2020 Ford Puma Titanium X

Ford today revealed for the first time the stylish, high specification Ford Puma Titanium X model, ahead of the vehicle’s public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany next week.

Enhancing the new Puma’s SUV-inspired crossover offering with premium comfort and convenience technologies, the new Puma Titanium X is the first Ford to feature removable and washable seat covers that will help customers keep their premium interior feeling like new, and segment-first lumbar massage seats for ultimate comfort on the move.

Further sophisticated standard technologies include wireless charging for smartphone devices, segment-first hands-free tailgate, and a premium B&O Sound System. The Puma Titanium X also features exclusive exterior and interior details and finishes that complement the model’s seductive design.

“Just like the new Ford Puma ST-Line X that we unveiled earlier this year, our new Puma Titanium X model has a distinctive character all of its own,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford of Europe. “Standard technologies usually reserved for large executive cars deliver exceptional comfort for compact crossover customers.”

The new Ford Puma fuses stunning exterior design, best-in-class uncompromised load space, and sophisticated mild-hybrid powertrain technology for customers in Europe.

Premium style and specification

Premium specification delivered as standard brings a new degree of luxury to the compact crossover segment, enabling Puma Titanium X customers to experience Puma’s raised ride-height and confidence-enhancing driving experience in unprecedented comfort.

Removable and machine-washable seat covers feature an elegant integrated zipper system that allows them to be easily removed using just one hand. The family-friendly covers make it easier than ever to clean up after juice spills or pets, helping keep the interior feeling fresh. In addition, aftermarket seat cover options will deliver greater personalisation options for owners.

Further seating innovations include lumbar massage front seats that can help revitalise tired muscles on the move, and contribute to more relaxing journeys. Operated with the push of a button, the electronically adjustable seats feature a three-bladder massage system with adjustable rolling directions and three levels of intensity. The inflatable bladders also enable the upper, central and lower seat back contours to be adjusted incrementally – helping driver and front seat passenger fine-tune their seating position for greater comfort.

The Puma Titanium X interior is further enhanced with a leather-effect steering wheel, wood-effect appliques surrounding the cluster bezel and instrument panel, and contemporary fabric inserts for the door interiors.

“We wanted Puma Titanium X to feel as welcoming and comfortable as being at home, so we used colours, finishes and an overall interior execution that would reflect that environment,” said Sonja Vandenberk, chief designer, Colour and Materials, Ford of Europe.

Sophisticated standard technologies help driver and passengers stay connected on the road. A wireless charging pad beneath the instrument panel can recharge compatible smartphones without the need to plug in charging cables – freeing up Puma’s two USB inputs.

Devices can remain connected via Bluetooth to the standard Ford SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system while using wireless charging, allowing Puma drivers to control audio, navigation and connected smartphones using simple voice commands. The system delivers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™ compatibility at no extra cost, and delivers rich sound quality through the standard 575-watt, 10-speaker B&O Sound System – dynamically tuned to ensure an enveloping audio experience regardless of seating position.

Additional standard comfort and convenience features include dual-zone Electronic Automatic Temperature Control, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and rear parking sensors.

The new Puma Titanium X exterior delivers a distinctive and charismatic interpretation of Puma’s head-turning SUV proportions and instantly recognisable silhouette. Pronounced wheel arches – resulting from optimisation of the Ford B-car architecture wheelbase and track – are filled with exclusive 18-inch, 10-spoke Pearl Grey alloy wheels.

Puma’s evocative surfacing and expressive front end is given a bespoke identity with unique high gloss black finishes and chrome highlights for the Titanium X model’s honeycomb grille, and for the fog lamp bezels that are integrated into the functional front air curtain inlets.

The same treatment features for the side-skirts, while the rear diffuser element and skid plate feature metallic grey highlights. Body-coloured, heated wing mirrors include integrated indicators and puddle lights that illuminate the ground adjacent to the door when opened.

Mild-hybrid technology

Puma customers will be among the first to benefit from Ford’s sophisticated mild-hybrid architecture – tailored to enhance fuel efficiency while complementing Puma’s class-leading driving dynamics.

