Ford Puma Gen-E Review 2025

Small electric SUVs have been a huge growth area for car manufacturers in recent years, with all manner of brands vying for a slice of this profitable pie. This makes it all the more surprising that one of the industry’s most established names has only just joined the party — find out if it was worth the wait with our full Ford Puma Gen-E review.

Just as you can rely on the certainty of the morning sunrise, mention of an electric car automatically prompts those of an inquisitive disposition to ask about its driving range — and while there’s much that appeals about the Ford Puma Gen-E, the distance covered between charging sessions is where it’s most compromised compared with its rivals.

Take the Jeep Avenger Full-Electric and Vauxhall Mokka Electric as just two examples of a whole host of models based on common Stellantis underpinnings that the Puma Gen-E’s up against. They were designed from the outset to be flexible, able to accommodate electric-only power as well as combustion engines. Although this is a significant trade-off, being engineered-in from the outset minimises its intrusiveness.

Others take a more dedicated approach, such as that used by the Smart #1 and its strikingly different-looking cousin, the Volvo EX30. Beneath the bodywork, they’re nearly identical, sharing underpinnings designed to only ever be used for electric models, which liberate more space for batteries beneath and passengers above. It’s the same approach taken by the accomplished Kia EV3 to great effect with its Tardis-aping interior and long range.

So what’s Ford done differently with the Puma Gen-E? Well, bodily and structurally it’s very similar to the petrol-powered Ford Puma that’s been a sales success since it reached showrooms in early 2020. In turn, those underpinnings are a development of those from the last Ford Fiesta, a model never intended to be sold in EV form. While rivals maximise the space for batteries under a larger proportion of the floor, the Gen-E’s are only below the seating area — in fact, you only need to bend a little to see them beneath the car.

Consequently, yes the Ford Puma Gen-E’s blessed with engaging handling in a way that most compact EVs aren’t, but it’s likely to fall short of customer expectations for driving range as its engineers have only been able to find sufficient space for a battery with a 43kWh useable capacity. That results in a best-case WLTP Combined cycle range of 226-233 miles depending on which of the two trim levels you choose. While the overall range isn’t impressive in terms of outright numbers, it reflects decent efficiency from the electric drive system.

Even with its smallest battery the Kia EV3’s range is 270 miles, while the higher capacity version is quoted at up to 375 miles. At least the Ford Puma Gen-E has price in its favour — at a smidge below £32,000 the most expensive model is £1000 less than the entry-level Kia. Ford is also offering a free wallbox installation to customers of new Gen-Es.

Range aside, the majority of the Gen-E’s remaining credentials are far more positive. Stylistically very little’s changed compared with the petrol-powered Puma save for some aerodynamic modifications, including aerodynamically efficient alloy wheel designs and the smooth, body-coloured blanking panel where the front grille would ordinarily be sighted. It’s reminiscent of the larger Ford Mustang Mach-E and works especially well with the Gen-E’s bolder colour choices.

Just as there’s only one size of battery there’s also a single power option for the Ford Puma Gen-E, directing 168PS to the front wheels via a one-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to its 8.0-second 0-62mph it’s now the second-quickest Puma currently on sale — select its Sport driving mode and a raspy ST-alike exhaust note is played through the speakers as you gather pace. A little gimmicky, certainly, but a welcome dash of fun.

Smaller batteries tend to recharge faster than larger ones, aided here by Ford fitting the Puma Gen-E with a 100kW DC on-board charger. That means a 10%-80% recharge at a public chargepoint could be as brief as 23 minutes.

Standard equipment is generous on the entry-level Select model, so you’re unlikely to feel short-changed by not forking-out for the pricier Premium alternative. The Select also has the slightly longer range largely courtesy of its 17-inch alloy wheels in lieu of the Premium’s 18 inchers.

As with the petrol Pumas, the Gen-E’s an easy car to have fun with, being agile through a series of twisty roads with well-weighted steering. It’s firmer-riding than other small SUVs but not harshly so, although this is better at higher speeds — around badly surfaced urban routes, the Ford tends to communicate every lump and bump it encounters to its occupants’ posteriors.

