Ford Puma Gen-E review

How do you make one of the UK’s best-selling cars even better? Well, for some buyers, this new Ford Puma Gen-E electric SUV could be the answer.

Up until now, the closest the hugely popular Ford Puma range has offered to an electric car has been some mild-hybrid engine tech. With the arrival of the all-electric Gen-E, you can now choose a version that runs purely on battery power.

Ford Puma Gen-E video review

How can you tell a Gen-E apart from petrol Pumas? Well, it has a smoothed out front grille, a slightly longer rear spoiler and white badging on the tailgate. It's also available in a unique paint colour named Electric Yellow for those who want their electric Puma to stand out.

And the Ford Puma Gen-E will certainly need to stand out because it's in competition with loads of other models, ranging from the Jeep Avenger Electric and Kia EV3 to the Peugeot e-2008 and Smart #1. Read on as we rate it against the best electric SUVs...

The Ford Puma Gen-E is powered by a 165bhp motor driving the front wheels, and that gave it enough power to sprint from 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds when we tested it in the wet. That’s around half a second faster than the Renault 4 we tested on the same day.

What’s more, the Puma’s official 0-62mph time is more spritely than an equivalent Peugeot e-2008 or Vauxhall Mokka Electric and just half a second behind a Kia EV3 Standard Range. However, a Smart #1 Pure is much quicker from 0-62mph, taking 6.7 seconds.

The Puma Gen-E is certainly nippy enough around town, and with a strong, consistent amount of pulling power, it doesn’t feel as lethargic at higher speeds as an e-2008 or Mokka Electric. It just doesn’t have the #1's outright shove to pin you back in your seat.

The Gen-E is at least 200kg heavier than a petrol Ford Puma. You do feel the extra heft at times and it can't replicate that car’s amazing agility. Still, it comes closer than you might think, and overall the Gen-E proves more fun to drive than most electric SUVs thanks to a sharp front end, good grip and very little body lean in corners.

While the quick steering feels a little light on initial turn-in, it weights up well to help it feel precise and more confidence inspiring. It's much better than the vague steering in a Hyundai Kona Electric, e-2008 or Volvo EX30. The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica comes close, and also feels more manoeuvrable at low speeds.

The Puma Gen-E's ride is much firmer than most rivals'. While generally calm, controlled and comfortable over smaller undulations, it can be unsettled by larger potholes but you generally hear them more than you feel them. The softer Kia EV3 is much better at isolating you and your passengers from imperfections in the road.

More positively, the meaty brake pedal gives a progressive response that makes it much easier to bring the car to a smooth stop. It's less grabby than the pedal in an Renault 4, e-2008 or Mokka Electric.

Meanwhile, the Gen-E's regenerative braking system activates more smoothly than in a Smart #1. You can use a drive mode menu to crank up the regen effect so the car stops when you lift off the brake, allowing for one-pedal driving – something you can't do in an e-2008 or Mokka Electric.

There are quieter small electric SUVs. While you don’t hear any motor whine, there’s a minor amount of wind noise by the windscreen and a bit more road noise resonating inside than you'll hear in an Renault 4 or EV3.

What about the all-important range? Well, with a 43kWh (usable capacity) battery, the Puma Gen-E has an official range of up to 233 miles (depending on trim level). That’s quite a bit better than a Smart #1 Pure (193 miles) and Mini Aceman E (192 miles), but less than the Jeep Avenger Electric, e-2008 and Mokka Electric (all of which manage around 250 miles) and the Kona Electric and Kia EV3, with ranges of over 270 miles.

Of course, the range you manage in the real world will likely be less than the official range. Indeed, in our testing, the Puma Gen-E managed an efficiency of 3.8 miles per kilowatt hour (kWh), giving it a theoretical real world range of 163 miles. That was 14 miles less than the Renault 4 with a 52kWh battery.

“I like how the Puma Gen-E retains most of the petrol version’s fun-to-drive handling, but the firm ride might not be worth the compromise if you mainly do city driving.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

No matter which of the trims you go for, the driver's seat in the Ford Puma Gen-E is comfortable and comes with adjustable lumbar support. There’s plenty of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel, and while you don’t sit as high up as in a Kia EV3, some buyers will appreciate the slightly sportier driving position.

The Puma Gen-E's steeply angled front pillars can partially obscure your view at junctions and roundabouts, so it's harder to see out than in an EV3, with its larger side windows. Every Gen-E gets a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors to help out, but if you want front sensors and a 360-degree reversing camera, you’ll have to option the Advanced Driver Assistance Pack.

LED headlights come as standard, while matrix LEDs – which alter their beam to avoid dazzling other drivers – are standard with Premium and Sound Edition trim.

The Gen-E’s 12.8in infotainment touchscreen is easy to reach from the driving seat and most of the icons are big and easy to hit while driving. It’s just a shame the sat-nav map takes a few seconds to load back up if you’ve moved away from it and some of the functions could be easier to find. For example, the icon that opens the tailgate remotely is buried in the Features menu.

At least you don’t have to use the touchscreen to adjust the side mirrors, as you do in a Volvo EX30 – the Gen-E has physical controls on the driver’s door. 

You do, though, use the screen to adjust the climate settings, with no physical controls available. It's helpful that the adjusters are permanently on display on the screen (unlike in a Peugeot e-2008) but we prefer physical controls like you get in the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia EV3 and Renault 4.