EcoBoost Hybrid technology enhances Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with an 11.5 kW belt-driven integrated starter/generator (BISG), which enables recovery and storage of energy usually lost during braking and coasting to charge a 48‑volt lithium-ion air-cooled battery pack.

The BISG also acts as a motor, seamlessly integrating with the low-friction, three-cylinder engine and using the stored energy to provide torque assistance during normal driving and acceleration, as well as running the vehicle’s electrical ancillaries.

Offered in 125 PS and 155 PS variants, the intelligent, self-regulating mild-hybrid system can utilise the stored battery charge to deliver torque substitution – reducing the amount of work required from the petrol engine for a fuel efficiency improvement of up to 9 per cent, based on WLTP analysis; or torque supplementation – increasing the total torque available from the powertrain for optimised performance.

Confidence-inspiring technologies

Standard driver assistance technologies designed to make the Puma Titanium X driving experience more comfortable, less demanding and safer include Ford’s Lane-Keeping System, further enhanced with Road Edge Detection functionality. The system can now recognise where a paved road transitions to an impassable surface, such as a soft verge, gravel hard shoulder, or grass, and apply torque to the steering wheel to prevent the vehicle from drifting off the carriageway.

In addition, standard Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection can detect people who are in or near the road ahead, or who may cross the vehicle’s path. The system is designed to reduce the severity of some frontal collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians, or help drivers avoid some impacts altogether. Puma features an enhanced version of the technology with a wider camera angle that helps better track pedestrian movements.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Speed Sign Recognition and Lane Centring is also offered, as is Local Hazard Information functionality. Enabled by the available FordPass Connect on-board modem, the technology can inform drivers of a hazardous situation on the road ahead, even if the incident is not visible due to a bend in the road or other vehicles.

“Puma is offered with an unprecedented array of technology for its segment,” said Norbert Steffens, Puma chief programme engineer. “Features from wireless charging to Stop & Go are designed to fit seamlessly into owners’ lives, and make driving Puma an effortless and intuitive experience.”

Innovative practicality

The new Ford Puma delivers best-in-class 456-litre uncompromised rear load space and innovative stowage solutions designed to offer practical solutions to everyday storage problems.

With the rear seats folded flat, Puma can accommodate a box 112 cm long, 97 cm wide and 43 cm high, while the new Ford MegaBox – developed to meet and exceed customer requirements for practical luggage space – provides a deep, versatile storage space that is capable of comfortably accommodating two golf bags in an upright position.

Alternatively, with the lid down, the space can be used to conceal dirty sports equipment or muddy Wellington boots. The Ford MegaBox’s synthetic lining and drain plug in the bottom make it easy to clean with water.

Loading the Puma is made even easier with Ford’s segment-first hands-free tailgate technology that can be opened using a simple kicking motion under the rear bumper, while the tailgate itself features an integrated parcel shelf that automatically moves out of the way, ensuring unhindered access to the rear load area.

“Throughout the development process, our goal was to deliver an unprecedented degree of practicality in a compact and efficient package,” Steffens said. “Puma’s unique Ford MegaBox and parcel shelf are examples of the innovative thinking that have helped us deliver flexibility without compromising the Puma Titanium X model’s exclusive and seductive style.”

The declared fuel/energy consumptions, CO2 emissions and electric range are measured according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EC) 692/2008 as last amended. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are specified for a vehicle variant and not for a single car. The applied standard test procedure enables comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers. In addition to the fuel efficiency of a car, driving behaviour as well as other non-technical factors play a role in determining a car's fuel/energy consumption, CO2 emissions and electric range. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.

Since 1 September 2017, certain new vehicles are being type-approved using the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) according to (EU) 2017/1151 as last amended, which is a new, more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Since 1 September 2018 the WLTP has begun replacing the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC), which is the outgoing test procedure. During NEDC Phase-out, WLTP fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are being correlated back to NEDC. There will be some variance to the previous fuel economy and emissions as some elements of the tests have altered i.e., the same car might have different fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.