2020 Ford Puma reborn as crossover for Europe

Ford’s SUV onslaught continues, as they start phasing out regular cars in many markets. This time, they have revived an old moniker to christen their latest offering — the 2020 Ford Puma.

The Puma is for European streets but may make it to other shores as well. The Puma name was last used on a sporty front-wheel-drive coupe from two decades ago.

The dimensions of the Puma are created with the narrow European streets in mind. The design is an exhibition of Ford’s modern design language. It bears a huge resemblance to the Euro-spec Fiesta hatchback as they share the same underpinnings. The front end of the Puma is a little more rounded than the Fiesta though. The interior is also similar to that of the Fiesta but with more room inside, thanks to Puma’s crossover profile.

The Puma follows the lines of almost all modern cars in offering owners a plethora of tech items. The Ford CoPilot360 system gives it limited autonomous capability in stop-go traffic conditions. Other tech items include Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, active cruise control, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and lane keep assist. There is an 8-inch infotainment screen and another 12.3-inch instrument cluster screen. The optional sound system is a mighty 10-speaker unit to use as you enjoy a massage from the Puma’s front seats.

Powering the Puma is Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder engine which gets coupled with a 48V mild-hybrid system. There are two flavours of this powertrain available, 123 hp and 153 hp, and both of them send power to the front wheels. No all-wheel-drive is offered.

The 2020 Ford Puma enters a segment which is already crowded with many products. It will be interesting to see how Ford positions it if it comes to the Middle East.