Highlights
- Bold design cues
- Sporty and economical driving modes
- Highly practical
- Great fun to drive
Introduction
Ford's performance cars have earned themselves an enviable reputation over the years and are always highly desirable amongst enthusiasts.
Introduce a Ford with the letters ST after the name, and you know you have a sure fired winner. Add a limited edition to the equation and that desirability goes off the scale.
The Ford Puma ST Gold Edition has a limited run of just 999 vehicles, making it somewhat of a rarity.
Design and Practicality
In many ways, the Puma ST Gold Edition is similar to the standard Puma ST, with its impressive body kit.
The Gold Edition comes in black only, but stands out from other Puma ST models because of the discrete lines which run from front to back over the bonnet and roof.
There are red brake calipers, grey stitching on the seat belts, and all Gold models come with the ST Performance Pack, which adds a limited slip differential to help ensure you don’t lose grip when driving.
Engines and Performance
It's powered by the same 1.5-litre, 197bhp, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine, giving you a top speed of 137mph and acceleration to 62mph in just 6.7 seconds.
This little powerhouse comes with a selection of driving modes which include both Sport and Track.
Even in Normal mode, the ST Gold Edition is exciting to drive, but slip it into Sport, and it earns its hot hatch designation with sharper acceleration, firmer suspension, and a more sporty engine note.
Edward Stephens
Put it into Track mode, and you can enjoy the go-kart-like steering and short throw 6-speed manual gearbox, not to mention the full benefit from the excellent Ford rally seats.
But for the run to the supermarket or commuting to and from work, Eco and Normal modes ensure you have a relatively quiet but firm ride.
Equipment and Technology
Like all special editions, there are a number of extra features which make this model stand out, and most of them were asked for by Ford enthusiasts in a poll which attracted more than 275,000 votes.
That gave Ford an insight into what its buyers were really looking for in a hot hatch.
Onboard creature comforts include a Bang Olufsen premium sound system, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a heated windscreen.
And like all Puma models, the ST Gold Edition has a practical side, with a decent sized boot and a deep 80-litre well which is rubber lined and designed to take muddy boots, wet fishing waders, or anything else aquatic.
And when the MegaBox gets dirty, you can just wash it out, thanks to a removable drain plug at the bottom.
Summary
The Ford Puma ST Gold Edition is very much a dual-purpose vehicle, which gives you the best of both worlds if you want performance and practicality all wrapped up in one.
It offers large family levels of practicality thanks to its spacious interior, and its hot hatch driving excellence can brighten up even the dullest of journeys.
