Bucket Seat: Ford Puma

The Ford Puma started its life as a compact coupé back in 1997. Available only in Europe, sales weren’t the greatest and it never really caught on apart from the UK, hence it was retired in 2001. Fast forward to 2019 and the badge was revived by Ford and spawned into a compact crossover. Based on the Ford Fiesta platform, the revived Puma became quite a hit, offering a different take on the crossover from everyone else with it being almost like a raised sporty hatchback. Now I know what you’re thinking, if the Ford Puma was launched in 2019, why the hell did we only get it in 2023? Well, there were a number of factors for this, biggest being Ford South Africa still had a lot of Eco Sports to sell. While there is big difference between the two as I soon found out after testing the Puma, the price point would have had the EcoSport killing its own sibling in the market. So what Ford decide to do? Kill the EcoSport for the sake of the Puma. Will this pay off though? That is the question.

DESIGN

The Ford Puma styling is really top notch, even with it arriving in SA a whole 4 years later it doesn’t seem dated at all because it’s so unique. The sport lines and curves with its bulging headlamps give it that feline look of it ready to pounce. I don’t think there is a bad angle on the particular car and it’s so easily recognisable that I could spot it a mile away in a parking lot. The detail on the front of the car is quite cool, from the chrome border grille to the silver accents on the bottom diffuser. The way the nose is sculptured from the grille up to the pronounce headlights and which then transcend to the windscreen following the curves of the wheel arch really give the car a higher look that what it really is. Everything about it is bold and funky, which adds to the appeal to the youth but as I noticed while spending time with it, it was often the old folk that I would catch staring. The rear is well rounded off with winged tail lights that extend a bit over the side and this particular model being the ST Line, featured a nice rear wing to add to the sporty nature. The bottom diffuser is finished off with more silver accents with borders around the dual tail pipes. The interior follows the standard Ford design guidelines, and I did mention it looked similar to the EcoSport, which wasn’t completely wrong but there are some big differences, biggest being the quality of materials used in the Puma, these are much more high end that the EcoSport.

PERFORMANCE

So how does this 1.0-litre 3 cylinder Ecoboost engine perform in the Puma? Look at the brochure and it will give you the power output of 92kW and 170Nm of torque, not a lot you might think for a car that’s asking price is north of 600K. The big question is how does it drive? Well, I have to be honest it goes rather well, that 7-speed auto gearbox works like a charm in both city driving and on the highway. One must remember this car is made for Europe so the key factors were for small commutes and city driving, it serves those two purposes like a charm. On the open road it can reach a cruising speed of 120km/h without it breaking too much of a sweat and can maintain it on uphills as well. The car feels solid and the ride quality is pretty decent, there’s a big difference between driving this and the Ecosport so one could say that this does deserve its higher price tag. I like taking the car cars through some twistys and the Puma navigated whatever I threw at it rather well with its punchy acceleration and well mannered cornering. With my heavy foot and aggressive driving nature, it did not bode well for the fuel average but Ford claim it can do 5.3L per 100km.

COMFORT

So it’s described as a “compact crossover” but it is still rather spacious. Look, it won’t fit a family of 7 but 4 adults can go along comfortably. I must commend the quality of the seats though, not sure if it’s specific to the ST Line but the quilted leather styling was not only great to look at but extremely comfortable too. There wasn’t a heating function for the seats, and don’t see if it’s available as an extra on the website but it’s not a deal breaker for me. The car does have single zone climate control which was a let down for me, I expected minimum dual zone for it. The Puma comes with a nice 8-inch TFT touch screen with but it still has SYNC 3, because it’s still an old model. This means it has mobile applications built in but your device needs to be plugged in for use. The car came with an impressive 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system that wasn’t listed on the extras sheet so I’m guessing it’s standard. Other notable standard features include keyless entry and push button start, tyre pressure monitoring two USB ports and wireless phone charging tray. Safety features include lane keeping assist, 6 airbags, ABS and cruise control with adjustable speed limiter.

