1 . If it weren’t for the impressive animation on the cougar’s digital dashboard, I wouldn’t have noticed that cougar is another animal name. After a short wander through the net, I found it. The cougar is a predatory animal from the cat family that is similar in shape to a tiger. It is also called an American lion, come on, our sage…
2. The attached photos were partly taken from the manufacturer’s website, where it is racing blue in color (the connection to the engine that was implanted in it is not clear…) and besides, I also captured some photos… what did we get for the test days? Puma in the middle equipment level, vintage 2022, fine wine color (oh, the color…) interesting LED signature on the front and back, black roof (no window in this version), in short, a beautiful creation.
3. The passenger compartment is nice but not as the car looks from the outside. The digital dashboard is actually excellent, and the rest is also really fine: the cabin is airy and spacious, the human engineering is great, but the central screen that speaks heavy British English…challenges me to operate it like the weather in Europe recently. And it has nothing to do with the Puma’s air conditioner – it refrigerates and even freezes if needed.
4. We had correspondence with the engine. That is, it took us a while to understand him. At first I drove in “normal” mode and it felt like we left a part of it at the dealership… a little anemic. In the absence of a printed catalog, it took me several hours to discover that there are several driving modes whose switch is hidden under the handbrake. The driving modes: rocks (?!) snow, normal, economical and… sport mode. Excellent, I went straight to the last option and breathed a sigh of relief. The engine became agile and finally justified the Puma name. True, not a sports car, but an agile kitten – definitely yes.
5. The next day, in the morning, I turned on the ignition, reset the fuel gauge, switched to ‘Eco’ mode and decided to cruise leisurely. Here are the conclusions: First of all, last night’s fuel consumption, which was 14 km per liter, showed us a constant average of 17 km per liter and part of the way we also saw 18/19 km per liter. This is surprising not only because of this hybrid fuel consumption, But precisely because I discovered that I managed to crack the engine-gearbox combination of the vehicle. Specifically in Eco mode, the ride flowed well and it was as if I learned to live with the cougar.
And this is the place for some engine/gear data: volume 1000 cc, gear 7 gears, 125 hp.
6. What else impressed, these are the safety accessories, this is not the longest list in the category, but what is there – technologically impressive. Examples? Please: adaptive cruise control, calm and peaceful, which for hours takes the driver’s control over the pedals. It doesn’t matter if it’s a trip to the north or the traffic jams of Afula. Even if you approach a traffic light, it will know how to brake in a pleasant enough manner, without putting the steering wheel into your ribs… Likewise, the lane departure control did not travel inside the lane but kept the vehicle in the center of the lane, aspire to Ford.
7. The second row will house tall people in it if necessary. Room for the head – they will have, for the knees – a little less… there is personal LED lighting, and air conditioning vents – there are none.
8. The trunk feels larger than the 410 liters specified in the specification. Its cover is smart, with a dedicated Ford patent, and as always when you get smart something doesn’t work out…
9. Almost-dessert equipment list: 17″ alloy wheels, front and rear LED lighting, sports front seats, 8″ central screen, Apple Car Play / Android Auto support, keyless ignition switch, not including keyless entry, steering wheel Short with gear shift controls and a 12.3″ digital dashboard
Price for the tested version is NIS 133,900
10. In summary: beautiful, restful, spacious, economical and safe. Those interested in the category must take a test drive.