Ford has revealed the first image of the Ford Puma – an SUV-inspired compact crossover with 48V mild-hybrid powertrain technology.
The Puma will go on sale at the end of 2019, and will be produced at Ford’s Craiova Assembly Plant, Romania, following nearly €1.5bn (US$1.7bn) of investment since 2008.
The first image of the Ford Puma reveals significant styling clues, including distinctive wing-top mounted headlamps and athletic, aerodynamic lines and compact crossover proportions that support raised ride-height and a luggage capacity of 456 liters.
Ford EcoBoost Hybrid technology will optimize Puma fuel efficiency and deliver powerful, responsive performance, with up to 155ps. A belt-driven integrated starter/generator (BISG) enables recovery and storage of energy lost during braking and coasting to charge a 48V lithium-ion air-cooled battery pack.
The BISG also acts as a motor, integrating with a low-friction, three-cylinder 1.0-liter EcoBoost petrol engine and using the stored energy to provide torque substitution, reducing the amount of work required from the petrol engine to maximize fuel savings. It also delivers torque supplementation, which increases the total torque available from the powertrain for optimized performance.
Puma joins Ford’s expanding line-up of SUV and SUV-inspired crossover models in Europe where SUVs now account for more than one in five Ford vehicles sold.
