Ford Puma Gen-E review: a £26,245 compact SUV

The Ford Puma Gen-E is the electric version of the UK's best-selling new car. It starts at £26,245 after the government grant and covers about 185 miles in the real world. You get a familiar shape, fun handling and a seriously big boot. On the downside, the battery is smaller than most rivals', the ride is firm and the back seats are snug.

So is simple and sensible really enough? For this Ford Puma Gen-E review, Helena, our resident EV reviewer, took it for a spin in our video review to see what it's really made of. We reviewed the 2026 model in Select (entry level) trim. Here's our verdict.

• The Ford Puma Gen-E starts at £26,245 for the Select (the entry level version) once the £3,750 Electric Car Grant is taken off, and £28,245 for the Premium version. 
• Real-world range is about 185 miles from a 43kWh battery, which Ford redesigned for the 2026 model we reviewed to squeeze out more miles.
• The boot holds 523 litres, more than the petrol Puma, thanks to a deep, drainable box under the floor.
• A 10 to 80% charge costs around £1.97 at home on Octopus Energy's Intelligent Octopus Go - EV Saver tariff, and takes around 5 hours 15 minutes.
• On an ultra-rapid public charger, a 10 to 80% top-up takes about 23 minutes and costs around £26.
• The trade-offs are a firm ride, tight back seats and heated seats that cost extra.

The Ford Puma Gen-E is a small, five-seat electric SUV, and the battery version of the petrol Puma. There's one battery, one motor and two main trims.

Helena's first thought? It just looks like a normal petrol Puma. The giveaways that it’s different are the green flash on the number plate and a flat panel where the grille used to be. Some people reckon it looks like a bulldog's nose, a little bit squished. But as Helena puts it, the playful, slightly animal-like headlights are pure Puma. You'll clock them coming down the road.

It also keeps proper door handles, rather than the pop-out kind on lots of newer electric cars. If you're often juggling a child on one arm and shopping bags on the other, that's so much easier.

There are two main trims, Select and Premium, plus a limited edition BlueCruise Edition that Ford added for 2026. All three use the same battery and motor, so you're choosing between kit, not performance.

• The Select (£26,245 after the grant) is the entry-level version, which is what we reviewed. You get 17in alloy wheels, LED headlights, cloth seats, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, a wireless phone charger and a 12 inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
• The Premium (£28,245 after the grant) adds 18in alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, keyless entry and a powered boot lid. The seats are trimmed in synthetic leather with suede-effect inserts.
• The BlueCruise Edition (£30,545 after the grant) builds on the Premium. Its main draw is BlueCruise, Ford's hands-free driving system, which can steer, brake and accelerate on approved stretches of motorway while you keep your eyes on the road. Here it's included with no subscription. You also get exclusive Vapour Blue paint, part synthetic leather seats with dark blue stitching, and its own scuff plates and floor mats.

Before the grant, Ford's price list puts the Select version at £29,995 and the Premium version at £31,995. The Puma Gen-E qualifies for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant, which brings them down to £26,245 and £28,245. The seller takes it off the price for you, so you don’t have to do the maths or the admin. And yes, you can get the grant if you lease the car or get it through salary sacrifice. 

Helena's first reaction: 30 grand is quite a lot for a car this size. With the grant taken off, though, the Gen-E is £900 cheaper than the petrol Puma. As she points out, choosing petrol doesn't always save you money up front any more.

Both trims share a battery and a motor, so the extra money buys kit, not miles. The Select gets 17in wheels, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and a 12 inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Premium adds 18in wheels, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, keyless entry and a powered boot lid.

Whichever you pick, budget £350 for the Winter Pack. This optional upgrade adds heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, and Helena says they're a must in a UK winter. The £950 Advanced Driver Assistance Pack upgrades you to a 360-degree camera, front parking sensors and adaptive cruise control, which can keep a set gap to the car in front.

You can expect about 185 miles from the Puma Gen-E's 43kWh battery on the 2026 Select version Helena reviewed. The official WLTP (aka lab tested) figure is around 250 miles. 

The difference between the two range figures is normal for any electric car, as your range is affected by the driving conditions, the outside temperature, and your driving patterns. 

Ford updated the Puma Gen-E for 2026, and that's the version Helena drove. The battery is still 43kWh, but a more efficient design gets more miles out of it.

Is 185 miles enough? That's the big question in any Ford Puma Gen-E review. If you drive 20 miles a day, that's more than a week of school runs and commutes before you even think about charging. If you often drive long distances, that's worth weighing up.

Charging speed is measured in kW, and the higher the number, the faster the charge. On a 7kW home charger, a 10 to 80% charge takes about 5 hours 15 minutes, so plugging in overnight does the job. 

A 50kW rapid charger, the kind you'll find at supermarkets and cinemas, takes about 46 minutes and will cost roughly £18.35.

On an ultra-rapid charger, the Puma Gen-E charges at up to 100kW, which will cost around £26.21, and take about 23 minutes. Honestly, as Helena puts it, taking the kids to the service station loos and everyone grabbing something to eat takes longer than that.

Most drivers keep the battery between 10 and 80%, because charging slows down above 80%, so that's what we've based these prices on. At home, it's a couple of pounds. On a motorway ultra-rapid charger, it's more like a round of drinks.

Charging prices from octopusev.com, accurate as of October 2026. Energy prices change, so check the current price before you plan around them.

