2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

Living with the Ford Mustang Mach-E

Review by Jacob Lerklint.

The original Ford Mustang was first introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 by Henry Ford II. Now, 57 years later it’s time for the Mustang name to enter a new chapter. Say hello to the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E; a fully electric family SUV. Yes, Ford has decided to name their first modern mass produced EV a Mustang. I can see why they did just that, but I also understand the critique from the Mustang purists. This new SUV is not replacing the regular iconic Mustang (yet) but it is an important step for Ford into the EV world we live in.

For the last three days I’ve been driving a pre production Mach E, here are my thoughts.

Or more specific, I have been driving a Mustang Mach-E extended range AWD. You get two sizes of batteries choices for the Mach-E, a standard range model with a 75 kWh battery (68 kWh usable energy) producing 266hp, or the Extended range which is a 99 kWh battery (88 kWh usable energy) producing 351hp. You can specify each battery with either RWD or AWD.

Let’s start with the exterior; I really grew to like the looks of the Mach-E after a few days with it, especially in this Iconic Silver paint color. The proportions are good and Ford did some trickery with the roof, painting it black but in a way where it makes the roof look sleeker than it really is. You get some aesthetics borrowed from the classic Mustang, the taillights are basically the same; there’s a Mustang looking hood and the headlights are very similar to the normal Mustang non Mach E. There’s no Ford badges on the car, only the Mustang horse is represented.

On the inside you are greeted by a huge 15.5 inch portrait infotainment-screen which Ford calls Sync 4A. It works surprisingly well. It takes a while to get used to but the system is super quick and the graphics are in a very high resolution. You even get a knob integrated in the touchscreen for your volume. Quality of the interior is generally pretty high, most of it is soft-touch material. The optional B&O sound system is great but lacks some base. Seats are very comfortable but lacks side support. This being an EV from the ground up you lose the transmission tunnel, meaning you get a flat floor, which makes wonder for the rear passengers. Legroom is massive and the rear seats are even more comfortable than in the front. Headroom is no issue even for tall people. You don’t get the biggest boot with the Mach-E, seats up you can fill it with 402 liters of stuff. There is a frunk, which is a smudge over 80 liters big.

Now, the most important thing with a Mustang, how is it to drive? Well, there is both good news and bad news. Let's start with the good news: this extended range with AWD reaches 100kmh in around 5 seconds, it’s quick, and very easy to drive. You can have some fun in corners too as you feel the rear move about on the limit. With the batteries being so low to the ground the handling capabilities are pretty good and flat for a 2.2 tonnes SUV. I can’t say too much about the handling though as we were running Pirelli P Zero winter tyres. The bad news? The ride is firm, on flat surfaces it’s fine but on uneven roads and slight bumps you can notice the stiffness. There is no adaptive dampers or fancy air suspension. However, I don’t want to judge the car too quick as this still is a pre production car. Driving in the city, the steering felt easy and the turning radius made the car feel smaller than it is. Some other things I noticed with this car was its very noisy steering rack, and a high pitch sound coming from the driver's display. In Europe you can’t activate the hands-free driving aid system or BlueCruise as Ford calls it since it’s not legal yet, but it will soon be availab le in the US.

When it’s time to charge your Mach-E you can expect a maximum of 150kW from a DC rapid charger. 0-80% will then take about 30-45 minutes. I only managed to experience 130kw when we used the Ionity charger. But I’m sure it can charge faster than that. As for the range I managed to travel 420km on a full charge, that’s not too bad considering the temperature was under 10 degrees Celsius. In the three days with various driving on the highway and in around the city, consumption came out to be 19.0kWh/100km, rather efficient considering the weight. Prices for the Ford Mustang Mach-E starts at 574 900 (SEK) for the standard range RWD and goes up to 734 900 (SEK) for the extended AWD version. Our fully loaded press car was around 770 000 (SEK).

So what is my conclusion after spending some time with the Ford Mustang Mach-E? I still don’t like the name, they should’ve just called it the “Mach-E”. Other than that, the Mustang Mach-E impress in many ways and should definitely be a contender if you are looking for a fun, good looking, efficient and reasonably quick electric SUV. Later this year there will be an even faster Mach-E called the “GT” and that car will have what the regular Mach-E is missing, adaptive dampers. Can’t wait to try it out.