Baby, always trust your soul The Truth (Spandau Ballet, 1983)

Antonio rarely sees the sunrise. He rises long before dawn and spends the morning buried under the asphalt of the city with a bag of tools and a tin lunch box. Other companions surface at feeding time. But Antonio prefers to stay underground to eat his sandwich with a discreet amount of charcuterie. It’s a dark life that mirrors the darkness of his life with few friends, elusive relatives, deceased parents and an estranged partner with no children to care for but no one to care for him. Neighbors barely see him, and Antonio’s longest relationship is with a supermarket cashier who visits him at night to replenish supplies that end up in lunchbox sandwiches and bottles of Dyc that he mixes with off-brand lemon soda. in two liter bottles. A combination that accompanies you at night in front of the TV and on your boring and endless days off.

Because Antonio’s life, his real life, consists of controlling the backbone wiring of the city hidden beneath the tar coating of its streets. His hours pass under the light of a flashlight, he passes through tunnels that pass under parks that he does not pass, cinemas that he does not enjoy, museums that he does not visit, monuments that he does not think about. But in the dark, Antonio finds a peace he can’t find on the surface. Antonio is meticulous and quiet, he doesn’t talk about football, he doesn’t comment on anything that happens above because he doesn’t care. The traffic is just noise that falls on his domain muffled, the people the murmur of footsteps and voices that become cloaked shadows sitting on the seats or hanging from the train tracks as they return home on the subway after sunset. And Antonio, with his soft lungs, expects the coming of darkness as a blessing. But the darkness has other plans.

In the mobility market, there are not only vehicles, but also toys. It’s still an oversimplification, but what about a tool that can be used for navigation but also provides large doses of entertainment? And they are not toys that can be taken lightly, they are high-tech toys that contain large doses of engineering and technical solutions in the service of the sensations behind the wheel, and which, as if that were not enough, attract attention only at first glance. .

From this catalog of toys for the senses, we once again allowed ourselves to have in our hands a variant of one of the most exciting and fun sports vehicles that we had the opportunity to test. Although we tested the Ford Puma in its sporty ST variant relatively recently, when the American manufacturer suggested we try a version of this model with a rich personality and functions, we did not hesitate to accept the challenge.

gold variant

This is how we were able to test the Ford Puma ST in its Gold Edition, a numbered series with some interesting quirks that enhance the ingredients of a car that is surprisingly still a vehicle with many practical advantages. One of the special features of this version is that the elements that distinguish it from the standard Puma ST were chosen by the model’s own fans through social networks and as a result of more than 270,000 comments.

This is a numbered edition of which only 999 units will be produced (we got number 50), which is specially dedicated to followers of the brand and especially to fans of the variants coming from the design team of Ford Performance, which provides many elements that distinguish this golden edition. Although the overall appearance and at first glance it may seem that we are facing a “normal” Puma ST, there are several details that set it apart.

First, a special color called Agate black was chosen for the body, and two gray stripes with two gold lines on the sides were placed on the top of the body, stretching from the hood and roof towards the rear to give it a distinctive look. appearance. “racing”. The detail we can see in the front of the version is the incorporation of a splitter in the front bumper developed by Ford Performance.

On the side, the rims stand out, which have the same pattern as the original ST, but are painted in gold. This and the black body color form a special and attractive combination with the red brake calipers in the ST finish of this model. The rest of the elements, such as the rear spoiler or the ST logos on the radiator grille and on the tailgate, are the same as the original model. The whole thing, although the gold color is not exactly understated, is more elegant than one would think thanks to the fact that it combines well with the black bodywork.

Inside

Inside, some cosmetic changes have also been made to differentiate the version. The most identifying is the label placed between the seats with the name of the version and the number of the car. The gold color that hints at the model name itself is present in elements such as the model name label on the door sill, certain seams on the upholstered parts of the dashboard or stripes on the seat fabric. . For some interior elements, we also find various material inserts imitating carbon fibers.

For the rest, the front seats have a different design from the factory Ford Performance and carry their logo. They have additional elements in imitation leather such as lumbar supports and an integrated headrest with a wider shoulder element also in imitation leather. The bench has an element that can be extended to obtain a larger support surface for the feet, also made of synthetic material with a leather touch. They are heated and have adjustment using an electric motor.

In the rest of the interior, the same considerations apply as we did when analyzing this version of the Ford compact SUV. The trunk continues to surprise quite a bit with its capacity, especially when it comes to the sports version. The volume of 456 liters, which can be reached through the gate that opens electrically, has been preserved. The interior of the trunk is accessible with a floor in two heights and a hole in the bottom for storing items.

ST mechanics

The mechanics remain the same as the one we tested in the Puma ST, a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that develops 200 horsepower at 6,000 rpm thanks to a turbocharger. On this second visit, we were more interested in the technology of this engine, with a cylinder deactivation system to optimize consumption in the most “civilized” driving modes, but with a system that allows more exhaust gases to be removed through a special valve in sport. modes (Sport and Circuit).

Thanks to this, this model behaves almost civilized when we drive around town or when driving quietly in Eco mode, and the consumption remains within reasonable limits. When we go to the most extreme modes, things change and the car is nervous and with power willing to spin to the wheels if you step on the gas. This second encounter allowed us to appreciate more the efficiency of the steering and its speed, which is evident once we link a series of hairpin turns.

The car’s stability is very good, and in this test we could appreciate that it is significantly better than other models of a similar size, even with a touring body like its sibling the Fiesta ST. This is achieved due to greater hardness and stiffness of the suspension. The brakes also seemed more effective than other sporty interpretations of the city models, although this may also depend on the use of the model’s large brake discs.

conclusions

While the aesthetic design of this Ford Puma may seem bold, the truth is that the combination of gold and black body color chosen by fans on social media is more elegant than it might appear on this gold edition. The aesthetic brushstrokes underline the aggressive and sporty character of this upgraded version of the American manufacturer’s compact SUV without being vulgar.

Inside, excellent seats and more understated but colorful aesthetics stand out. But the most important thing is that this Puma is still a really fun toy with impeccable behavior in sporty driving, but it can become rational when we drive in the city or on more civilized roads and on the highway. This distinctive touch of this version will surely convince many who are already inclined towards the Puma ST version.