Ford Puma Gen-E review

It would've been an easy job for Ford to stick some batteries in the petrol Puma, swap the petrol engine for an electric motor and call it a day before heading home for a celebratory Google search to see if anyone still cares that the Puma name used to belong to a rusty two-door Fiesta-based coupe. Hint: they don't, and we're ok with that.

Instead, Ford has tweaked the Puma to make it more practical as a result of its new electric powertrain. The boot's waterproof underfloor storage area has upgraded from a humble 'megabox' to a giant 'gigabox', and the centre console has been redesigned to offer more space.

The Puma's fun driving dynamics remain, helped by the immediate shove from the 168hp motor on the front axle. It still turns into corners with real enthusiasm, helped by the relatively lightweight 43kWh battery. Such a small battery means driving range is limited to 258 miles on paper, but it's surprisingly easy to match that figure thanks to the Gen-E's incredible efficiency when you stay away from motorways.

Downsides? Well, the floor of the car has been raised inside, meaning back-seat passengers have even less legroom than in the regular Puma, and knees will be bent at slightly awkward angles. Meanwhile, tall drivers and front-seat passengers will feel as if their heads are uncomfortably close to the roof and rear-view mirror.

Otherwise it's Puma as normal, with a large infotainment system, odd-shaped steering wheel and some hard plastics dotted about the cabin.

Despite a smattering of negatives, the Puma Gen-E is the first car to be eligible for the full £3,750 electric car grant from the UK Government, meaning it's cheaper than the cheapest petrol version. If you want value-for-money from your small electric SUV, look no further.

The Puma Gen-E gets much the same interior and technology as the facelifted Puma that arrived in 2024. So there's a big 12-inch touchscreen that sits slightly lower than we'd like, but it's sharp and has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to mirror your smartphone apps. It also has Alexa built in, and you'll find a wireless phone charger just below it.

You use this screen to control the air-con functions, but the temperature and heated seat controls are always available at the bottom of the display – and thankfully there's still a physical button to demist the windscreen as quickly as possible. A reversing camera and rear parking sensors are standard on all Puma Gen-E models.

Behind the steering wheel there's a crisp 13-inch digital driver's display that can show you the driver assistance systems in action, as well as your battery percentage and range. It's a glossy screen without a cowl around it, so it can be a bit reflective on sunny days but is still mostly legible.

Entry-level models get cloth seats, which you can upgrade with a modestly priced 'winter pack' to add seat and steering-wheel heating.

Cabin materials are a mixed bag. You get some light-coloured faux-leather on the doors which lifts the ambience, but it's offset by some dark grey plastics that are about as soft and forgiving as a tungsten pickaxe. 

We're still not big fans of the Puma's new steering wheel, which is shaped a bit like a pizza box that's been left out in the rain. It's designed in such a way that you can always see through it to see the digital dashboard, but it's just a bit of a monstrosity.

Finally, the entry-level Puma Gen-E gets a perfectly adequate six-speaker sound system, while the top-spec model gets a 10-speaker B&O setup with a soundbar. An opening panoramic sunroof is optional on all models.

Like a sibling that can't stay out of the gym, the Puma Gen-E is a fair bit better at carrying stuff than its petrol-powered brother.

Let's start with interior storage space. Because the Puma Gen-E's gear shifter is now a Mercedes-style stalk on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, you get a couple of cupholders where the petrol car's shift lever would be on the centre console. There's also a new storage area on the floor beneath the centre console, which houses a USB-A and USB-C power connection. 

Front door bins are a decent size too, as are those in the rear. Rear-seat passengers get two USB-C charging ports as well as a 12-volt socket. 

The biggest fly in the Gen-E's ointment is that the floor has been raised slightly to accommodate the battery pack. This means it's more cramped in the front (our test subject is 6'3" and occasionally felt that the rear-view mirror was nose-mounted) while back-seat accommodation – never a Puma's strong point – is near useless for tall adults. Your back-seat passengers will likely feel as if their feet are a little higher than ideal, leading to uncomfortable knee angles.

Kids will be okay in the back, but the doors still don't open as wide as we'd like for fitting child seats.

The Puma Gen-E's boot is a strong point. You get a 523-litre space, which is 65 litres up on the petrol version thanks to a bigger underfloor boot storage bin called the Gigabox. 

While the petrol car's smaller Megabox had to avoid a hot exhaust running under the car, the Puma EV has no such qualms, leading to a full-width space that could easily swallow a large tent. It still has a drain plug, so you could bathe a sheep in it with consummate ease.

Also new is a 43-litre frunk which has its own lid under the bonnet and is useful for storing charging cables.

Maximum towing weight for the Puma Gen-E is a fairly disappointing 750kg on a braked trailer.

The Ford Puma Gen-E comes with one battery and powertrain – a 168hp motor driving the front wheels, fed by a 43kWh battery which is good for 258 miles on paper. We managed to average 5.4 miles/kWh in our time with the car, with 6 miles/kWh possible with a lighter right foot – really impressive numbers. Range drops quickly at motorway speeds however, with a real-world 170 miles looking possible at 70mph or thereabouts.

You can fast-charge the Gen-E's battery at up to 100kW, and a 10-80% charge takes just 23 minutes thanks to the small battery.

That small battery is partly responsible for the Puma Gen-E feeling just as fun as the petrol version to drive. Sure, there's a ~350kg weight penalty over the petrol car but, at 1.56 tonnes, the Gen-E is a relative lightweight among electric SUVs. The steering is still direct and has you pitching into corners with more enthusiasm and grip than you might expect.

You'll hit 62mph in 8 seconds from a standstill which is a few seconds faster than a petrol Puma, but it's the acceleration you experience once rolling that's impressive. Zipping from 40 to 70mph is impressively brisk, for example. 

Ride quality is also reasonable – there's a sporty edge to the way the Puma handles bumps, and it always feels a little firmer than most rivals, but the petrol car shares the same trait. It's not annoying, and it's the price you pay for such entertaining handling.

Our only real dynamic criticism is that the Gen-E's stopping distances seem a little longer than we'd like. Perhaps bigger brakes are needed should we get a sporty electric Puma Gen-E ST…