Updated Ford Puma ST Goes 1.0 Auto Only

The Puma SUV has been around long enough for Ford to deem a facelift necessary, although perhaps ‘facelift’ isn’t quite the right word. The mid-life nip’n’tuck involves moving the Blue Oval badge from the bonnet to the grille (as we’ve seen happen with other Ford models), the headlamp signature on the snazzy new LED front light clusters is new, and, erm, that’s about it.

Ford has, however, changed a lot on the inside, which we’ll get back to, before looking at what’s missing from the line-up. Yes, you can still get a Puma ST, but only the ‘Powershift’ version with its lower-powered 1.0-litre engine and automatic gearbox. The fabulous 1.5-litre manual version is dead, and we’ve had confirmation that it isn’t coming back, owing to a “streamlining” of the range. Emissions, we suspect, were also a factor.

As for the ST Powershift, it makes 168bhp as before, making for a 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. That compares to 197bhp, 0-62mph in 6.7sec and a top whack of 136mph in the now-dead 1.5.

There’s better news in the cabin, where the old SYNC 3 eight-inch infotainment system has been replaced with a 12-inch setup running SYNC 4 software and switching 4G for 5G. There's also a new 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster, and a whole host of extra driver assistance features including smarter adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree surround-view camera, and 'rear cross traffic braking'.

If you don’t fancy an ST, there are three other options available, all based around a 1.0-litre inline-three engine. "There's a 123bhp version with a manual, and another with the same power output but with a 'Powershift' automatic. Finally, there's a 153bhp model, again with the auto, which is not all that far away from the ST in terms of straight-line performance, dispatching 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds and running out of puff at 124mph." Another option is set to join the fray later this year in the form of an all-electric Puma Gen-E.

The trim levels will be Titanium, ST-Line and ST-Line X, and six colours are available. The range will start from £25,790.