Ford Puma Gen-E review

Refreshingly simple, this: you’re looking at a starting figure of £29,995 for the base version, £31,995 for the mid-spec version, and £34,295 for the Sound Edition. That’s it. Whack £5k down and you’re looking at £350 a month over four years for an entry car.

Compared to rivals, that's very competitive indeed. The Jeep Avenger is almost identically priced, but gets a bigger battery and more range. The Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Peugeot e-2008, which share the same electric undercrackers as the Avenger, will cost you a couple of grand more. But again, they take you further. As do the Skoda Elroq, Volvo EX30 and Kia EV3.

The Gen-E’s big problem? The Renault 4. It’s really rather good, and also usefully cheaper. At least both ought to qualify for the new Electric Car Grant – in which case you’ll be knocking the numbers above down by as much as £3,750. Nice.

A quick reminder on Ford’s ‘Power Promise’ commitment: every Gen-E buyer will receive a free electric home charger, 10,000 miles of charging credit, plus a five-year service plan including roadside recovery should you run out of juice. All part of Ford's gambit to put Nervous Nellies at ease.

Good to know. What’s the kit list like?

Base-spec Select gets 17in alloys, LED head- and tail-lights, Ford's impressive Quickclear heated windscreen, rear privacy glass, 12.8in digital dial and 12in infotainment displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, interior ambient lighting, rear parking sensors and camera, keyless start, cruise control and all of the usual driver assist toys.

Switching up to Premium trim (a £2k uplift) gets you 18in alloys, Matrix LED headlights, heated door mirrors with puddle lights, front door scuff plates, suede upholstery, a 10-speaker B&O audio system, power tailgate and keyless entry.

Stroking your chin at the absence of heated seats and steering wheel? You’ll find those in the Winter pack (£350), which is a bit cheeky. Other add-ons include the Advanced Driver Assistant (£950) and Comfort (£650) packs. An opening panoramic sunroof is £1,000, or a black painted roof £500. You can do without.

The top-spec Sound Edition introduces leather to the interior, enhances the sound system (again), and bundles in extras like the Winter pack and black roof.

Where’d you spend your money?

Easy one this, we’d stick with Select trim, which gets range maximising 17-inch alloys. Then tick the Winter Pack options box. You’ll want that because there’s no energy-saving heat pump, even as an option.

Any spare cash left over we’d spend on a better colour: white paint is your only no cost option, anything else (yellow, black, grey, red, blue) is £800.

Oh, and one other thing to know: every Puma Gen-E gets an eight-year/100,000km battery warranty for your peace of mind.