Ford Puma and Subaru XV review - We compare two of Australia's most distinctive small SUVs

While these two seem to have a similar intent, their design languages couldn’t be more different.

The XV is quite traditional and unchanged for years, while the Puma is all new, starting with a blank slate to deliver something sporty and unexpected.

The Subaru will appeal to a more conservative buyer who wants a car unlikely to draw eyes in a car park. That’s not to say it isn’t conventionally attractive given its hatchback shape, but looks a little tougher thanks to its pumped arches, a visual clue to its superior off-road chops.

The XV is quite traditional and the design has remained unchanged for years. (Image: Tom White)

The Puma meanwhile, is a statement. It sits apart from other small SUVs on the road with its swoopy design, exemplified by its almost Porsche-shaped headlights, and sporty bumper and spoiler fittings which ram home its relation to Ford’s family of hot hatches.

The ST-Line is an SUV for someone searching for something sportier and more aggressive, but it also has a smaller footprint, perhaps making it more appropriate for someone who spends a lot of time in Australia’s metro centres where parking comes at a premium.

The ST-Line gets Ford’s swoopy, grille-heavy, design language. (Image: Tom White)

Inside I think there’s a clear winner. The Subaru looks and feels fairly upmarket and spacious compared to its Ford competitor, thanks to its larger Impreza-based footprint.

The trims inside the Subaru are also relatively high quality, and it has comfortable seats, a standout steering wheel, and a dazzling array of screens which could be considered a little busy.

The Puma meanwhile leaves quite a bit to be desired on the inside. The quality of the interior trims is lower than those in the XV, with an abundance of hard plastics and a monotone colour palette.

The Puma’s smaller Fiesta-based underpinnings are on full show in the front seat, with the little SUV feeling narrower and almost claustrophobic compared to the XV.

That said, the Puma also has a fun well-trimmed steering wheel, and by the time you get to this ST-Line grade, it also scores a fully digital dash cluster, which the Subaru still misses out on.

I’d say our competitors are pretty closely matched, depending on what you’re looking for. The Subaru is a hands down win for interior design and quality, while the Puma is a much more fun and daring design from the outside

The comparison between the two engines here is a revealing, because it shows there’s much more to the story than pure power outputs, or even power-to-weight figures, as well as the role a transmission can play in the drivability of a car.

In one corner we have our Subaru XV with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine producing 115kW/196Nm. On paper it is the superior of the two, with double the displacement, an extra cylinder, and even a better power-to-weight ratio overall of 80.5kW/t.

The Subaru XV has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine producing 115kW/196Nm. (Image: Tom White)

The Subaru also scores a permanent all-wheel drive system, and sends drive to the four wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission.

In the other we have the Ford Puma, which has a much smaller 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo producing 92kW/170Nm.

The Puma is front-drive only with power transferred via a very European seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Ford Puma has a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbo engine, producing 92kW/170Nm. (Image: Rob Cameriere)

Despite its lower kerb weight, the Puma still falls short on power-to-weight, at 72.8kW/t.

It might surprise you to learn the Puma is vastly more engaging to drive but take a look at the driving section for more on why that might be.

Frustratingly, in the case of the XV, the only alternate option, the 'e-Boxer' hybrid, doesn’t really improve things.

Both cars having been relatively recently released or updated have the full suite of safety gear you would expect at this price, in this segment.

To be fair to the Subaru, it gets more stuff as standard, with rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and front parking sensors optional on the Puma.

However, when compared on price, even with the Park Pack added, the two are pretty evenly matched.

The Subaru holds an edge for its standard features, bonus front-facing manoeuvring camera, and extra airbag coverage, but perhaps not by a full point because the Puma is unusually good for the light-SUV segment it plays in.

Regardless, both cars are ANCAP (maximum) five-star, with the Puma having been rated to the more stringent 2019 standard.

They're in a similar category, and both are easy to drive, but these cars are surprisingly different from behind the wheel.

Visibility out of both is excellent, with the Subaru’s glasshouse perhaps being superior thanks to its more distant A-pillars and chunky wing-mirrors.

The wheel in the Subaru is hefty and chunky, inspiring confidence for the driver, and its seating position is unusually good, letting you feel balanced and secure between both axles.

In contrast, the Puma leaves you feeling as though you’re sitting over the front axle, and its smaller, sportier wheel makes it feel darty and direct.

It also leaves you with the impression of peering down on the road, a little disconnected from where the wheels are.

Acceleration is the biggest character difference. The Subaru’s non-turbo engine and continuously variable automatic make it feel thrashy and heavy compared to its Ford rival, stripping it of a more engaging feel for keen drivers.

The wheel in the Subaru is hefty and chunky, inspiring confidence for the driver. (Image: Tom White)

It feels secure and planted, though, always under control courtesy of its always-on all-wheel drive system and tame power application.

This is true regardless of whether you choose the 2.0i Premium reviewed here, or one of the e-Boxer hybrid variants.

The Puma feels zippy and responsive in comparison. It’s tiny turbocharged engine has loads of character and a gruff tone to match.

Its European-style dual-clutch automatic is snappy between shifts, and unlike the Subaru locks up nicely in the gears to keep things engaging.

It feels initially less secure than the Subaru, due in large part to its front-drive underpinnings, but the Puma proves to be a surprisingly grippy, capable and fun little car in the corners.

Certainly, the Puma is the driver’s car of the pair.

The Puma's smaller, sportier wheel makes it feel darty and direct. (Image: Tom White)

When it comes to their performance in the confines of a city, the Subaru is perhaps a little more agreeable thanks to its no-nonsense transmission.

While the Puma’s DCT is more engaging, like most dual-clutch units it can be a bit busy at low speeds. The Subaru is a cinch to park thanks to its excellent visibility as well as its front and rear parking cameras.

But the Puma makes up for its lesser visibility with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a smaller overall footprint.

In terms of ride comfort, the Subaru is well above average. It has independent suspension all-round and its off-road aspirations gives it a bit of extra ride travel, meaning more comfort on any surface the suburbs can throw at it. Family buyers will love it.

Meanwhile, the Puma ST-Line specifically comes with a firmer and more sporting ride than entry-level variants, making it sharper over bumps, but more secure in the corners. Overall it is more rough than the Subaru over less impressive road surfaces, so I'd say it's better suited to drivers who will appreciate its handling prowess.

Both cars are refined enough at city speeds, but get noisy in the cabin with both wind and tyre noise above 80km/h.

It leaves me with an odd conundrum where I’d rather drive the Puma every day, but ultimately the Subaru is the easier to live with.