2025 Ford Puma Gen-E Spied Testing in the Wet in the Austrian Alps

The spy photographers have recently spotted a camouflaged prototype with Koln plates testing in the Austrian Alps, followed by a Koln-registered Kuga. Before going any further, it should be noted that Cologne in Germany is where Ford of Europe GmbH is headquartered.

However, the commercially successful Puma is produced in Romania at Ford Otosan's Craiova plant. Older than Ford of Europe, the Turkish company is best described as a joint venture between Koç Holding A.Ş. and the Dearborn-based automaker. It goes without saying that Ford's new EV will come from Craiova as well.

Spy photos reveal few styling changes over the internal combustion Puma. Most notably, the Ford Motor Company's exterior designers worked their magic on the front grille and rear bumper. Equipped with five-lug wheels from the ST-Line X and Vivid Ruby Edition, said prototype features a charging port instead of a fuel door on the driver-side rear quarter panel.

Pictured on Continental EcoContact rubber, the Puma Gen-E is expected to feature a front-mounted electric motor with something like 100 kilowatts on tap because its platform is shared with the Ford E-Transit Courier. Also produced in Craiova, the zero-emission commercial vehicle belts out 136 ps and 290 Nm, which means 134 mechanical horsepower and 214 pound-feet.

Those numbers, in turn, would put Ford's upcoming electric utility vehicle between the 125- and 155-ps Puma in terms of power. As for peak torque, Puma Gen-E has more in the offing than the 200 Nm (148 pound-feet) of the Puma ST. Hearsay suggests around 400 kilometers (249 miles) of driving range on a full charge and 36,000 euros ($38,970) for the starting price.

Unfortunately, prices for the E-Transit Courier haven't been finalized as of July 2024. Due to arrive in dealer showrooms by the end of 2024, the all-electric van is capable of adding 87 kilometers of range in 10 minutes at 100 kilowatts. In other words, 10 to 80 percent should take less than 35 minutes. Top speed? Make that 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour).

Driving range is also unknown for the time being. Considering that the larger E-Transit Custom is rated at 380 kilometers (almost 236 miles), you shouldn’t look forward to a Tesla Model 3 Long Range-rivaling estimate for the E-Transit Courier and the mechanically similar Puma Gen-E. Think of them both as urban dwellers rather than long-distance vehicles.

Although Euro-market registrations for the first half of 2024 are currently unavailable, SMMT revealed that Ford Puma is the United Kingdom's best-selling passenger vehicle. No fewer than 26,374 were sold year to date, putting the subcompact crossover ahead of the Kia Sportage (24,139 registrations).