Practicality hasn’t been overlooked either in Ford’s smallest model with the Puma Gen-E benefitting from a GigaBox under the boot floor — that’s Fordspeak for the extra 145-litre capacity space that allows taller items to be carried with ease. Under the bonnet is a dedicated storage area for the charging cable bag, tools and puncture repair kit.

Virtues that make its petrol-powered sibling such a popular car have transferred effectively into the Ford Puma Gen-E — a feat that’s very welcome. Less so is the range provided by its modest battery size — it’s unlikely to be much of an issue for those who primarily drive in towns at low speeds, but regular long-distance and motorway commuters are better served by the Gen-E’s many alternatives.

A word of caution to those who do plump for the Gen-E — be prepared for the same people who refer to the Volkswagen e-Up as the Northern VW to say your Ford’s name in something approaching a Forrest Gump impression. You’ve been warned.

Many car manufacturers will tell you that people don’t generally buy compact electric SUVs because they’re looking to sate their driving enthusiasm, but those wearing the Blue Oval badge are chosen for that reason — for that reason we applaud the Ford Puma Gen-E for being a small EV you can have fun with.

In many regards, it feels very like the petrol-powered Puma, despite the 200kg additional heft of the Gen-E’s high-voltage batteries having to be taken into account. Its suspension arrangement has been arranged in such a way to make it feel sporty and agile to drive, characteristics that work particularly well at higher speeds.

Take the Puma Gen-E along an undulating, wending ribbon of B-road asphalt and the Ford is a delight, faithfully tracing the curvature of the bends exactly as you’d expect, with little need for mid-corner adjustments to the steering wheel angle, while the body remains impressively level, benefitting both occupant comfort and tyre grip.

Sure, it rides with a firmer quality than its rivals, but its communicative and involving rather than jarring. That’s true of the Gen-E’s steering, which weights-up with speed as you turn in a way that feels expertly judged — at least until the lane-keeping software decides to intervene with a ghostly tug of the helm. Shame that the wheel itself’s been designed to be needlessly square.

In urban environments, particularly where the road surface is varied, cracked, punctuated with ironworks or cobbled stretches, the Ford Puma Gen-E feels less polished, although the caveat here is this may be a trait specific to the fitment of the 19-inch alloy wheel option. They’re exclusive to the Premium version — yes, they look great, but they represent £500 that can be better spent.

With them fitted the ride quality doesn’t become harsh, it’s more that the Gen-E doesn’t settle down and absorb the imperfections — instead it bobbles along over them to the extent that occupants’ buttocks can Braille-read the road surface.

One positive side effect of this sportier sensation is that the Ford Puma Gen-E is free of the floatiness that typically inflicts motion sickness in susceptible passengers.

Noise typically generated by air rushing past the windscreen pillars and door mirrors is pleasingly subdued although the rumble caused by the tyres on the road, as well as the suspension working, is more audible than in petrol Pumas — largely by dint of the engine drowning it out better than the quieter electric motor manages to.

There’s only one electric drive choice available for the Ford Puma Gen-E which keeps things nice and simple for most. Its 168PS output means the Gen-E’s just 2PS shy of today’s sole Puma ST, making it the second-most powerful model in the range when combustion-engined and electric models are combined together.

Its 290Nm torque output not only trumps the 170PS ST’s 248Nm tally, it’s available right from the moment you press the accelerator, ensuring the Gen-E sprints away from standing starts and when accelerating from one speed limit to another, so you never feel edgy about darting for a traffic gap on a busy roundabout.

That grunt is meted-out sensibly though, allowing gentle progress from light accelerator applications, rather than behaving like an on-off switch delivering all the go in a plume of tyre smoke with the merest dab of the pedal. In terms of familiar performance benchmarks, the 0-62mph dash takes 8.0 seconds, while the Gen-E’s top speed is electronically capped at 99mph.

Directing the Puma Gen-E’s urgency to the front wheels is a single-speed transmission that’s driven like an automatic and operated via a lever on the steering column where the wiper stalk would ordinarily reside.

Selectable driving modes are available via physical button and touchscreen-accessed procedure to vary the accelerator’s responsiveness, air-con power and so forth to maximise the available range or performance, accompanied by a change to the fake engine note, each rising in volume as pace gathers.

