As Ford continues to reinvent its virtually carless lineup in North America, it’s also adding a number of high-performance sporty variants with the ST badge – including the Edge ST and Explorer ST. Unfortunately, as Ford Authority exclusively reported, that won’t include a new Ford Escape ST. But European customers seeking a hot crossover won’t be completely left out in the cold. The automaker has been hard at work developing a quicker, sportier version of the Fiesta-derived Puma, which will be called, of course, the Ford Puma ST. We have caught this vehicle undergoing testing various times in the recent past, but the company’s Euro division has now officially teased the future model in this rather revealing video posted to Twitter.
The new #FordST is coming, but are you quick enough to find it?
Piece the new ST together, and let us know tagging @forduk with #FordST pic.twitter.com/pAWuirgnC4— Ford UK (@forduk) May 1, 2020
The Puma, which slots into the lineup between the Ford EcoSport and Ford Escape / Kuga in terms of size and price, is a relatively new product, being introduced in 2019. Its name is a carryover from The Blue Oval’s Fiesta-based, front-wheel drive coupe sold between 1997 and 2002, but this is a completely different animal altogether.
The new Ford Puma ST is expected to borrow its turbocharged, 1.5L EcoBoost three-cylinder engine from the Euro-market Fiesta ST, which produces 200 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque in that configuration. Whether or not those numbers carry over to the Ford Puma ST remains to be seen, though we haven no reason to expect otherwise at the moment. Like in the Fiesta ST, a limited slip differential for the front wheels should be standard.
Transmission options remains a mystery, however, but we’d certainly expect an automatic to be part of the lineup, though a manual could make an appearance. Otherwise, we’ve got a pretty clear look at what Ford’s hotted-up subcompact CUV is going to look like in this video.
That includes the typical enhancements one would expect from a sporty version of a regular model, including oversized air intakes, a lowered and presumably stiffer suspension, ST badging, and sportier wheels. There are also Recaro seats, and the exhaust note also sounds decent, similar to that of the Fiesta ST.
2020 Ford Puma (regular model pictured)
A full reveal of the Ford Puma ST should be right around the corner before it goes on sale in Europe and other global markets before the end of 2020. The vehicle is not expected to come to North America, which is a shame – because something like the Puma could do very well in today’s expanding subcompact crossover space.
We’ll bring you the latest news on this and other new models as it breaks, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Puma news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Gallery coming soon.
Comments
It really has a very happy face! It also looks like it is sitting closer to the ground than it’s brethren. Which begs the question: How low can you go before a vehicle “crosses over” into say hatchback territory? Please don’t start humming the “Limbo” song…
Yeah, good question. These crossovers, even the ones that sit lower to the ground, typically have higher roofs than their sedan/hatchback counterparts… so as long as the roofs are higher, I would say that they’re crossovers.
I’m a huge fan of the Puma… it’s a strange decision not to make it available in North America.