Road test review: Ford Mustang Mach-E

Saturday, 9 October 2021

• FORD MUSTANG MACH-E 4X

• Base Price: TBC

• Powertrain and Economy: Two permanent magnet motors powered by an 88kWh battery, 258kW/580Nm, AWD, combined economy 18.7kWh/100km, range 539km (Source: Ford).

• Vital Statistics: 4712mm long, 1881mm wide, 1597mm high, 2984mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 402 litres plus 100L litres in the frunk.

• We like: Mustang curves, muscle car feel, ultra modern technology, huge range.

• We don’t like: Gear selector ‘dial’, bit bouncy on the road and the throbbing V8 and burning rubber could be a thing of the past

• This road test was conducted in the UK

Launched in 1965, the Ford Mustang sport coupe’s mantra was rather simple, a long nose, short deck design and a powerful (usually V8) engine under the hood. It was a muscle car for the masses and has been ever since, well until now. For the first time in over 50-years, the iconic Ford Mustang nameplate has a new addition to its family, the all-electric Mach-E.

How can you tell it’s a Mustang?

Well it’s bigger than its low slung sibling for sure, certainly in height with over an extra 200mm to play with, however, the Mach-E Mustang crossover is marginally shorter.

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**

It sports a long and rather shapely nose, muscular haunches and tri-bar tail lights, so the family resemblance is there. There are ‘Pony’ badges displayed on all four sides, Mustang nameplates on the door sills and the dashboard has a double cowl design which is a nod to the traditional. But from then on, it’s all new.

It’s a genuine five-seater with an open style cabin that has plenty of legroom front and rear. Luggage space with all seats up is a useful 402 litres and there’s a drainable (so it can double as an ice chest) 100 litre compartment under the bonnet. To top it off, the Mach-E has a full-length panoramic roof that is cleverly insulated, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer.

In the cabin there’s a mixture of tactile finishes on offer, with a fabric covering in the dashboard which is underlined by a faux carbon fibre, and it has contrast-red stitched sensico seats.

How good is the technology?

So pleased you asked, it’s excellent. The Mach-E door handles have been replaced with an E-latch push button system which is very cool. It comes with the latest Sync system and is presented on an unmissable 15.5-inch colour touch screen.

It’s easy to use with tablet-style functionality. There are a vast number of options to go through, including drive modes, propulsion sounds, Apple/Android connection, driver assistance, temperature control and all personalisable, but also things like navigation and the reversing camera are huge in terms of display.

The voice control is natural and understands the need for COFFEE, offering up some great cafe suggestions. It also comes with a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system to blast out rock tunes.

The instrument cluster is more akin to a head up display though, but in its defence, the 10.2-inch strip does display everything from speed, lane keep assistance and gear selection to range and battery percentage.

The UK brochure for the Mach-E says it packs 335 miles (539km) fully charged, but I never charged it to 100 per cent. In saying that the Mach-E did offer up 241 miles (388km) at 89 per cent and around town dropped at the appropriate rate. Charge time varies on what you have access to – Ford says that with a 150kW fast charger a 10-80 per cent charge can be done in around 45 minutes, but my 48 to 88 per cent 50kW charge (that added 200km) took a couple of hours while I got a haircut and had lunch.

How does it drive?

Really well to be fair, it’s as simple to drive as any modern Ford. The push button start is located beside the instrument cluster and the drive selection is on a dial in the centre console (some may not like that).

Visibility is better than a regular Mustang especially through the rear glass, but the wing mirrors seem slightly small for the size of the vehicle.

Sure you are riding that much higher than in a regular Mustang, but looking out over the long channelled bonnet and seeing the wide hips in the wing mirrors does give you that muscle car feeling. And with a zero to 100km/h time of 5.8 seconds, it’s on par with the 2.3-litre powered Eco‘Stang (but slower than the High Performance version) but feels faster thanks to instant torque.

The steering is well weighted and appears more responsive as you move up the driving modes, as does the throttle pedal. Road noise is limited, but there is a certain amount of wind noise when doing 70mph on the motorway.

The ride itself is firm but not teeth-rattling so, but a little juddery in the rebound (it is a 2-plus tonne vehicle after all) and being AWD (and an EV) traction is great regardless of the UK’s wet roads, something Ford has spent a lot of attention on.

Although the Mach-E offers Active and Whisper, obviously my favourite driving mode was ‘Untamed’, it gives you plenty of off the mark speed and the pick up when on the move is good too, however, in One Pedal Drive, the Mach-E seems heavier and more restricted so for a more flowing, more spirited drive, I’d recommend switching that off.

In saying that, I’d strongly recommend having the One Pedal Drive on when driving in and around town, simply put, it’s excellent. Aside from the fact that it assists in battery power regeneration, it really allows you to navigate the town with just the accelerator.

Not only does it slow the Mustang quite aggressively when you lift off the pedal (less so in Active and Whisper) but it holds the vehicle in position when stopped, like ‘brake hold’ there’s no creeping forward. It does take a little getting used to, but I barely had to use the brake pedal.

Is it good enough to wear the Mustang badge?

The V8 purists would of course say no, but I’m nt so sure. There are plenty of nods to the original, and it still gave me a muscle car feel, despite being a five-seat crossover. It’s quick off the mark, substantial on the road, and still a bit playful if really pushed. It’s a futuristic Mustang that the whole family can enjoy.

Any other cars I should consider?

If it’s an electric crossover SUV you are after, then you have plenty of choice. It’s a reasonable size segment that is regularly changing, but depending on what the Mach-E will cost when it eventually comes here, it will have to face up to the likes of the Jaguar i-Pace, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Polestar 2, Audi Q4 e-tron, Mercedes EQA and no doubt several more by then.

But, of course its biggest direct competitor is the car it is aim right at – and one that will be coming here one day too – the Tesla Model Y. And that will be a very interesting battle indeed…