Undisguised 2021 Ford Puma ST Returns To The Nürburgring For Last-Minute Testing

The Ford Puma ST stopped being a secret in February, when prototypes featuring very little camouflage were spotted at the Nürburgring and in northern Sweden.

Now, Ford Performance’s smallest SUV is back on the Nordschleife for some last-minute testing before its official reveal. Unsurprisingly, it’s devoid of any camouflage if you don’t count the sticker applied to the front splitter.

We know the Puma ST will debut later this year with the same 1.5-liter EcoBoost powertrain from the Fiesta ST. The turbocharged three-cylinder petrol is expected to deliver 200 PS (197 HP) and 290 Nm (214 lb-ft) of torque to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

In the Fiesta ST, that’s enough for a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 232 km/h (144 mph). The Puma ST should not be too far off the pace; expect a time of just under 7 seconds and a tad lower maximum speed for the slightly larger and heavier crossover. Handling should be significantly improved compared to the regular Puma courtesy of a lower sports suspension and uprated braking system.

In the looks department, the Ford Puma ST resembles the Puma ST-Line a lot except for the deeper front bumper with a black lip, slightly bigger roof spoiler, twin exhaust pipes, and exclusive alloys. Inside, the hot crossover will come equipped with Recaro sports seats, sports steering wheel and carbon fiber-like trim on the center console.

Ford will build the Puma ST alongside the regular Puma at its plant in Craiova, Romania.