Braking can feel curious in many EVs — and not just to those new to them — but the experience in the Puma Gen-E feels entirely normal and not far removed from those of its combustion-engined siblings. That’s likely down to the regenerative effect being mild by default.

There’s scope to increase it using the L button on the drive selector lever, while a one-pedal arrangement can be turned on using the touchscreen. The latter’s trickier than rivals’ systems to modulate, with a significant amount of reaction to relatively small accelerator pedal movements.

Euro NCAP hasn’t specifically crash-tested the electric Ford Puma Gen-E to assess its safety levels separately from the combustion-engined versions, nor does it tend to with other models with a choice of propulsion systems — but we believe given the degree of engineering changes involved that it should. For the record, the petrol-powered Puma was reassessed in 2022 and given a four-star rating.

Standard safety-related kit on all Puma Gen-Es includes automatically activated LED front and rear lights, automatic wipers, a reversing camera complemented by sensors in the rear bumper, autonomous emergency braking, a driver impairment monitor and a lane-keeping aid.

An optional Advanced Driver Assistance Pack can be specified for a further £950 which adds and camera- and radar-based collision mitigation system, adaptive cruise control, lane-centring assist, blind-spot warnings, front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system.

A tow bar option is availble for the Ford Puma Gen-E but with a braked capacity limit of 750kg you won’t be hauling anything of great substance.

By their very nature compact SUVs such as the Ford Puma Gen-E are also small on the inside — yes, the room available inside can be easier to access than in, say, the now-defunct Fiesta thanks to elevated seating positions, but it’s easier to fit people into a larger model along the lines of the Ford Explorer.

So how does the Gen-E fare with what’s available? Well, the floor’s been raised a bit to help accommodate the battery pack, which in turn means the front seats are mounted higher. That might benefit graceful ingress and egress but for taller drivers it means that their hair — of not their scalp — becomes a close acquaintance of the roof lining.

Aside from a sensation that you want to sit lower but can’t, four-way manual adjustment of the front seats ensures it’s still possible to get generally comfortable, both also featuring a lumbar pressure control. For the driver there’s a reasonable range of adjustment for the steering wheel position, although combined with the seat height, a few more degrees of upper movement wouldn’t go amiss.

It's more snug in the back, where the coupe-like roof of the petrol Puma works in tandem with the Gen-E’s raised floor to increase the cosiness. Although three seatbelts are fitted, a trio or adults would need to be incredibly slender and very close friends to be comfortable back there. Similarly, once a pair of child seats are installed on the outer positions’ Isofix latching points, its unlike a third person will fit between them.

Storage space for odds and ends inside the Puma Gen-E’s passenger compartment is improved over the petrol versions thanks to a two-tiered centre console, with a wireless smartphone charging pad and cupholders above with more open cubbies and a couple of USB ports — A- and C-type — below.

A lidded cubby is at the back of the centre console, the rear face of which has a couple more USB-C sockets for rear seat passengers to use. The front glovebox is of a decent size and door bins front and rear provide extra convenience for holding smaller items or rubbish.

Where the Ford Puma Gen-E appears to defy physics is in the boot. Out goes the petrol Puma’s MegaBox space under the boot floor, replaced here by the GigaBox. Yes, it’s bigger — 145 litres for the electric Puma compared with the fossil-fuel propelled alternative’s 80-litre capacity. How so? Well, there’s no exhaust and fuel tank — or spare wheel — to navigate, plus the batteries are only below the seating area, resulting in a deep, wash-down void, complete with a drain hole.

In total there’s 574 litres of space available when the Puma Gen-E’s in five-seater mode, extending to 1283 litres when only the front seats are required.

Ford’s managed to squeeze a 43-litre frunk — or froot, depending on your preference — under the bonnet in the redundant space above the electric motor. Don’t get excited because its shaped to house the coiled-up charging cable, wheel changing tools and tyre inflation kit, leaving no room for anything else. Handy to have, though.

For the most part, the Ford Puma Gen-E’s interior mirrors that of the facelifted petrol-powered Puma introduced in 2024. At that point the design shared with the last Fiesta was retired, replaced with a twin-screen arrangement presented as a sheer cliff of differently textured plastics, topped with air vents and a sound bar speaker.

