The Ford brand is known and loved for its affordable quality, but so far its electric cars have been three SUVs, none of which have fitted into that category. The Mustang Mach-E is a premium performance SUV. The Explorer is more mainstream and we thought it might be the first affordable Ford, but it’s still more at the premium end of the market, and the controversial electric Ford Capri is essentially the coupe version of the Explorer (with a twist).
But now, at long last, there could be contender for the people’s electric Ford – the Puma Gen-E. Ford's bestselling car in petrol form is the Puma, which took over from the Fiesta. So it’s no surprise that Ford is making an electric version. Although this is still a crossover / SUV, it’s much smaller than previous electric Fords. It’s more in the “city hatchback” class. The car hasn’t been released for road testing yet, but WhichEV had a chance to walk around the new Puma Gen-E at an exclusive static launch event.
Exterior Looks and Options
There's not a lot externally to let you know that this is the electric version of the Puma, other than the absence of an air intake grille at the front. This has been replaced by a solid panel, because EVs don’t need this kind of grille. As a result, the electric Puma is quite reminiscent of the Mustang Mach-E. It’s an aggressive look. This is still a higher-riding vehicle than the Fiesta, which has been a popular format among car buyers for some years.
There will be two trims at launch – the basic car and Premium version. The Premium option has 18in wheels rather than 17in, power folding mirrors, a premium sound system, powered tailgate, and matrix LED headlights. But both trims have the same powertrain, with a 168 PS motor driving the front wheels and 43kWh battery. Both versions also have wireless smartphone charging and a 12.8in infotainment screen.
Interior and Storage
The Premium interior offers upgraded Sensico leatherette upholstery. These are comfortable but even in the Premium car aren’t electrically adjustable. The central console has a small cubby with a tray for change, ahead of which are a couple of cupholders. There’s a wireless phone charging pad ahead of that, and underneath an area where you could place a handbag. There’s a reasonably sized glove compartment.
However, the rear passenger space is where the Puma Gen-E reveals its smaller size compared to other electric Fords so far. While there’s an adequate amount of headroom for back seat passengers, the knee room is more cramped. An average-sized adult will just about fit, but a taller person will feel hemmed in. The rear is better suited to children up to teenage. The middle seat back can’t be pulled down to make armrests, either. There are two USB C ports for rear passengers and a 12V car power adapter but no air vents.
If the rear seats are a bit confined, the cargo space is more expansive. With the rear seats up, the capacity is a competitive 523 litres. But there’s also a sizeable space under the boot floor, which brings the total to 574 litres. This is beyond most hatchbacks in this class, and if you drop the rear seats forward this capacity rises to 1,283 litres, which is also very competitive, getting close to some compact estate cars. The rear seats drop forward in a 60/40 split. The car can also tow 750kg – enough for a trailer, but not a caravan. With the Premium spec, the boot door is powered, but it’s manually operated in the basic car.
WLTP Range
The 43kWh battery is relatively small by today’s standards, and the range this delivers is not that great. The basic car, with smaller wheels, can manage 233 miles while the Premium offers more like 227 miles. The DC charging is also a fairly modest 100kW, but as the battery is small charging from 10 to 80% takes just 23 minutes. You could do longer journeys in this car, but you’d have to charge every 1.5 hours or so, making the Puma Gen-E more suited to city driving and daily commuting.
General Controls and Infotainment
There’s a physical button to turn the power on in the Puma Gen-E. The steering wheel is a standard design, with a selection of built-in buttons. The stalk on the left is combined to control lights and windscreen wipers. The one on the right operates drive, reverse and neutral, with a button on the end for park.
Behind the steering wheel is a large, clear 12in instrument panel. This is partnered by the 12.8in infotainment screen to the left. This only has a few physical buttons beneath it for demisting the windscreen and calling up drive power modes, plus a knob for volume. The power modes include normal, eco and one for slippery roads. Beneath these options you can choose to enable one-pedal driving and turn on a fake engine sound.
There’s connected navigation and a DAB radio, plus wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported. Most of the climate controls are touch operated with a row of onscreen buttons along the bottom of the display. For the Premium car, the heated seats and the steering wheel controls can be found here too. There is access to configuring the considerable suite of safety features.
First Impressions Verdict
Our time with the Puma Gen-E was relatively short and did not involve driving, as this was a static reveal. We will take a look at that in a future full review. On paper, this car will accelerate to 62mph in eight seconds, which isn’t particularly fast for an EV but compares well with petrol-powered Pumas. It’s also perfectly adequate for a family car.
The big question, then, is whether Ford has finally delivered an electric car that will be more within the budget of the average buyer than its EV models so far. The answer is “just about”. The basic car will start at £29,995, while the Premium version is £2,000 more at £31,995. That still makes the MG4 better value, with the Long Range version offering a bigger battery for less money.
Still, the Puma Gen-E is a big step in the right direction for Ford. It provides plenty of quality in a much more keenly priced package than previous Ford EVs. We’re looking forward to taking it for a drive when it’s fully launched in a few months, although MG will still be hard to beat on price. Then, of course, there's the new electric Renault 5…
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