Originally a sporty three-door compact, the Ford Puma was revived in 2019 as a subcompact crossover. Come 2020 and Ford confirmed that there will be an ST version of the modern Puma, set to arrive in 2020. The vehicle was teased by Ford UK on its Twitter account, and it seems that it will be a spiritual successor to the Racing Puma from 1999.
The 2020 Ford Puma ST is a Fiesta ST on stilts
The teaser doesn't reveal all that much about this new performance crossover, but we can spot upgrades that are clearly borrowed from the Fiesta ST. The five-spoke wheels are clearly borrowed from the hatchback, while the front fascia boasts a similar bumper with bigger air vents and splitter. Also, look for revised side skirts and a sportier rear bumper with larger exhaust pipes displaced in a new layout.
The similarities to the Fiesta ST should continue under the skin, starting with the same 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine. This tiny EcoBoost mill cranks out a solid 197 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque in the Fiesta ST, and these figures should remain unchanged in the Puma ST. That's an extra 44 horsepower and an additional 34 pound-feet over the standard Puma, powered by a mild-hybrid drivetrain. The Puma ST will also include a lower and stiffer suspension, larger brake discs, and possibly an optional limited-slip differential.
Expect the Puma ST's performance to drop a bit below the Fiesta ST's due to the typically lower dynamics of the crossover configuration. The Puma ST should hit 62 mph two tenths slower than the Fiesta ST at 6.9 seconds, while top speed should drop from 144 to around 139 mph.
The 2020 Ford Puma ST is the company's third performance SUV
The Puma is the third Ford crossover to benefit from ST treatment. The other two are the Explorer and the Edge. However, the big news here is that the Puma is the first ST crossover launched in Europe. There is some bad news here, though. Since the Puma is only available in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, the Puma ST will not come to the United States.
The 2020 Ford Puma ST is the spiritual successor to the 1999 Ford Racing Puma
Sure, the first-generation Puma and the brand-new crossover are not related, but it's worth noting that the Puma ST isn't the first performance iteration of the nameplate. Ford offered a beefed-up Puma back in 1999, two years after it introduced the sports coupe. It was called the Ford Racing Puma, and it was based on the Puma RS concept car. The production model was unveiled at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show with a lighter, rally-inspired body, a race-spec braking system, bucket seats, and an upgraded engine. Only 500 units were produced, making the Racing Puma the rarest version of the sports coupe.