Review: Ford’s first all-electric car is well-equipped, practical and fun to drive, but it’s no Mustang
Overview
Ford’s Mustang is the quintessential muscle car and one of the world’s most recognisable. It has featured in a host of films, been driven by none other than Steve McQueen and become a modern cultural icon.
So the decision by Ford to attach a Mustang badge to an electric SUV was a curious one, but it doesn’t take long to discover that the Mustang-inspired EV, our test car this week, is a very different creature from previous incarnations of the ‘pony car’.
On the outside, the Mustang Mach-E is instantly recognisable with a long, powerful hood, rear-haunch design and purposeful headlights.
Inside, the interior is a fusion of sleek, modern design and smart functionality but with traditional Mustang design cues such as the double-cowl instrument panel.
The dash is well designed, and the seats have a host of electronically adjustable settings, so you can easily make yourself comfortable — but you will struggle to compensate for the poor rear visibility.
The 15.5in touchscreen is easy to use and comes with Ford’s next-generation Sync system and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There is space for five passengers but, with only 402 litres of space in the boot, they will need to travel lightly, though an extra 81 litres of storage space is made possible by the absence of a regular engine under the bonnet.
The first-ever SUV member of the Mustang family is offered with rear-wheel-drive and a choice of standard range or an extended range.
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The standard-range version comes with a claimed all-electric range of 440km from its 70kWh battery pack. The long-range version gets a larger battery (91kWh) and a 610km range.
There is an all-wheel-drive, extended-range model, that can travel 550km on one charge.
The range-topping four-wheel-drive GT model has a lower range of 490km.
Charging up to 150kW using an IONITY charger, Mustang Mach-E rear-wheel-drive with the extended-range battery will add approximately 119km driving range with about 10 minutes of charging time.
On the road, the Mach-E is firm but never harsh — and while you won’t mistake it for a V8-powered muscle car, it is genuinely enjoyable and more engaging to drive than many EVs. There are three driving modes: Whisper, Engage and Unbridled.
When tested by the EuroNCAP, the Mach-E achieved the maximum five-star rating with scores of 92pc for adult- and 86pc for child-occupant protection.
Standard safety features include Intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop and go and lane centering, pre-collision assistwith auto emergency braking, and lane-keeping system with blind-spot assist.
Starting at €67,666, the Mach-E comes with a high asking price that may put some people off and Ford could struggle to persuade customers away from rivals such as the Tesla Model Y (€46,990) or Kia’s EV6 (€54,300).
Our test car was priced from €78,868 and came equipped with a tech pack that added €3,038 to the overall price.
The jury is still out on the Mustang badge but, if you can look beyond the name, what you get is an impressive electric car that is fun to drive, well-equipped and comes with a very usable range.
But in an increasingly competitive market, it’s going to need all of these qualities and more to tempt buyers.
Star rating: 4/5
Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range RWD
Starting price: €61,493
Engine: Electric drive
Transmission: Single speed automatic
Co2/Motor Tax: 0g/km/€120
Range: 610km
Battery capacity: 91kWh
Towing: 750kg
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