While we generally steer clear of stylistic commentary in reviews, there’s no escaping that the latest array looks disjointed, with no element lining up elegantly with the next, the result resembling a stack of components that have fallen down once before being hastily reassembled.

Visually, it’s an unpleasing retrograde step, but as an engineering makeover it’s cleverly done as the screens and dash-top speaker are sufficiently sized as to cover large areas, requiring fewer dashboard elements to fill in the blanks. It’s cost-effective but it also feels cheap, something that’s amplified by a high proportion of hard plastics in various spots.

In some places the cost-cutting effort looks and feels as though Ford’s making an attempt to showcase it. Take the door panels, for instance — the front ones include a section of padded faux leather, affording a little extra comfort as well as some aesthetic relief. In the back? The whole panel is dark, hard plastic. That’s a shame for the relatively tiny cost involved.

Similarly miserly is the exposed metalwork visible around the window frames on the internal side of the doors caused by the plastic trimming ending abruptly short of the rubbery seals that circumference the glass.

Matters improve somewhat at night — not only is it less easy to notice the lack of component alignment, there’s a seven-colour selection for the LED mood lighting.

Regardless of the questionable materials choice in places, the whole thing feels well-assembled with no early signs of trims squeakily rubbing against one another or vibrating loose.

As mentioned above, the Ford Puma Gen-E’s dashboard has a couple of screens installed. Directly in front of the driver is a 12.8-inch one for the key instrumentation, while to its left is the 12.0-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system.

The touchscreen’s responsiveness and high resolution display are highlights on both screens, endeavours that are somewhat undone by menus within menus and fonts that are on the smaller side for glancing at quickly while driving. That’s particularly frustrating given how much screen real estate is left blank.

We’re also deducting points because of the lack of physical controls for the air-con system, rear screen demister and heated front seats. That there aren’t any seems odd, especially given that Ford hasn’t been shy in using all manner of physical buttons and controls elsewhere, including 14 on the steering wheel alone.

For the most part we expect most Gen-E buyers will take advantage of the wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity for telephony, audio and navigation purposes.

Sound reproduction through the 10-speaker Premium B&O system that’s fitted as standard to the Puma Gen-E Premium is rich, although whether it’s worth being part of the £2000 upgrade from the Select model’s six-speaker system is a matter for your ears to determine.

Take the purchase price of the Ford Puma Gen-E in isolation and it certainly appears to offer fine value considering the generous standard equipment levels, even with the usual caveat of electric cars being more expensive than their combustion-engined equivalents.

Entry-point to the Puma Gen-E range is the Select model costing £29,995 — consider it has 168PS of power at its disposal and kit levels that broadly align with the petrol range’s ST-Line, consider that the 125PS version of that costs £29,280 when fitted with an automatic gearbox.

The only other choice in the Puma Gen-E line-up is the Premium at £31,995. As you’ll see on the equipment lists below, the differences between the two aren’t that significant, although if each was available as an individual extra-cost option, they’d likely tot up to an amount north of the £2000 price difference.

With Ford’s Power Promise, those prices include the installation of a home wallbox and 10,000 miles of charging credit for the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff.

Of those rivals mentioned earlier, these prices compare favourably —the Jeep Avenger Full-Electric starts at £29,999 while its Vauxhall Mokka Electric cousin will set you back upwards of £32,505. The Smart #1 and Volvo EX30 twins are £29,960 and £33,060 respectively. Kia’s EV3? Be prepared to set aside £33,005.

If you’ve sensed the imminent arrival of a ‘but’, you were right to. The Smart and Volvo both have lower driving ranges than the Ford in their cheapest forms, trading instead on having 104PS more power. Larger batteries are also available, as is even more performance.

Both the Jeep and Vauxhall do have higher capacity batteries providing longer driving range potential. Compared with the Puma Gen-E’s 226-223-mile potential, the Avenger offers 239-248 miles, the Mokka 250 miles.

Especially noteworthy is the Kia EV3’s smallest battery option with a 201PS motor, sufficient for a driving range of 270 miles.

