The balance is nose-heavy and this gives it a rather exploitable feel in the bends, just like the petrol-powered Puma and Fiesta before. There’s plenty of front-end grip to shrug off speed and while there’s a bit more roll than we’d like, it’s all manageable and well communicated. It’s no hot or even warm crossover, but the Gen-E retains a decent level of fun to its driving dynamics – certainly more than most of its rivals at least.
On the more sensible side, the brake regeneration is well engineered, with a balance of immediacy and smoothness, although you have to switch through too many menus on the screen to operate one-pedal driving (driving modes have a similar issue).
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
There’s just one electric motor option with the Gen-E, a front-mounted unit with 166bhp and 290Nm of torque – almost matching the 168bhp petrol-powered Puma ST. Despite its power, the Puma Gen-E takes 0.6 seconds longer to get to 62mph compared to its warm crossover sibling, with top speed pegged at 99mph.
There’s instant torque in Sport mode so it feels sprightly enough, but the motor can feel a little unresponsive at higher speeds. Sport also gives you a distant rumble through the speakers to give you a greater sense of what the car’s doing.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Ford Puma Gen-E | 166bhp/290Nm | 8.0 seconds | 99mph |
Expert view on driving experience
“The Puma Gen-E shares plenty of driving dynamics with the petrol car and as a result it’s one of the more engaging small EVs you can buy. Refinement on British roads could be tricky on cars with larger wheels, however.” – Alastair Crooks, Senior News Reporter, tested the Ford Puma Gen-E in Spain
The Ford Puma Gen-E’s efficiency somewhat saves a rather average maximum range figure
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Nearly all of the Ford’s direct rivals have battery capacities of over 50kWh so with its 43kWh unit, the Gen-E’s efficiency is extra important. To coax out every last mile per kWh, Ford has tweaked the bodywork. At the front there’s the customary blanked-off grille, combined with side air curtains in the bumper and active grille shutters below. The side skirts have been reworked, too, and the rear spoiler is lower and longer. Even the new wheels are designed to be more slippery.
