RETURN OF THE ST(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 64

Having made the standard version of its small Puma crossover pretty sporty to drive, Ford wants you to also consider this top ST variant, now powered only by a hot version of its familiar 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. What's delivered here is a car the family driving enthusiast will find easy to justify. Few small SUVs could keep it in sight on a twisty road.

Background word count: 142

For Ford, 'ST' is an evocative badge - and one that enthusiasts have flocked to for decades with fast Fiesta and Focus hot hatches. But does it belong on an SUV? Well it belongs on this one. The Puma was always developed with this quick variant in mind and in ST form, the Ford Performance team have done a really thorough job in further evolving what were already very impressive drive dynamics. This revised version now comes only with a 170PS 1.0-litre engine and an auto gearbox but it's still an engaging thing to drive. It's not only that it goes faster than the standard model: you can get the power down more easily too, thanks to a whole range of handling and suspension changes. Sounds promising. Small SUVs haven't to date been very engaging to drive. This one bucks that trend.

Driving Experience word count: 277

It's hard not to feel a sense of disappointment that the engaging drivetrain format this Puma ST was originally launched with - the fizzy little 200PS 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine and 6-speed manual gearbox combination from the old Fiesta ST - is no more, another victim of emissions legislation. What we're left with is a powertrain combination introduced in the latter stages of the pre-facelift model's production - an uprated 170PS version of the ordinary Puma's usual 1.0-litre EcoBoost mild hybrid three cylinder unit; mated to a 7-speed auto gearbox. There are paddleshifters provided for the Powershift transmission and the rest to 62mph sprint is eagerly dispatched in 7.4s en route to 130mph. At least there's still plenty of Ford Performance engineering incorporated here in a bid to give this fast small SUV some real handling credibility. An optimised chassis features bespoke twist-beam, anti-roll bar and damper configurations. Plus steering response is 25% faster and the brakes are 17% larger than the standard Puma. Specially-developed Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres also help deliver an agile Ford SUV driving experience, plus thick front and rear anti-roll bars add to cornering stability. On the test drive, you'll immediately notice how firmly this car rides the bumps - inevitably as the rear suspension has been stiffened by 50% - but you could live with it on the commute and at cruising speeds, this ST feels much like any normal Puma. Like any ordinary variant in this model line, the ST version features selectable Drive Modes, including an additional special 'Track' option. Properly sporty versions of supermini-based small SUVs are surprising rare, especially when they're engineered as well as this one.