VERDICT

The Ford Puma is a disrupter to the segment, it’s a wild kind of car that is a cross over but could easily pass as a hatchback. There are few things that didn’t sit overly well with me, one was why did Ford decide to bring this model in now when there’s a facelift due very soon and secondly, I know I said the car did warrant to cost more than the EcoSport but it is A LOT more than the EcoSport which makes me wonder of the market would take to it. I got it on test a good 5 months after it was launched and haven’t seen a single one on the roads of Durban but mind you, spending the beginning of the month in Cape Town, I saw quite a few! So I’m guessing it would take some time to see them filter through the various spots but it’s nice to see such a refreshing option in the segment and even better seeing Ford bring something new, other than 20 variants of the Ranger.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.0 -litre turbo, 3 cylinder
Gear Box	7-speed automatic
Torque	170Nm
Power	92kW
Fuel consumption	5.3 liters per 100km
Price	R615,440*

*base price

 

Bucket Seat: Land Rover Defender 110 Dynamic

When it comes to Land Rover, there's nothing more iconic that the Defender. The model has etched itself into the history books as the father of off roading vehicles, there is no path or terrain too tough for it, and it is why legendary explorer Kingsley Holgate chose this specific car for his quests. But as with most good things, it has to come to an end, you see for years Land Rover hardly tinkered with the Defenders design and chassis, I mean why ruin a winning formula right? Alas, with its rigid design and heavy chassis, not to mention its high gas guzzling engines, the EU were not too happy as this single car didn't meet their guidelines for the CO2 levels, so the Defender faced the axe. Thankfully the company decided to re-invent the Defender, this was not an easy process and at first it was done behind closed doors, the world did not know that a new Defender was in the making but soon enough word got around about this new Defender and the purist were not happy. In essence they had a leg to stand on, how could you recreate something so robust but meet the requirements in motoring? It surely wouldn't live up to the true Defender standard! I suppose that is why the research and development took so long, Land Rover engineers seeked out differently materials, to make the car light weight but robust and tough to withstand anything nature placed in front of it. Suffice to say, when launched, the world was amazed because Land Rover didn't just have a normal launch but rather showcased what this new model could do and since then it has been a hit. I was lucky enough to get behind the wheel of the new 110 in April, this is what I thought of the new Defender. 

DESIGN

Lets be honest, the old Defender wasn't much to look at, at best it was a box with wheels and something a 5 year old could draw almost to detail. While the later models did have design tweaks to make it look more appealing, there was hardly anything aerodynamic about it. This new one however follows the same design principals of the old one but somehow they manage to make it look amazing, the overall structure still seems ridged but with subtle folds and curves, making the car as a whole look softer and definitely has enhanced its aerodynamics. It is almost as if the designers designed the outer shell first and sort of made everything else just fit in. Take the front headlamps for example, the taper follows from the bend of the bonnet straight down and the lamps seem to be placed inside that mold with a cut out for the beams. The front end is very minimalistic but has that bold stature to it, the front mud splash plate with perforations in brushed aluminum breaks the monotone paint of the front end as well as the single bar grille which has the Land Rover badge prominent on the side. The wheel arches are accentuated by the robust black plastic outer covers, ensuring that the paint work doesn't get damaged should you run into some tight spaces. The iconic side vent is also featured just behind the front wheel arch. Speaking of iconic designs, much of the old has been replicated in this new model, like the sky light wells on the roof bend as well solid square panel that separates the rear window to that of the boot. The straight edge back is also prominent but with the new LED tail light design just gives it that modern feel. The large 18" rims fitting with All-Terrain tyres makes this brute look all the more intimidating. Land Rover really have done a stunning job on this redesign and it had people turning heads everywhere I went. 

PERFORMANCE

This particular model was powered with the 2.0L diesel motor which was more than adequate to propel this monster. Power output on the motor was 177kW with 500Nm of torque, while those figures might not seem that great for a big van like this, I assure you, the Defender on the road is no slouch. Even with its 2.3 tones weight, it is quick off the line achieving a 0-100km/h time of 9.1 seconds. Max speed is topped out at 188km/h which you may find funny but with this diesel engine, it picks up speed over 100km/h quite fast, so if you don't really watch you could very well reach that speed sooner than you realise it! Being an all-wheel drive pure off-roader, we had to put it through its pace on the rugged terrain. What was suppose to be a 2 hours game drive in the picturesque Pilanesberg National Park, turned into 6 hours just because we were having so much fun driving it around the dirt roads. Getting to areas where people spotted game was bliss with the Defender as it navigated its way around crevices, potholes, rocks and loose gravel. The car just gripped and went, there was nothing too difficult for it to go over and hardly had me breaking a sweat. There wasn't much spots to test out the wading depth, plus I didn't want to disturb any of the Hippo's in the water but Land Rover claim a wading depth of 900mm with the air suspension. 

