The subcompact crossover segment in America is red hot right now, with many automakers offering more than one model in the class. But The Blue Oval offers customers just one of those vehicles, in the form of the Ford EcoSport, an older product that isn’t exactly resonating with owners. Until recently, it seemed like Ford was somewhat content with that situation, but a recent tweet from Ford CEO Jim Farley suggests that at least one variant of the Ford Puma may be headed across the Atlantic at some point in the near future.
Wish this came to NA and other markets! https://t.co/QpcXk2zokN
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) February 16, 2021
The tweet was a direct response to a video featuring the Ford Puma ST posted by Ford UK to its official account. As Ford Authority exclusively reported in May 2020, Ford had no plans to bring the subcompact crossover to North America or any other market outside of Europe at that time. However, Farley has only been serving as CEO since October 2020, and it’s possible that he has reversed course on the Puma. Farley remains quite flexible with changing some decisions enacted by his predecessor, most notably in regards to EV battery manufacturing, so an about face on the Ford Puma wouldn’t be out of character.
Sales Numbers - Mainstream Subcompact Crossovers - 2020 - United States
| MODEL | YTD 20 / YTD 19 | YTD 20 | YTD 19 | YTD 20 SHARE | YTD 19 SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEEP COMPASS | -24.99% | 107,969 | 143,934 | 11% | 15% |
| CHEVROLET TRAX | -9.00% | 106,299 | 116,816 | 11% | 12% |
| HONDA HR-V | -15.21% | 84,027 | 99,104 | 9% | 10% |
| HYUNDAI KONA | +3.99% | 76,253 | 73,326 | 8% | 8% |
| KIA SOUL | -26.70% | 71,862 | 98,033 | 8% | 10% |
| JEEP RENEGADE | -18.26% | 62,847 | 76,885 | 7% | 8% |
| FORD ECOSPORT | -6.43% | 60,545 | 64,708 | 6% | 7% |
| NISSAN KICKS | +1.14% | 58,858 | 58,193 | 6% | 6% |
| KIA SELTOS | * | 46,280 | 0 | 5% | 0% |
| BUICK ENCORE GX | * | 44,841 | 0 | 5% | 0% |
| TOYOTA C-HR | -12.25% | 42,936 | 48,930 | 5% | 5% |
| BUICK ENCORE | -59.23% | 41,752 | 102,402 | 4% | 11% |
| MAZDA CX-30 | +4,134.04% | 38,064 | 899 | 4% | 0% |
| CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER | * | 34,292 | 0 | 4% | 0% |
| MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER SPORT | -14.29% | 28,836 | 33,644 | 3% | 4% |
| HYUNDAI VENUE | +1,675.77% | 19,125 | 1,077 | 2% | 0% |
| KIA NIRO | -28.74% | 17,434 | 24,467 | 2% | 3% |
| MAZDA CX-3 | -48.64% | 8,335 | 16,229 | 1% | 2% |
| FIAT 500X | -42.69% | 1,443 | 2,518 | 0% | 0% |
| TOTAL | -0.95% | 951,998 | 961,165 |
Additionally, any Ford CEO with their finger on the pulse of the American market would likely have access to a chart like the one above, showing the immense potential of the subcompact crossover segment, a category of vehicles that showed significant resilience in a COVID-19 afflicted market. With just under 1 million vehicles of little utilities being sold in America during the 2020 calendar year, it’s already a fiercely competitive segment, with many automakers opting to field more than one entry in for a more even spread.
While there is a successor to the Ford EcoSport on the way, The Blue Oval cannot hope to counter duos like the Chevy Trailblazer and Chevy Trax or the one-two punch like the Hyundai Kona and Venue with only one product. In that light, a tweet from Farley that indicates his desire to see the Ford Puma expand into other markets cannot be dismissed as a simple flight of fancy. In fact, the Puma would fit into Ford’s American lineup quite nicely.
We’ll report back on this development as soon as we know more, so subscribe to Ford Authority for continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
This is a great little crossover. I felt it was perfect for our market when I first saw it, so I really hope Farley brings it over. And preferably not three years from now. This, alongside the next gen Ecosport, would give us a strong presence in this hot segment.
Ford did itself no favors by bringing the EcoSport to the US market (even muddied up the name with a soft “E” compared to the omnipresent “EcoBoost”). I’d name the replacement Cougar and bring in the Puma and let those kitties go wild in this segment.
Wishes don’t always come true…but if they’ve done their research and can uncover why the the CX30 and Venue jumped dramatically in their sales numbers, maybe it stands some chance of success.
Not gonna happen. Farley can tweet all he wants but Ford ain’t dropping a dime on an ICE subcompact for NA. Where would you build the NA Puma, or would you import it from Romania? My guess is a Puma-size BEV built on VW’s ME-B architecture
Ford either needs this Puma or something else in this segment, I’ve always been a Ford guy and would come back if it offered something good ! Ecosport NO THANKYOU!
This is a great looking piece and it would most likely do well in North America. It would replace the butt ugly Ecosport which looks like an Escape that had gotten a mammogram!!
Nice looking vehicle, but always remember the Fiesta and Focus. Both were junk with automatic transmissions. Get the quality right and then bring it over.
I would buy one today. I owned three Focus strippers, all with manual-shift. The first two were actual “strippers;:” crank-up windows, plastic hubcaps on steel wheels. The first was a 2001 and the next was a 2004. In late 2014 I bought an SE sedan with 5-speed and it was a wonderful car even though it had a lot of stuff that I really didn’t want.
My wife and I went to the Ford events at ZMax Drag Strip and drove the Focus ST and the Fiesta ST and we loved both of them.
I always liked the idea of a Focus C-Max, drop the hybrid and make it an ST.
So yes, we love this Puma. Bring it to the US as a Cougar ST.
We’ll replace our Honda Fit with it.