New Ford Puma Gen-E revealed: Former Car of the Year goes electric

On sale Spring 2025 | Price from £29,995

Having a strong foundation to build a new product on can lead to big success. What would the Super Mario Bros video game franchise be without its titular plumber, for example, or the Indiana Jones films without Harrison Ford? So when it came to making its new small electric SUV, the engineers behind the Ford Puma Gen-E chose to base it on greatness.

You see, the combustion-engined Ford Puma is a What Car? favourite. We made it our overall Car of the Year in 2020, and despite losing its small SUV crown to the Lexus LBX since, it remains one of the best options in the class. And now its appeal has been broadened with this new electric version.

The Ford Puma Gen-E looks, as you might expect, substantially like its sibling, with the only real differences being a closed-off front grille and a unique set of alloy wheels to tell it apart.

Drawing power from a 43kWh (usable capacity) battery, the new Puma variant has an official range of up to 233 miles. That’s less than the rival Kia EV3 gets from its 58.3kWh battery, as well as the Smart #1, but should still be enough for the needs of most families. It’s also slightly more than the upcoming Skoda Elroq can manage from its 52kWh battery.

More importantly, charging the Puma Gen-E could take as little as 23 minutes, if you connect it to a charger capable of supplying its maximum rate of 100kW.

Power is sent to the front wheels via a 166bhp motor, which allows the Puma to cover the 0-62mph sprint in 8.0sec – in both cases, the EV3 and #1 will get there slightly quicker.

Where the Puma Gen-E scores big points over its rivals is in the space it offers, because on paper there’s a lot of it. As well as the 523-litre standard boot – which is larger than those in its rivals – there’s a large space under the floor to store everything from muddy boots to shopping. Plus, there’s an extra 43-litre ‘frunk’ under the bonnet which could be useful for storing your charging cables.

Inside, you’ll find the same 12.8in digital instrument cluster and 12.0in infotainment touchscreen that we’ve already tried in the regular Puma. We were impressed with the infotainment system in that car, which like the Gen-E runs Ford’s Sync 4 software, and offers quick responses with icons which are easy to hit on the move. It’s a better setup than what you’ll find in the combustion-engined T-Roc, even though Volkswagen’s system offers superior graphics.

Drivers will be able to choose between Select and Premium trim levels, with standard kit for the former including wireless smartphone mirroring for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, along with wireless charging, a six-speaker audio system and Amazon’s Alexa assistant. Options include an openable panoramic roof, a detachable towbar – the Gen-E is rated to tow up to 750kg – and a Winter Pack which includes a heated windscreen, steering wheel and front seats.

Driver assistance features will include optional dynamic LED headlights which morph their shape to the road ahead, adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, and a 360-degree camera system to help avoid embarrassing car-park scrapes.

The Puma Gen-E’s starting price of £29,995 is less than you’d pay for its #1, Elroq and EV3 rivals, and means you won’t need to go jumping for gold coins like Mario to buy one.

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Read more: Best and worst electric SUVs >>