Puma, has been named the Car of the Year at the prestigious What Car? Awards.
Ford’s new compact SUV, the Puma, has been named the Car of the Year at the prestigious What Car? Awards.
The Puma’s success marks the sixth time Ford has driven away with the the overall What Car? title.
The Puma won in the Small SUV category, where it saw off competition from models including the Audi Q2 and Skoda Kamiq, before going up against models from Skoda, Range Rover and Tesla among others for the overall title.
The judges praised the Puma for being fun to drive, cleverly packaged and well priced. Additionally, What Car?’s independent True MPG tests showed it to be extremely economical in real-world driving, thanks to its mild hybrid technology.
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “As a small SUV, the Ford Puma competes in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the car market. Crucially, it also excels in all the areas that are important to buyers, according to our research.
“Thanks to its sharp handling, gutsy engine and clever mild hybrid technology, it offers a mix of fun and frugality not previously seen among its competitors. Plus, it’s as practical as it is stylish. In short, the Ford Puma is truly outstanding.”
Roelant de Waard, vice president of marketing, sales and service for Ford of Europe, said: “It’s a great honour for the Ford Puma to be named as What Car?’s Car of the Year 2020. We’re all excited to see the return of the Puma name on a stylish and dynamic crossover that reflects today’s customer aspirations. To receive such high praise from industry experts like What Car? kicks off the year to a great start.
Three new categories were introduced for 2020, reflecting the growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and SUVs: Small Electric Car, Large Electric Car and Coupe SUV. These titles were awarded to the Renault Zoe, Tesla Model 3 and Range Rover Velar respectively.
