Introduction
The Puma was a two-door sports car built by Ford between ‘97 and 2002. The car was based on the Fiesta of its day but it had slightly better engines as well as a suspension tweaked for performance rather than comfort. Since its discontinuation rumors about a new version have been flying around, peaking back in 2006 when Ford released the Reflex concept car. Unfortunately so far nothing has come to fruition which is a real shame as Ford could really have used such a small and fun to drive car. Luckily though it seems that there is still a chance for a new model. Not that long ago strong rumors about a new 2018 Ford Puma started to surface. It seems the car would closely follow the recipe of its predecessor but with a lot of improvements in order to become much better to drive than before.
In detail
There aren’t that many cheap sports cars currently on the market. In fact most of them start at well over $20,000 which would allow the Puma to shine. The early rumors suggest a starting price closer to $15,000 or less which would make it a steal. If Ford manages to come up with such a cheap car then they will have a real winner on their hands.
The recipe
As we said, the 2018 Ford Puma is expected to still use the recipe of its predecessor. This means it is going to be based on the same chassis as the Fiesta. However, the car is expected to get an independent suspension system in the back. The shocks and springs might be revised or replaced with those found on the ST Fiesta.
source:autoevolution.com
The brakes are more than likely going to be the larger rotors found on the Fiesta ST in order to make the Puma more controllable on the road or on the track. The car is expected to get 16 inch rims as standard which would allow it to clear the larger brakes.
2018 Ford Puma Design
The older model was actually roughly based on the Cougar with a really sleek coupe-like design and a short wheelbase. This made it seem like a pocket sports car which made it the lovable car it is today. The new generation of the Puma is actually expected to follow the same proportions as its predecessor. The car might still be less than 4 meters long in order to retain that kart-like behavior.
source:autoevolution.com
However, the car will definitely be wider and lower than before which should also translate in a slightly more aggressive stance. The interior of the Puma is expected to be mostly the same as that of the Fiesta. The seats might be different in order to allow for a lower driving position but that should be the only main difference between it and the Fiesta.
Under the hood
While its predecessor was available with a range-topping 1.7 liter naturally aspirated inline 4 good for up to 155 horsepower, it seems the 2018 Ford Puma might get only turbocharged engines. These do take away from the car’s character but they do offer more power while using less fuel than a similar naturally aspirated powertrain. The base model is expected to boast a 1.0 liter EcoBoost good for 125 horsepower which is already quite a bit more than the regular car at this price point.
With it the Puma should easily outrun its predecessor. The higher end versions might receive the 140 horsepower 1.0 liter EcoBoost which would give it a small bump in performance. At this point most rumors suggest the range-topping engine will be the same 3 cylinder 1.5 liter turbocharged powertrain as that found in the new Fiesta ST. This will provide nearly 200 horsepower which would allow the lightweight Puma to be one of the fastest cars in this price bracket.
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