Ford surprises with new Puma SUV for Australia

Compact crossover model mixes sporting intent with hi-tech toys, though it’s likely to cost quite a bit more than the car it replaces.

Ford will capitalise on the popularity of baby SUVs with a new Puma crossover due this year.

Set to rival to the Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V, the new Ford Puma is pitched as a sleek alternative to boxy, high-riding hatchbacks.

Ford has not confirmed whether the European-built model will replace the Indian-sourced EcoSport in its range. But a statement introducing the car hints that the EcoSport will be dropped from Ford showrooms, where the Puma will join Escape, Endura and Everest SUVs.

Australian details surrounding the car are slim.

The Ford Puma compact SUV has driver-focused dynamics.

UK customers choose between a pair of 1.0-litre hybrid engines with 92kW or 114kW, sending drive to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

There, the Puma costs about the same price as a Ford Focus (which costs about $29,700 drive-away here), or nearly £2000 ($3850) more than the EcoSport.

Positioned as something of a premium model, the Puma is available with 19-inch wheels, an impressive suite of driver aids and a modern infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android auto in overseas models.

Inside the 2020 Ford Puma compact SUV.

Ford Australia and New Zealand president Kay Hart says it “will appeal to customers looking for a fun-to-drive, stylish SUV that’s loaded with smart tech”.

“The Puma is a great opportunity for us to connect with Australian customers in a new way,” she says.

“We’re excited that it will arrive alongside the new-generation Escape in Australian showrooms in 2020.”

The car arrives in the second half of the year.

The compact crossover isn’t the first Ford to wear the Puma badge. The original Puma was a compact sports coupe which accompanied the bigger Cougar coupe in Europe.

Both cars went on to be rebranded as SUVs, with the Cougar becoming “Kuga” before Ford reintroduced the Escape nameplate.

Originally published as Ford surprises with new Puma SUV for Australia