The electric Ford Puma Gen-E has been spied testing in Europe once again, before it comes to Australia as the replacement to the petrol-powered small SUV.
Ford Australia announced it would axe the petrol Puma in February, snubbing the facelifted model revealed days later in Europe and instead opting to bring only the upcoming Puma Gen-E electric vehicle (EV) to showrooms.
There’s no timeline on when it’ll come to Australia following its global launch later this year, however based on previous timings we can expect it Down Under in 2025 at the earliest.
The latest round of spy photos show its shape and footprint appear to be similar to its petrol-powered counterpart.
As expected from an EV which doesn’t require the same cooling capabilities as a petrol car, the Puma Gen-E does without a traditional grille, though there is a small intake at the bottom of the bumper.
Down back, there are no exhaust outlets, however the Puma Gen-E’s exterior bodywork appears to be largely unchanged from the petrol model.
When the facelifted Puma was revealed earlier this year, it featured new-look LED front and rear lights (with matrix LED headlights available), however more substantial changes were made to its cabin.
Its digital instrument cluster grew by 0.5 inches to a 12.8-inch display, the 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen was replaced by a 12.0-inch unit, and a new two-spoke steering wheel was fitted.
Puma Gen-E prototype ahead of a Kuga
We don’t yet know drivetrain details about the electric Puma which, unlike Ford’s other European electric SUVs – the Explorer and soon-to-be-revealed Capri – won’t be underpinned by Volkswagen’s MEB architecture.
It’s understood the Puma Gen-E will instead be based on an adapted version of the petrol Puma’s platform, with necessary modifications to fit an electric motor and battery pack.
As previously reported, it could borrow technology from the related E-Transit Courier, which is powered by a single front-mounted electric motor which produces up to 100kW of power and 290Nm of torque.
More details about the Ford Puma Gen-E will be revealed closer to its launch later this year.
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