Finally Ford have decided to launch an EV in the US market with an electrified product, and pleasingly they've jumped straight in the deep end with the bold, impressive Ford Mustang Mach-E. Sharing curves and styling notes with its iconic muscle-car cousin, this BEV SUV packs an electric punch. Subverted expectations are the name of the game and while it may might not sit well with everyone, rest assured that the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is a lovely little EV that speaks of great things to come.
The normal Ford Mustang's M.O. is pretty straightforward: It's meant to deliver balanced handling with power that has the capability to overwhelm the rear end. To that end, my First Edition tester holds the party line. With about 198KW's and 430Nm of torque, there's definitely enough go-juice, but with the majority of the powertrain's heft located as low as possible, it takes a whole lot of brute manhandling to unsettle the Mach-E. As expected, the instantaneous electric torque makes for exciting starts, but it's not enough to rip your toupee off your scalp. Even in its sharpest vehicle mode, there's still plenty of sensible right-pedal modulation on offer, making it easy to power out of one corner and into the next.
The Mach-E offers three different vehicle modes in the US. Each setting also has its own volume level for the fake "engine" noise that Ford pipes into the cabin, which is more of a low-pitched rumble that actually sounds pretty good -- better than the usual spaceship-like low-speed noises that most automakers rely on. You can turn it off if you don't need to pretend you're driving something nonelectric, though
Performance
0-100 kph 6.1 seconds
Top speed 180 kph
Engine power 198 kW
Torque 430 Nm
Mustang Mach-E Sync 4 infotainment
The real meat and potatoes of the Mach-E's cabin tech comes from the honkin' 15.5-inch portrait display centered on the dash. Climate controls are at the bottom and, while I miss having physical switchgear for these, the touchscreen controls are easy enough to use at stoplights. Apple CarPlay, Android and charging comes by way of two USB ports (one Type-A, one Type-C) per row.
There's one part of the central display that deserves an award, though. There's an incredibly powerful settings menu that's accessed by hitting the Mach-E in the top left corner of the screen. .
Mustang Mach-E interior
Usable space is everywhere, with two levels of storage (including a wireless device charger) just under the screen, in addition to sufficiently deep door pockets, another cubby under the armrest and a trunk that, despite the cut roofline, is deep enough for a family's worth of golf clubs or groceries.
If anything, the closest connection between the Mach-E and the actual Mustang is the exterior design. The coupeover roofline and the fat rear haunches would look just as appropriate on a regular 'Stang and the rear taillights are pretty much plucked straight from the real deal. The front end's "grille" bears a slight Mustang resemblance, as do the headlights, but worry not -- with a new Mustang generation on the horizon, something tells me the differences between EV and pony car will dwindle.
While I believe that some connections to the actual Mustang do exist, the Mach-E is more of a grand-touring-focused EV that can be a little sporty when it wants. I think the Mach-E is a sign of great things to come from Ford -- not only for its most precious nameplate, but for every future EV the automaker produces.
Comments