All Gen-Es come with wireless phone-charging and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay so you can run smartphone apps through the touchscreen. Going for either Premium trim or the Sound Edition adds a punchier 10-speaker B&O sound system, rather than the standard six-speaker system. 

The Gen-E’s interior doesn’t have the visual appeal you’d find in a Renault 4 or Smart #1 and most of the materials used feel a bit low-rent. There are plenty of cheap-feeling plastics on the dashboard and the doors, and while you get some areas covered in padded faux leather, they're not very squidgy or expensive-feeling.

The buttons are well-damped but the interior doesn’t feel as robust or upmarket as the EV3, Renault 4 or #1.

“The Puma Gen-E's driving position is mostly sound but I find it a bit odd having to deal with a slightly square steering wheel.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Two six-footers will fit just fine in the front of the Ford Puma Gen-E, with plenty of head and leg room, and more elbow room than in an Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica or Mini Aceman. That said, the Kia EV3 and Smart #1 feel a bit more airy inside.

One of the biggest changes the Gen-E gets over the petrol Puma is a redesigned two-tier centre console that gives you more storage space. The upper section has a tray for your phone and a couple of cupholders.

You can stow more items on a tray lower down, where you’ll also find the USB ports, but they can be tricky to access. Otherwise, you still get decent-sized door bins and a cubby below the front armrest between the front seats.

The Gen-E has a slightly higher floor than the regular Puma because of the battery underneath. Back-seat passengers will find their knees slightly raised and a bit less foot space under the front seats. As a result, your legs feel a bit more restricted.

Still, there's a bit more knee room than in a Junior Elettrica, Jeep Avenger Electric or Mini Aceman. Head room is a bit tight for a six-footer, but a Kia EV3 or Smart #1 is far more generous overall.

All Pumas have a 60/40 split-folding rear backrest. Most small electric SUVs get the same, but the Hyundai Kona Electric has a more versatile 40/20/40 split. If you want sliding back seats, have a look at the Smart #1.

In terms of boot space the Gen-E is actually better than the petrol Puma. With the rear seats up and the height-adjustable boot floor removed, the all-electric version has 523 litres of storage against 456 in other versions. Plus, there's a 43-litre front boot – ideal for holding the charging cable.

That much space actually makes it one of the biggest boots in the class, with the Gen-E managing to swallow a total of nine carry-on suitcases. By contrast, the Avenger Electric and Peugeot e-2008 took five, and the Kona Electric, EV3 and Renault 4 six.

“The Puma Gen-E's Gigabox underfloor boot storage has an indicated weight capacity of 100kg, which I find impressive: it’s double what a petrol Puma’s Megabox holds.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

In entry-level Select trim, the Ford Puma Gen-E costs about the same as an entry-level Jeep Avenger Electric or Smart #1 but more than the Renault 4 (which gets a bigger battery). 

Even so, the Puma Gen-E still looks like good value, with even the well-specced Premium trim costing around the same as an entry-level Vauxhall Mokka Electric and slightly less than the most affordable Kia EV3 or Peugeot e-2008.

The Gen-E is predicted to lose its value at a similar rate to an EV3 and more slowly than a Peugeot e-2008. That should help keep PCP finance costs down.

Company car users will pay much less in BIK tax for the Gen-E than for a petrol Puma. What’s more, its low P11D price means it’s competitive against rival electric SUVs when you pay on a salary sacrifice, although the differences will be small.

With a maximum charging rate of 100kW, the Puma Gen-E officially takes 23 minutes to charge from 10-80% from a suitably powerful public EV charger. Most rivals, including the EV3, e-2008 and Mokka Electric, take around half an hour.

It’s also worth knowing that Ford includes a home EV charger and £217 of energy credit with all its electric cars as part of the Power Promise incentive scheme.

The cheapest Gen-E trim – Select – comes with enough equipment to make it our recommended version. The list includes 17in alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, rear privacy glass, ambient lighting, automatic climate control, cruise control and a heated windscreen.

Premium trim gets you 18in wheels, adaptive LED headlights and keyless entry, while Sound Edition adds special interior materials, some exterior styling tweaks and the Winter Pack and Advanced Driver Assistance Pack as standard equipment. We don't think either is worth the extra cost, and the larger wheels make the ride even firmer.

Options available on both trim levels include a panoramic sunroof and a Winter Pack that includes heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. There's also an optional Advanced Driver Assistance Pack. It's not cheap but adds adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. You can increase the wheel size on Premium trim cars to 19in but we wouldn’t recommend it.

The Gen-E is not available with an EV heat pump to warm the interior more efficiently, which is a shame. You get one as standard with a Peugeot e-2008 and Renault 4.

When tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP, the Puma Gen-E was given a slightly disappointing four stars out of five. Even so, you get lots of standard safety equipment including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assistance, traffic-sign recognition and a driver attention monitor.

The Gen-E is too new to have featured in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but we can tell you that Ford finished mid table, in 14th place out of 31 brands. Kia finished higher, in 11th place, while Peugeot was in 19th place.

Ford gives you a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which is nothing special, especially compared with the longer warranties you get from Hyundai, Kia and Toyota. Ford also gives you a separate warranty on the electric battery, which covers against excessive capacity loss for eight years, 100,000-miles.

“I wouldn't bother with the Premium trim. I reckon it’s best to stick with the entry-level version and spend some of the savings on the Winter Pack instead.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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