The cheapest option needs a home charger and a smart charging rate. Intelligent Octopus Go - EV Saver is Octopus Energy's tariff, and the discounted rate is exclusive to Octopus EV drivers. Public charging will usually cost more, which you’d expect as you’re paying for the convenience of charging on the go, and at faster speeds than you can get at home. Our guide to charging costs has the full detail.

The boot was the highlight of this Ford Puma Gen-E review. It opens automatically, which Helena loves, and at first glance it looks fairly small. Lift the floor, though, and there's a lot more to it. The total is 523 litres with the seats up, beating the petrol Puma's 456, and 1,283 litres with them folded.

The secret is a 145-litre box under the floor, which Ford calls the GigaBox, and it comes with a drain plug. Helena had just been to a festival with the kids, so she had ideas. Option one: a paddling pool, with room for two kids and maybe a little rubber dinghy. Option two: fill it with ice and drinks. And if the kids are being annoying, or the husband is, sit back with a coffee and have a little snooze. There's also a 43-litre front boot (aka frunk) under the bonnet, which is handy for the charging cable.

The trade-off is the back seat. The floor is high and the roofline is low, so you sit cramped with your legs up. Fit a chunky rear-facing car seat and your front passenger won't be very comfortable either. Helena's take: great with primary school kids, but probably not the car for you if you've got a baby or toddler.

Up front, the two-tone dashboard looks good, if a little bit plasticky for Helena's liking. There's storage everywhere, including a wireless phone charger, two cup holders and a mini one that's just right for a can. The seats are very comfortable, if a bit dated in style, and it can tow up to 750kg.

Fun. The steering is light, the car grips the road well (even in the rain), and the buttons on the flat-bottomed steering wheel are where you'd expect them. With 168 horsepower, it'll do 0 to 62mph in about 8 seconds. 

There's one-pedal driving too, which a lot of drivers prefer. Lift off the accelerator and the car slows itself down, sending energy back into the battery. The driver's screen shows the energy flowing back in. Do you need to watch it while you drive? Perhaps not. Is it quite cool? Definitely.

Then there's the propulsion sound. Big words for a pretend engine noise played through the speakers. Helena isn't sure it's really necessary, but you can switch it off.

The ride is a weak spot. It's firm, and our passenger in the back let out an "oof" over speed bumps.

Our Ford Puma Gen-E review found five, but none is a deal breaker at this price.

1. The range is shorter than most rivals'.
2. The back seats are cramped for tall adults and chunky rear-facing car seats.
3. The ride is firm over speed bumps. Ouch.
4. Front sensors and the 360-degree camera cost extra. The bonks and binks of the rear sensors are "not terrible", says Helena, but she'd expect more at this price.
5. Helena kept whacking the windscreen wipers up to maximum every time she turned left. That's her one niggle with the layout.

Prices and specs checked 8th October 2026. Electric car prices include the Electric Car Grant. Real-world ranges are from Octopus EV's car pages.

The Skoda Elroq 85 Edition is a bigger SUV that goes further between charges (281 miles against 185). But it costs about £11,650 more, at £37,895 after its own £1,500 grant. And its boot is smaller, at 470 litres.

The petrol Puma is a mild hybrid, so a small battery helps the engine, but you never plug it in. The Gen-E typically costs far less to run if you charge at home. 

Fancy another face-off? See the Puma Gen-E take on the BYD Dolphin in our Car Wars series.

Helena's verdict at the end of our Ford Puma Gen-E review? The pros outweigh the cons. 

The boot is brilliantly practical, and it keeps the sharp, fun handling that made the Puma a UK favourite. If you want an easy-to-drive electric car with low running costs and zero gimmick tech, the Puma Gen-E makes a ton of sense. It might suit city commuters, families after a practical second car, and anyone making their first switch from petrol to electric.

If this Ford Puma Gen-E review has you tempted, leasing is one way into it without buying it outright. A lease with Octopus EV includes servicing, maintenance, repairs, MOTs and road tax, so it's one monthly payment rather than five bills at different times. It's also available on salary sacrifice, if your employer runs a scheme with us. 

Many of our cars come with a free or discounted home charger, depending on the model. Then add Octopus Energy's Intelligent Octopus Go - EV Saver tariff for a discounted rate that's exclusive to Octopus EV drivers. For charging away from home, Electroverse gives you one large public charging network, on one card and with one bill.

For many drivers, yes. It's fun to drive, has a 523-litre boot and starts at £26,245 after the Electric Car Grant. It carries over the petrol Puma's four-star Euro NCAP rating from 2022. The main downsides are about 185 miles of real-world range, a firm ride and snug back seats.

You can expect about 185 miles from a 43kWh battery with the entry level Select trim. The official WLTP figure is around 250 miles, measured in lab conditions. Your own range depends on speed, temperature and how much motorway driving you do, as it does in any electric car.

On a 7kW home charger, a 10 to 80% charge takes about 5 hours 15 minutes, so an overnight plug-in would easily cover it. On a 50kW rapid charger, the same top-up takes about 46 minutes, and about 23 minutes on an ultra-rapid charger, where the Puma Gen-E charges at up to 100kW. Cold weather may slow these down.

The Select has most of what you need, including a 12 inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a rear camera. The Premium costs £2,000 more and adds bigger wheels, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, keyless entry and a powered boot lid. Heated seats are an option on both.

A note on our video review: the information in this review is the latest available, so some details, such as range, charging times and prices, may not exactly match what you see in our video.