Ford Puma Gen-E review

First thing you notice is the squircle steering wheel. It looks big. Feels it too. But presumably that’s partly to allow you to see the huge screen that sits behind. Doesn’t make it any less awkward to hold though. The gear selector moves to a stalk behind the steering wheel here, to free up space on the centre console.

Prod the throttle and it pulls away smoothly. Zero to 62mph takes eight seconds, quicker than the 123bhp and 153bhp combustion engine variants (9.6s and 8.7s respectively) but six tenths slower than the Puma ST.

So the Gen-E isn’t pin-you-to-the-back-of-your-seat quick. But it feels fit for purpose. You’re not left wanting when pulling out at roundabouts or attempting a quick overtake. Room for improvement in an ST variant perhaps? Nope, Ford says we’re unlikely to see one of these as there’s no room for an extra motor. Shame.

Does it handle as well as its petrol sibling?

This is where the regular Puma’s strengths lie, and the Gen-E picks up where that car leaves off. While the giant steering wheel is a little unwieldy, it’s precise and direct and offers a good amount of feel as to what the front wheels are doing.

And it corners decently too. Even carrying plenty of speed into a bend, it remains flat and composed with minimal body roll. Get back on the power early and it doesn’t all fall apart either, with the rear tyres gripping gamely.

It gets a few drive modes too. You auto start in Normal, but switching it to Eco reduces throttle response and increases regen, while Sport does the opposite and throws in more faux engine noise too. Doesn’t sound too terrible either.

Does it ride as well as it steers?

Not quite. On unbroken surfaces it’s smooth as you like, but as soon as you hit even the slightest imperfections it gets quite unsettled. The petrol-powered version suffers from the same trait but it’s worse here, undoubtedly due to its battery adding an extra couple of hundred of kilos in weight.

It’s not a problem at slower speeds mind, with speed bumps and potholes cushioned out nicely thanks to plenty of suspension travel. But on a B-road blat it feels harshly damped, and struggles to disguise that extra mass.

Still, the brakes do their job well enough, and while it coasts along merrily in regular D (Drive) mode, an L (Low) button on the drive selector stalk ramps up the regen. But it’s not full one-pedal mode, which requires delving into the touchscreen to activate and deactivate. Yeah, it’s exactly as annoying as it sounds.

It’s a similar story when it comes to the many driver assist systems that you’ll want to immediately turn off, notably the speed limit warning and the lane keep assist. Oh what we'd give for a button marked 'Shush'.

What about efficiency?

We saw 4.4 mi/kWh (versus Ford’s official 4.7 mi/kWh WLTP figure), which means a real world range of 189 miles. That’s versus a claimed 226 miles on the 18-inch alloys of our test car; you’re looking at 233 miles with 17s.

On the face of it that's above average efficiency, though we drove the Gen-E in battery-friendly 20-degree temps. And you'd likely see a drop-off in the winter, and that's not ideal given it only comes with a 53kWh (43kWh usable) battery.

That’s smaller than all its rivals, some of which get multiple battery size options too. If range is a serious consideration for you, forget this and go for a Kia EV3.

You’re looking at 23 minutes for a 10-80 per cent top up on a 100kW DC charger, such as those found at most motorway service stations. So at least you'll be on your way again in the time it takes to empty and restock your bladder.