The salary you need to afford the new Ford Puma in South Africa

Fans of the Blue Oval will need to earn at least R64,000 per month in order to afford the new Ford Puma, according to a calculation by TopAuto.

The Puma is the most affordable vehicle Ford now sells in South Africa following the discontinuation of the EcoSport, coming in two trim levels at a starting price of R569,900 and R613,900, respectively.

For this price, you get a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 92kW and 170Nm, which is exclusively linked to a seven-speed automatic gearbox and a front-wheel-drive system, giving it an average fuel consumption of 5.3l/100km.

As far as amenities are concerned, the base Puma Titatium comes standard with automatic LED headlights, daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, keyless start, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger, six speakers, ambient lighting, two USB ports, automatic climate control, a leather multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, hill assist, rear parking sensors, and cloth upholstery.

Going for the range-topping ST-Line Vignale will then grant access to a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, keyless entry, leather upholstery, lumbar massage front seats, a height-adjustable driver seat, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, and a hands-free tailgate.

What you need to earn

We can use the following formula to work out the monthly payments on the new Ford:

• Car price – R569,900/R613,900
• Payment term – 60 terms (5 years)
• Interest – 11.75%
• Deposit – 0%
• Balloon – No balloon payment
• Extras – No optional extras

According to this, buyers will need to pay at least R12,700 per month for the Titanium, and up to R13,674 per month for the range-topping ST-Line.

Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.

This means you’ll need to earn anywhere from R63,500 per month to R68,370 per month to afford the crossover.

Note that this figure does not account for insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which all need to be factored into your budget.