Ford has officially confirmed June 26 as the
official unveiling date of the Puma. The announcement has been made on social
media by the brand’s Romanian branch and comes in the form of a very blurry
video that doesn’t reveal anything from its design.
Unlike its predecessor, which was a stylish coupe
based on the Fiesta, made from 1997 to 2002, this one will be a small
crossover. It builds on the latest iteration subcompact hatchback and will be
positioned between the EcoSport and Kuga, promising a very generous 456-liter boot space which, according to Ford, is class-leading.
Set to go on sale likely before the end of the year,
with a rumored participation at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, in September,
the 2020 Puma will be powered by a mild-hybrid system, which will put to use
the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine and a 48-volt,
belt-driven, integrated starter/generator. The powertrain will produce up to
155 PS.
Joining it later on will be other power units, and
one candidate is the 200 PS, 1.5-liter, three-cylinder
EcoBoost found in the Fiesta ST, in what would be the range-topping variant, expected
to debut before the year’s end.
The 2020 Puma will be made in Romania, at the
Craiova facility, where the B-Max used to be assembled until 2017. The plant,
which has received investments of nearly € 1.5 billion in the
last 11 years, also puts together the EcoSport.
