Ford Puma ST Is it cut out for motorway cruising?

FORD PUMA ST

From B-road heaven to ‘the Beige Hell’ of the M25

MILEAGE 1850

WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To learn if a sporty crossover can ever be as rewarding to own as a hot hatch

all it an inconvenient C truth, but the way of the world dictates that even diehard driving enthusiasts will generally cover a good many more miles on Britain’s monochrome motorway network than they will on a race track or demanding B-road.

Thus modern sports cars (of all shapes and sizes) must be ready at will to set aside their prevailing traits of dynamism and pep for a slightly more cosseting, frugal and laid-back approach to long-distance driving. That duality is evident in some of the fiercest performance weapons on sale, like the BMW M4 Competition and Porsche 911 Turbo, but needs to shine through even more tangibly in those more affordable sporting propositions that double up as daily family transport.

Step forward our Ford Puma ST.

With just 197bhp, five doors and a 0-62mph sprint time roughly on a par with the BMW 320d, it is hardly ever going to be considered in the LOVE IT

NOT A BIG DRINKER Whisper it, but there’s a genuine thrill to be had in nudging 40mpg when you’re not pushing on. LOATHE IT

GREEN AROUND THE GILLS Sharp throttle response and steering are a recipe for car sickness in town, according to one green-tinged passenger. They look better than they sound at times

same league as anything more purely focused on sporting engagement at this price point – maybe the latest and costliest Mazda MX-5 (driven, p39)? – but the balance needs to be there. We’ve got stiff suspension, a limited-slip differential and a sports exhaust, but do we also have the ability to cover large swathes of ground in comfort? I was almost certain the burbling soundtrack, snug sports seats and low-profile tyres would quickly dampen the appeal of a long-distance trek, but I was pleased to discover the Puma’s impressively composed character has not been overly obscured in line with the ST’s more sporting focus.

Ford highlights that the hot Puma’s exhaust is actually a whole one decibel quieter than that of the mechanically identical Fiesta ST, and while you can barely tell the difference on start-up, the soundtrack all but disappears at a steady cruise, which means you can actually hear the radio or have a proper conversation. Plus, though the stiff dampers and large alloys make for a firm treatment of speed bumps and potholes in town, the ride is generally composed at higher speeds and the road roar is largely unobtrusive. Get the bolster settings and lumbar support right and the seats are inoffensive, too, if a little tight for the larger occupant. All is gravy, then, until you reach the concrete section of the

M25 – a section of road more feared by car engineers than even the slipperiest sheets of ice in

Arjeplog or the sharpest bends of the Nordschleife. Only here, on

‘the Beige Hell’, does the Puma

ST drop points (and a good few of them, at that) for comfort. It’s loud in pretty much any car, but at any speed in excess of 60mph between Reigate and Chertsey, it is impossible to hear passengers, music or – more annoyingly – sat-nav directions and phone calls without turning it up to a volume that will deafen you when you emerge at the other end. Blame those rubber-band tyres and chunky 19in alloys, which no doubt add a healthy injection of kerb appeal to the bargain, but at the obvious expense of rolling refinement.

So not quite the perfect mile muncher, even if it nearly matches the standard 1.0-litre car for longdistance frugality. But now that’s out of the way, we’ve got some much more fun tests of character lined up for the Puma ST, and we can always take the back roads to get to them. FELIX PAGE

the bolster settings and lumbar support right and the seats are inoffensive, too, if a little tight for the larger occupant. reach the concrete section of the M25 – a section of road more feared by car engineers than even the slipperiest sheets of ice in Arjeplog or the sharpest bends of the Nordschleife. Only here, on ‘the Beige Hell’, does the Puma ST drop points (and a good few of them, at that) for comfort. It’s loud

TEST DATA

FORD PUMA ST GOLD EDITION Price new £32,595 Price as tested £33,195 Faults None Expenses None Economy 38.2mpg Last seen 30.3.22

Honda HR-V

MILEAGE 6772 LAST SEEN 30.3.22

With the necessarily thick pillars and small windows of modern cars, lightcoloured interiors make a world of difference. Okay, cream leather is a bad idea for parents, but for the rest of us it’s lovely. The all-black gloom of our Puma ST made me appreciate the HR-V’s design even more. It only comes on the Advance Style top trim level, though, which is £2000 more than the black leather Advance. KC

Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV

MILEAGE 5332 LAST SEEN 6.4.22

Two buttons add magic. The first is red and ignites the 503bhp fireworks display. The other took a while to find, in the centre of the driving mode selector. Crank that to the extreme settings and the button illuminates. Press it and the dampers soften instantly (to ‘mid’ in Race, ‘soft’ in Dynamic), giving all the naughtiness, without dislodging your fillings. AC

Dacia Duster

MILEAGE 5858 LAST SEEN 30.3.22

The Duster’s transmission emits a dainty but unmissable whine at about 70mph, though this mostly disappears at other speeds. A maker of ritzier cars would probably spend big money eliminating it, but Dacia doesn’t see it as a priority. As the user, I find it a) endearing, and b) a handy kind of audible speedometer. SC