The new Ford Puma is all grown up
If you decide to lease the new Ford Puma you are entering the world of a true genius. Whoever came up with the idea should be knighted, given the keys to the city, and never have to pay tax again.
When the Puma first arrived back in 1997 it was a sporty looking, two-door sports coupe that promised fun and excitement, and was rightly popular.
Now it's back and like all those previous owners the Puma has grown up over the last 20 years or so.
Grown up to the extent that it's no longer a sporty coupe.
The new Ford Puma is a five-door compact crossover with space, practicality, and an economically sensible mild-hybrid drive system. Like all those 20-somethings from the late 90s, the Puma now has to cope with children, weekly shopping trips, and climate change.
The new Ford Puma is a five-door compact crossover with space, practicality, and an economically sensible mild-hybrid drive system. Like all those 20-somethings from the late 90s, the Puma now has to cope with children, weekly shopping trips, and climate change. 
The new Ford Puma - based on the Fiesta supermini platform - is a stylishly designed SUV crossover with distinctive wing-top mounted headlamps and pleasingly aerodynamic lines, a raised ride-height for a better view, and a positively enormous luggage capacity of 456 litres.
The new Puma comes in three trim levels - Titanium, ST-Line, and ST-Line X - and includes lots of technology and features that may surprise you.
The entry-level Titanium model includes cruise control and lane keep assist, wireless smartphone charging, automatic lights and wipers, satnav with 8-inch touchscreen, parking sensors, massage seats, and selectable drive modes, and that's all standard equipment not just part of the options list.
Moving up the specification adds new alloy choices, larger touchscreen, body kits, privacy glass, and upgraded infotainment systems, but even the lowliest model in the Ford Puma range boasts an impressive array of equipment.
The EcoBoost Hybrid technology enhances the Puma's 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with an 11.5 kW belt-driven integrated starter/generator (BISG). Replacing the standard alternator, the BISG enables recovery and storage of energy usually lost during braking and coasting to charge a 48volt lithium-ion air-cooled battery pack. The BISG also acts as a motor using the stored energy to provide assistance during normal driving and acceleration, as well as running the vehicle's electrical systems.
The new Ford Puma hybrid comes in 125bhp and 155bhp variants offering the choice of a bit more power or a bit more economy. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't actually make much difference in terms of running costs.
According to the WLTP figures you will be looking at CO2 emissions from 124 g/km and fuel efficiency around 52mpg for the 125bhp variant, and CO2 emissions from 127 g/km and fuel efficiency of 50mpg for the 155bhp engine. The intelligent, self-regulating mild-hybrid system continuously monitors how the vehicle is being used to determine when and how to charge the battery for optimal benefit, and when to utilise that energy to boost the power. There are also the usual petrol and diesel options to choose from but in all honesty the mild-hybrid versions are the ones to go for.
Of course, it's not the impressive array of standard equipment that makes the new Ford Puma stand out. Nor is it the eye-catching design or the economical and clever hybrid system. The real genius behind the new Puma is in allowing those of us old enough to remember driving the old one the opportunity to still say you drive a Puma but without people muttering something about a mid-life crisis under their breath.
Leasing the new Ford Puma is not only an opportunity to drive a stylish, practical, and economical car. More importantly it's the chance to relive a small part of your youth without having to squeeze your middle-aged body into an entirely inappropriate sports car.
What more could you possibly want from your next lease?
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