PUMA'S PRACTICAL ELECTRIC BEAST

New Gen-E is a sensible choice for standard looks and an everyday drive

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he Puma has been a rousing success for Ford.

There was some dismay when the Fiesta was discontinued, leaving the Puma the Blue Ovals sole compact model, but since then this crossover has gone from strength to strength.

There was just one major thing missing: an electric Puma. Pull forward, the Puma Gen-E.

WHAT'S NEW?

Outside, youd be hard-pressed to tell anything has changed. Aside from the smoothed-off front grille, it all appears standard Puma.

The interior benefits from all the features recently introduced to the updated Puma, meaning a large central touchscreen and an oddly large steering wheel come equipped as standard on all models.

UNDER THE BONNET?

Gone are the Puma’ petrol engines, instead replaced by an electric motor with 166bhp and 290Nm of torque. That equates to a 0-60mph time of 7.8 seconds, which is actually only slightly slower than the acceleration time of the go-faster Puma ST with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.