and the Volkswagen T-Roc R as rivals. The May 2024 prices are not repeated, so compare current adverts.

The best car has proof of a Performance Pack if you want the differential, a documented battery replacement and spark plug history, a clean steering lock-to-lock check, even tyre wear on the factory-size wheels, working keyless entry and boot opening, no open recalls on the DVSA service and either no modifications or paperwork for each one.