Ford Puma ST, the first Ford Performance SUV in Europe to build at the plant in Craiova / Romania

By Jerom Bolt
American carmaker Ford announced on Thursday that it is launching the most powerful production car made in Romania, in Craiova, Puma ST, the first Ford Performance SUV in Europe and the first sports car ever produced in Romania, equipped with an EcoBoost engine of 200 hp and 1,5 liters, which allows an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.7 seconds.
“Craiova is today a new pit stop on the map of Ford Performance, the performance vehicle division of Ford Motor Company. Ford launches the most powerful production car manufactured in our country, in Craiova. The ST logo on the new Ford Puma produced in Craiova promises more performance and a sporty driving style, optimized chassis, 200 hp, on a car under 1,400 kg “, the company announced.
Puma ST will be exhibited for the first time on the esplanade at Cluj Arena, in the context of the Transilvania Rally 2020 event organized this weekend in Cluj Napoca.
“The new Puma ST is not only a premiere in our country but also in Europe. It is the first car that brings together the famous driving dynamics of the Ford Performance range on the compact SUV segment “, the company states. The model is equipped with sophisticated sports technologies, including a limited-slip mechanical differential (LSD) and springs with vector distribution, offering the possibility to select several driving modes, including Sport mode and – for the first time on a Ford Performance vehicle – Eco mode.
“Puma ST is equipped with a 200 hp and 1.5 liter EcoBoost engine, which allows an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.7 seconds. The optimized and customized chassis includes a torsion bar, a stabilizer bar, and the configuration of the shock absorbers. The steering responses are 25% faster and the brakes 17% more responsive than those on the standard Puma model “, Ford also informs.
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires have been specially developed to provide increased control and stability at high-performance levels.
Ford Performance has worked with Michelin to develop a special tire specification that complements the Puma ST’s improved chassis, without sacrificing driving dynamics.
The Puma ST is the first small SUV in Europe to be offered with limited-slip mechanical differential (LSD), which optimizes front-wheel drive to increase cornering capacity and minimize understeer, especially when cornering.