Ford Puma 2023 review: ST-Line

My nieces and nephew love the look of this car, they thought it was smiling at them when they looked at. That’s thanks to the curve of the grille and the design of the headlights. The review model features the 'Desert Island Blue' paint option for $650 which I think is one of the best colours, but there’s quite a few to choose from. 

The LED daytime running lights have been designed to resemble those on the Ford GT supercar and they make sure the car stands out from the pack. The ST Line matt black grille and front and rear aprons give it a distinctive look, along with the integrated spoiler. Plus you get the 17-inch alloy wheels. But more importantly you get the sports suspension which adds to the overall comfort of the car. 

Inside the car feels modern and the designers have packed quite a lot into its small space. The ST Line gets metal pedal covers and red stitching along the seats. Even the entry model gets the synthetic leather gearshift, hand brake and flat-bottomed steering wheel, which feels good while you’re driving.

Despite the small size of the car, every millimetre has been used well, and the design feels fresh thanks to the dials and curved lines that tie the whole personality of the Puma together. Even though it still has the handbrake and gearshift which could make it feel dated, the rest of the features, including the tech, help give it a more modern feel, but that doesn't carry through to the back seats.

For a very small SUV, it feels quite roomy up front. There’s a decent amount of headroom and the driver’s seat is particularly comfortable thanks to the lumbar support, but only the top of the range Puma comes with lumbar support for the passenger. 

I’m 177cm (5'10") tall and when I sat behind my driving position, I had a little room, but for someone taller than me it might be uncomfortable for longer journeys. You can fit two adults in the back, but three would be a stretch. Three small kids would be fine, but not if they are all in car seats.

The boot space is well thought out, with an adjustable parcel shelf which gives you a lot more space to store large items, and under that hidden level of storage, there is a space-saver spare. In total, you get 410 litres of boot space, when you fold the rear seats down you get 1170 litres. 

In terms of storage, there’s a lot in the door but it’s not overly practical because of the shape, although you can fit a small water bottle. The glove compartment is a decent size for the class, and the centre console is nice and deep, plus you get two cupholders, and my keys also fit in the small gap between them.

There are modest storage spaces in the back doors, for a small water bottle, but my niece was disappointed the car doesn't come with USB ports or cupholders in the back - and there’s no directional air conditioning vents which means it’s not that fun in Summer.

However, I do like the thoughtful touch of not two but four luggage hooks in the boot which do keep grocery bags in place.

The Puma received the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019, but some standards have changed since then. It comes with six airbags, including driver and front passenger, and side curtains.

It comes with the safety features you’d expect for the price-point including AEB, traffic sign recognition (which I found isn't always accurate) and lane keeping assistance. Front parking sensors and the blind spot information system with rear cross-traffic alert are optional extras, for just under $1000 at the time of this review. It can be common for cars in this range to have these features as options – but some like the Hyundai Kona include it for models in a similar price range to the ST-Line.

The car does have three top-tether points and ISOFIX anchors for the window seats, but I don't think three car seats will fit across the back. It's worth noting, due to the cabin size, if you put a rear-facing child seat behind the front passenger seat, it starts to eat up the middle seat room and takes some legroom from the front passenger.

Overall, the Ford Puma is a bit more expensive than some of its competitors but for a family car you do get more space in the boot and other features included that helps the value-for-money equation stack up.

Overall, the Ford Puma is a bit more expensive than some of its competitors (Image: Dean McCartney).

My petrol usage was also pretty good during a week of horrible rainy conditions and stop-start traffic, on average it was at 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres during my time with it, but the official number is 5.3L/100km on the combined cycle.

The Ford Puma comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance for the first 12 months (with some conditions). The satellite navigation system is updated during your service if you take the car to Ford for its fixed-price maintenance program. The service interval is 12 months/15,000km, with the annual price averaging just over $300 for the first five years, which isn't too bad.