Ford Puma Gen-E Review & Prices

There are some really great small electric SUVs around, and now Ford wants a piece of the action. Unlike its existing electric cars, the Ford Puma Gen-E isn’t a bespoke vehicle designed from the outset to be fully electric - instead, it’s the same as the regular Ford Puma, but with the engine, gearbox and fuel tank replaced by an electric motor and batteries.

The regular Puma is one of the best-selling cars in the UK, so if Ford gets the electric version right then it could have a hit on its hands. It’s a bit like Cadbury Dairy Milk releasing a new flavour - it won’t make the original less popular, but it could get a load of new people interested.

There aren’t too many obvious styling differences between the regular Puma and the Gen-E. The key change is that the front grille has been blanked off with a body-coloured panel, leaving just the upper frame to suggest where the grille would have been.

In addition, there’s a new rear spoiler and some Gen-E specific alloy wheel designs, while the launch colour is a particularly dashing bright yellow. So even though it looks a lot like the regular Puma, it should still be possible to make the Puma Gen-E stand out.

Inside there are even fewer changes. The key difference is that the gear selector has been moved to the steering column, like it has in the latest Ford Transit Custom. This frees up a bit more room in the centre console for a new phone storage cubby and a hidden compartment underneath.

Otherwise, the interior is the same as the recently redesigned Puma’s. That means you get a pair of huge screens - a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.0-inch infotainment display.

It makes for quite a square, blocky design and if our experience with the petrol Puma is anything to go by then material quality leaves a little something to be desired, but it is at least easy to use and the infotainment screen comes with inductive phone charging as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Practicality up front is good, but it’s the boot where the Puma Gen-E plays its trump card. There’s a gigantic underfloor storage compartment that contributes to an overall 523 litres of boot space - that’s 223 litres more than the Mini Aceman and 205 litres more than the Volvo EX30. The Puma also gets a 43-litre ‘frunk’ for storing cables and the like.

The Puma Gen-E uses a 43kWh battery pack which provides a maximum range of up to 233 miles. That’s extremely efficient, returning more miles per kWh than an EX30, Aceman or Peugeot E-2008. Of course we’ll test the Puma Gen-E to find out its real-world range as soon as we’re able.

A small battery also means faster charging, and despite a relatively modest 100kW charge rate Ford says the Puma Gen-E can be topped up from 10-80% in just 23 minutes.

Power comes from a single motor driving the front wheels, producing 168hp. That gives a 0-62mph sprint of 8.0 seconds and a limited top speed of 99mph - so the Puma Gen-E won’t be giving any of the best electric hot hatches a run for their money any time soon.

If the idea of an electrified Puma has you interested, bookmark this page to read our full review as soon as we’ve driven the Gen-E. You can also check out our best Ford Puma Gen-E deals here, or find a used Ford Puma for sale here. Remember too that when the time comes to sell your old car, you can do that right here on Carwow.

The Puma Gen-E is quite reasonably priced, coming in at less than £30,000 for the Select model. That’s cheaper than a Mini Aceman, Volvo EX30 or Peugeot E-2008, though a Vauxhall Frontera or MG 4 are more affordable still.

You do get plenty of equipment - that huge touchscreen comes as standard, while the Select trim gets 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and fabric upholstery. For a few thousand more you can get the Premium model, which has 18-inch wheels, a powered tailgate, keyless entry, a posh Bang and Olufsen sound system and Matrix LED headlights.