TECHNOLGY

Being one of the latest models from Land Rover, the cabin isn't kitted out in multiple screens like the Range Rovers or Discovery's, the cabin is as minimalistic as the original, the 10" touchscreen looks small just because of the sheer size of the dash but has amazing features such as the interactive driver display, smartphone pack which has built in mobile apps. When it comes to technology to assist the driver, the Land Rover Defender comes with all the safety features cars this size should have and whole lot more, such as lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring as well as park assist to help park this boat. The 3D surround camera assists off road too as the Defender even has a camera under the chassis, which allows you to change views to avoid obstacles under the car. Its extremely impressive as real time so that you are seeing what you are actually driving over. The Defender comes with LED headlights with auto high-beam assist, which I always vouch for on new cars. The side mirrors are heated and electric with power fold should you need to tuck it away to avoid obstacles or just to keep it neat when parked. It also has approach lights with the Defender logo when unlocked. An awesome feature to the Defender has to be the rear camera which is mounted on the fin, which is activated when you flip the switch on your review mirror. This is added should the drivers vision be obstructed, by either his load or dirt, this will be a method to still see the rear. 

COMFORT

When it comes to big SUV's like this, which are purpose built to travel on the roads less ventured, comfort isn't high up on the list of things it should be but that is where you are wrong. The Defender is super comfy and while it might not be as luxurious as its sibling the Range Rover, it's built with robust materials, from the dash to the seats, making use of easy to clean but also very durable fabrics, leathers and plastics. The shell itself is plaster, this is so if the cabin does get flooded, its easy to clean and dry. The leather seats are practically water proof and you hardly will see any stains. The car comes with three zone climate control, with the front driver and passenger getting the dual zone while the rear passengers can battle it out to what temperature they want. The sound system is pretty decent too, with a multi speaker hifi quality sound throughout the cabin. Luggage capacity of the Defender is brilliant, because of the width of the car, you can load so much more into it. Golf bags can fit horizontally at the back making a trip to the course with a four ball so pleasant. On the road, the ride is extremely soft and comfortable thanks to the air suspension, and because of the tight seal on the cabin, you don't even get the road noise from the all-terrain tyres when traveling on tar roads. Speed bumps are like a joke to this thing, not that I advise you to drive fast over them, but its nice to know that it hardly shakes the Defender. 

VERDICT

So the big question is, has this new Defender lived up to its critics as being a fitting example to where the badge? The short answer is yes, it definitely has. There is only so much I can write about to convince you about this car, the proof is getting behind the wheel of it and seeing exactly what it can do. While I didn't even do half the things this car is capable of doing, I am thoroughly impressed by it, I do plan on taking it through Land Rovers off-road track at their experience centre in Joburg soon, just so I can have more fun with it but overall, what a sublime vehicle it is, it's going to write its own legacy and be one of the greats just like the Defenders of the past. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.0L Turbo-Diesel
Gear Box	10-Speed Automatic
Torque	500Nm
Power	177kW
0-100km/h	9.1 seconds
Price	R1,159,100

 

Pictures by @Mvrc1988

Bucket Seat: Lexus UX250h

Hybrid's, they're not new, so stop saying that, many don't realise this but the first production Prius was launched in 1997! Fast-forward 9 years and their sister company Lexus, launched their first hybrid model, the RX450h and a year later the LS600h was launched. So there's well over a decade in development of the technology and in particular from Lexus which saw a fair amount of success in the market, seeing that they integrated the hybrid drive-train into their normal models instead of having stand alone hybrid cars like for example the Prius, which lets be honest, styling wise isn't everyone's cup of tea. It took the Europeans some time to play catch-up with the Japanese but eventually they started rolling out hybrid models of their own but the biggest flaw was mating them with high-powered engines which really didn't serve the purpose, then when they used smaller power engines, they had issues with battery power re-generation, hence the need for plug-in variants. I have no issue with plug-in hybrids but it does seem to be a schlep having to plug-in a car to charge for an extra 30-40km of electric power. Lexus however have managed to somehow not need to go the plug-in route, and after driving this particular model for the third time now, there really isn't a need for it because what they have, works so damn well. 