To make EV running costs as low as possible you need have a wallbox installed at home and the Ford Puma Gen-E is no exception in this regard. Such a piece of kit will give you access to cheaper, electric car-friendly tariffs typically of 7p per kWh — that’s a potential full-charge range of just over 200 miles for around £3.00.

Ford is currently operating its Power Promise scheme which includes a free home wallbox in conjunction with Octopus Energy.

Given the expense of public rapid charging, we advise these are only used when necessary and for as short as a period of time possible. Right now, they don’t make for a cost-effective alternative to having a wallbox installed.

That said, Ford’s Power Promise gives access to the Blue Oval Charging Network for the car’s life, with 600,000 public chargers available across 36 countries.

As of April 2025, EVs are no longer exempt from VED car tax, with the same £195 annual levy applied to these zero-emission vehicles as cars that produce high levels of CO2. They’re also liable for the Expensive Car Supplement — the so-called luxury car tax — when they cost £40,000 or more. Thankfully, even with extra cost options, the priciest Puma Gen-E is a few thousand short of that figure.

Low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation for electric cars means they are highly prized by company car drivers who want to take advantage of the 3% rate for 2025/26. That means a 20% rate payer would have a monthly tax bill of £15.97 for the more expensive Premium version — compare that to £130.43 for the entry-level petrol-powered Puma. Ouch!

Ford Puma Gen-E: Range and charging

As we’ve outlined elsewhere in this review, the Ford Puma Gen-E’s modest WLTP Combined cycle range of 226-233 miles is limited by the 43kWh net capacity of its battery pack. Its especially unfortunate because the drive system itself is efficient, nudging 4.0mi/kWh at urban speeds without trying and 3.2-3.4mi/kWh at motorway speeds.

Incidentally, Ford specifically quotes WLTP motorway driving ranges of 172 miles for the Select and 167 miles for the Premium. Fitted with the range-worsening 19-alloy wheel option on the later, we managed 160 miles of real-world motorway plying.

Lower-capacity batteries require less time to charge up again, of course. Ford claims a 23-minute connection using a 100kW DC rapid charger will be sufficient to go from a 10%-80% charge level, although we’d advise doing so only when necessary given the costs involved.

Although Ford hasn’t specifically quoted charging times using the typical 7.4kW connection using a domestic wallbox, we’d estimate that seven to eight hours will be required for a flat to full recharge.

Two specification levels are available for the Ford Puma Gen-E range — Select and Premium.

Standard equipment for the Ford Puma Gen-E Select includes:

• Gen-E-specific aerodynamic grille and bumpers
• Frozen White solid paint
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic LED head and tail lights with automatic main beam
• LED daytime-running lights
• Automatic wipers
• Electrically adjustable door mirrors
• Quickclear electrically heated windscreen
• Darkened rear privacy glass
• Reversing camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Black and grey Select-specific seat upholstery
• Lumbar adjustable front seats
• 8-inch digital instrument cluster
• 0-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Integrated navigation system
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Six-speaker audio system
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• Climate control air-conditioning
• Keyless starting
• Cruise control
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• LED ambient lighting in a choice of seven colours

Upgrading to the Ford Puma Gen-E Premium additionally nets you:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Glare-free Matrix LED headlights
• Heated and electrically folding door mirrors with integral puddle lights which project the Puma logo
• Keyless entry
• Electrically operated tailgate
• Premium Sensico faux leather and synthetic suede upholstery
• Front door sill scuff plats with Puma logo
• Premium B&O audio system with 10 speakers

Ford Puma Gen-E optional extras are limited to:

• 19-inch Alloy Wheels (Premium only)
• Metallic Paint — choice of Agate Black, Digital Aqua Blue, Electric Yellow, Fantastic Red and Solar Silver
• Contasting Black Roof (not with Agate Black or Frozen White paint)
• Opening Panorama Roof
• Detachable Tow Bar
• Winter Pack — heated front seats and steering wheel
• Advanced Driver Assistance Pack — includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system
• Comfort Pack (standard on Premium) — heated, electrically folding door mirrors with integral puddle lights, keyless entry and an electrically operated tailgate