Ford Puma Gen-E gets range boost for 2026

Ford has announced that its compact Ford Puma Gen-E will be getting an extended range and new technology for 2026.

Updates will boost the Renault 4 and Suzuki E Vitara rival’s range from its current 233 miles to around 250 miles, with a claimed city-only range of up to 341 miles.

Ford says it has attained this increase through “optimised battery design” rather than boosting the Puma Gen-E’s battery capacity. That means battery capacity remains 43kWh – some way behind most of its rivals.

Peak charging also remains unchanged, meaning Ford’s smallest EV can still charge at up to 100kW, allowing a 10-80% top-up in as little as 23 minutes.

Ford hasn’t mentioned any other updates to the powertrain, so it’s safe to assume the 166bhp front-mounted motor also remains unchanged.

Along with the battery updates, Ford has added its BlueCruise driver assistance system to the Puma for the first time, offering semi-autonomous highway driving.

BlueCruise is the first “hands-off, eyes-on” driver assistance system to gain legal approval for use on UK roads. Unlike other motorway assistance systems such as Volvo’s Pilot Assist or Tesla’s “Autopilot”, which require the driver to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times, BlueCruise allows drivers to release the wheel as long as they continue to monitor their surroundings.

The system uses a combination of cameras and radar sensors to monitor road markings, signs and surrounding traffic, and controls the vehicle’s speed and lane positioning automatically. It can only be used on pre-mapped roads covered by Ford’s so-called “Blue Zone”. This currently encompasses 95% of the UK’s motorway network.

BlueCruise first appeared on the Mustang Mach-E in 2023 and is now being rolled out to electric and petrol versions of the Puma, the petrol-electric Ranger PHEV and the Kuga SUV.

The system has approval for use in 16 European countries, covering more than 84,000 miles of road, as well as being in use in the United States. Ford says that since its launch, Ford and Lincoln drivers have covered more than 522 million miles using BlueCruise.

BlueCruise and the enhanced range will appear on the new Ford Puma Gen-E from spring 2026.