Despite the current lull in electric vehicles, Ford continues to electrify. The next prank is called Puma Gen-E. Could this be something for Gen Z? ntv.de has already tried it out.
Let's face it, the 2019 Puma has a few years under its belt. And he still comes across as cool when the curtain opens here in the MMC studio in Cologne. The “Electric Yellow” paint color suits the small car well and it still looks upbeat. And now pay attention, the Puma lettering on the trunk lid is white.
“Electric Yellow” is the name of the color that makes the Ford Puma Gen-E look peppy.
(Photo: Ford)
This stylish feature means that it is the electrically powered variant. And Ford definitely needs that, even if there is a reluctance to buy among electric vehicles. After all, Europe still has CO2 limit legislation, which results in high fines if you break it. To put it simply: Manufacturers incur huge costs if they sell too many combustion engines, i.e. if too much CO2 is emitted.
How the Puma drives as an electric vehicle will be clarified at a later date. But the people of Cologne are already providing a few facts. And there are definitely explosives hidden right here. The electric Puma will be available as a leasing vehicle for 299 euros per month; the base price of 36,900 euros is not something people like to say in the north of Cologne – because it is not very flattering and hardly competitive, especially since Škoda has the higher-segment Elroq around the corner for less than 34,000 euros comes. We can only hope that manufacturers and retailers still have a bit of room for negotiation.
Lots of infotainment and decent seats should ensure a happy stay in the Ford Puma Gen-E.
(Photo: Ford)
The little Puma also has utility as an electric car
The puma is a sweet guy. Especially since the interior designers renovated a lot as part of the facelift. When it comes to infotainment, the 4.21 meter long crossover doesn't have to hide. A really large central screen (12.8 inches) makes the Gen-E also attractive to Gen Z. An easily accessible charging cradle for smartphones and fairly nice seats are also desirable ingredients. Ironically, the Puma is lacking when it comes to electrical properties.
Sure, the Ford platform adapted for electrical components with the somewhat cryptic name “B2E” is not the freshest and sets limits. This means: Please don't expect an excessive range. On the other hand, the Puma is not conceptually designed to eat up kilometers. After all, it is still a small car, albeit a spacious one in the front row and with the so-called Gigabox (you can also throw a few dirty boots in here) it is an incredibly good luggage swallower. 523 liters fit into the trunk, which extends almost to the floor. In any case, the vacation doesn't fail because of that.
The little Ford Puma gets big when transporting luggage.
The downside of the coin may be that you can only store 43 kWh (net) of electricity. According to the WLTP, that's enough for an average of 376 kilometers. At least the engineers managed to achieve a good loading time – although this has not yet been tested. The data sheet shows 23 minutes for the typical window of 10 to 80 percent charge level with a power peak of 100 kilowatts. Totally fine. And as compensation there is very good performance, which is only bettered by the more expensive combustion engine top model ST. Because with 168 hp and 290 Newton meters, the silent unit is supposed to drive the 1.6-ton truck to 100 things within eight seconds.
The standard equipment could be better
And otherwise? When it comes to standard equipment, Ford could have tried harder and been a little more generous. The full arsenal of assistants, LED headlights, reversing camera, smartphone integration, cruise control with adaptive control and traffic sign recognition are free – so that's solid basic equipment. But headlights with matrix technology, panoramic glass sunroof, keyless locking system and heated seats cost extra. The coveted 19-inch aluminum wheels are also optional extras.
The Puma Gen-E will undoubtedly be an attractive vehicle, but the dealers will have to show their negotiating skills in order to bring the small car to the public. The question remains whether the disadvantage of the charging issue can be outweighed by the advantage of the seamless electric drive train and whether this can also be communicated to potential customers. Just promising to save the world hardly seems enough. Otherwise there would eventually be more electrically powered vehicles on the roads. Let's see how big the Puma Gen-E's contribution will be to this development.
