[Photos] Ford Puma ST is So Very Extra

Drink in the madness that is the Ford Puma ST
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Ford gets one shot at introducing its first Ford Performance SUV to Europe. To paraphrase a popular musical, they’re not throwing it away. The all-new Ford Puma ST is the first Ford Performance SUV to arrive in Europe, and it’s a just a whole lot.

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Though it’s not as robust as the Ford Edge ST or completely nuts 400-horsepower Explorer ST, the Puma ST gets ample power of its own with the same pumped-up 1.5-liter EcoBoost as the Fiesta ST. This intelligent three-cylinder doles out 197 horsepower while delivering impressive fuel economy, making the Puma ST equal parts ferocious and frugal.

• This Puma is ready to pounce
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• Haha Puma ST go vrooom
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• Also, cool gloss back roof with a pano moonroof
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• Sporty spoiler? Better believe it
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• Custom sill plates for your tootsies
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• Front splitter boosts downforce by 80 percent
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• Bonus: handy for storing your yoga stuff
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Maximizing its performance potential is an upgraded performance chassis with retuned dampers, a pair of anti-roll bars, and an exclusive twist-beam. Because the latter is 40 percent stiffer than the Fiesta ST and 50 percent stiffer than the fun, funky, and functional Puma. Puma ST is also the first small performance SUV offered in Europe with a limited-slip differential, which leverages Torque Vectoring Control for all kinds of smoothness.

That smoothness is also thanks in part to unique Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, which help make the Puma ST as nimble and graceful as the feline with which it shares its name. The new Ford Puma ST also feels incredibly responsive thanks to a 25 percent faster steering ratio and 17 percent larger brakes. Basically, Ford made this thing for having tons o’ fun. You love to see it.

Speaking of seeing it, the new Ford Puma ST looks particularly badass in its exclusive Mean Green exterior. You can get the Puma in five other color options including Desert Island Blue and Fantastic Red, but when you’ve got a color like this, why would you?

• Flat-bottom steering wheel, you make the rockin’ world go ’round
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• Bolstered Recaro seats done up in Miko Dinamica
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• EMBROIDERY!
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• Puma ST features push-button start and carbon-fiber elements
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• Plenty of storage space, right?
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• Boom! Now ya got more
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• And! You can pull the plug and drain your ice box
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Ford likely won’t bring its Puma to the United States, but if it does, let’s hope that they’ll include the Puma ST. Because it’s just very extra, and if there’s one thing America knows, it’s being extra.

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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.