This review won't be the normal fashioned review as not much has changed in-terms of styling and driving performance, but I thought it would be nice for me to give you guys a real-feel story type post about my time with the Lexus UX250h. I mean, styling wise Lexus are doing all the right things, their designs have been nothing short of jaw-dropping, eye-catching and cutting edge. The daring designs coming out of the Lexus design studio have taken the world by storm and in-turn have forced other manufacturers to create more bolder designers, that get people talking as well as heads turning. The large spindle grille has become synonymous to Lexus and a key focal point with their designs, it's none the different with the UX as this is the stand-out feature when looking at the car dead-on. The way they've managed to work the design outwards from the grille, still managing to seamless weave in the headlamps to suit the lines and edges of the cars flow. The rear lights still leave me in awe as the side and rear wrap just above, leaving  a flat surface, the solid rear light at night is also quite striking. 

If you've ever driven a hybrid or electric vehicle before, you would know the first thing that gets your senses confused is the silence but at the same time, Lexus is known to have little to no engine noise in the cabin but the extra quietness does get to you. Cruising around the neighborhood can be done using just the electric motor, I know this because I've done is a few times with the car and with the mini animation on the instrument cluster showing you when you're using power, when the car is regenerating power, keeps you conscious to try and make more power than you're actually using, almost as if its a game. The intelligent hybrid system only ultilizes the petrol combustion engine when need be, so for example when going up hill or when you decide to go a little faster. While the electric torque is rather quick, the actual petrol engine in standard driving mode does tend to hold back when you try to floor it, the CVT gearbox doesn't help its cause either but when put into sport model, it's as if you're swapped the engine out with something with more oopmh! Its hard to describe how the revs just pick up and engine squeezes every ounce of kW it can produce to propel you faster, in a quicker time. Also that digital sports display which bares similarities to the LFA is just a joy to look at when driving. 

There are, however a few gripes as with all cars, it can't all be bells and whistles, the elephant in the room is boot space. Like it's bad, I cant even fit a golf bag in there without dropping the seats. I understand batteries take up space and Lexus still opt to have a full size spare so maybe they should follow the route Toyota did wit the CH-R and swap the full-size spare with the thinner "biscuit tyre", that being said this car is better suited to urban driving which is mainly school runs and shopping so for that I suppose the trunk space is reasonable. The space in the cabin is plentiful so there's no worries about sitting cramped or uncomfortable. In-fact the textures and trims in the UX is better than most European competitors, the detailing is far more superior than other brands and this for the entry level crossover speaks volumes. Another small grip I have with Lexus in general, while I do understand they fall under Toyota Holdings, lets try and keep the brands separate please.  Some of the stuff you can see comes straight out of Toyota assembly line, from the certain animations on the LCD, to buttons on the dash but thankfully they've changed that retched clock and have gone for a much classier analogue clock for the dash which sits next to the massive infotainment screen. 

Some might say that the touch pad for the infotainment should be listed as a gripe but what I've found, that the more I drive the Lexus models with this, the more I get used to it, so it's not as bad as the first time I used it. The touch pad is ultra sensitive so that is what gets to people when using it. While the UX, does fall under the category as a small SUV/ Crossover, it is still a sizeable car and slightly bigger than its competitors, its currently the only hybrid in its class and quite a note worthy option should you be in the market for a car of this nature. While the price might be an eyebrow raiser, one must bare in mind the features you're getting, the quality of the car as well as the cost savings on fuel thanks to the hybrid drive-train.  I don't think I will ever get tired of driving this particular model, and its a firm favourite for me. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2L Petrol with Electric hybrid motor
Gear Box	ECVT
Torque	180Nm
Power	107kW
Economy	4.5L/100km
Price	R756,200