Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium
ODDLY MARKETED MACH-E SHINES FOR RANGE AND CURIOSITY
FORD’S NEWCOMER, the Mustang Mach-E, makes a bold play for attention in the booming electric medium SUV category, wearing styling cues from the world’s best-selling sports car (somewhat awkwardly) and coming in swinging with a 358kW/860Nm GT AWD flagship that hauls itself from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds.
As the brand’s first ground-up EV (albeit using a re-engineered ICE platform), the Mach-E is out to make a big impression and is instantly identifiable as a product of the Ford Motor Company, even though it doesn’t wear a single Blue Oval, which it eschews for stylised Ponies.
Fewer ponies in the paddock, though, because our budget didn’t stretch to the $104,990 GT AWD so we settled for the mid-spec Premium rear-driver that offers 216kW/430Nm and falls inside the LCT threshold for efficient vehicles, at $86,990 plus on-road costs, making it the priciest EV on test.
And that’s after a pre-launch price adjustment lowered Mach-E entry points by between $2675 and $7000, with the range-opener Mach-E Select benefitting from the largest cut to wear a $72,990 sticker.
Press a small, circular button on the window frame and the Mach-E’s driver door pops open – a tiny winglet providing the handle. (Rear occupants don’t get winglets and instead grab the door edge.)
A black-on-black cabin treatment makes for a dark vibe inside, though there’s a tinted glass roof letting light in (as well as heat, seeing there’s no sunshade). From red-stitched perforated-vinyl seats that look and feel flat (and are crying out for seat ventilation), front occupants are presented with an appealing mesh-fabric-upholstered upper dash (with matching door trim inserts) that evokes 1980s Alfa, with a swathe of carbonfibre-effect trim below.
A Tesla-style 15.5-inch central portrait display screen and B&O audio also feature, with a dinky but functional cluster display and nice leather wheel for the driver.
The rising beltline makes the rear equally dark, though forward vision is good, the bench is comfortable, and shoulder and leg room are great. There’s also central air-con outlets, plus USB-A and USB-C ports.
Back up front, the central display provides access to driving settings that make a big difference to how you get on with the Mach-E. With the level of braking regeneration tied to the drive mode, ‘Whisper’ allows for coasting while ‘Untamed’ brings heavier deceleration on a lifted
accelerator, as well as an artificial propulsion sound that’s pretty unobtrusive, though it’s slow, gradual whirring would struggle to arouse anyone. Thankfully, you can switch it off. There’s also a one-pedal mode – and it’s essential for avoiding the horribly grabby brake pedal in urban driving.
With its respectable outputs, the 2098kg single-motor Mach-E is good for 0-100km/h in a quoted 6.2 seconds. But it doesn’t feel quick off the mark – only gathering pace briskly above 30km/h – and the power delivery is a fraction grainy. It’s way off the pace of the Ioniq 5 and Model Y, feeling more the level of the less powerful Solterra/bZ4X twins.
The Mach-E’s rear-wheel drive and underlying balance brings an unexpected reminder of former local heroes, with an arse-out attitude attempting to introduce itself when punched from slower corners (before it’s quashed by the electronics), as well as rolloversteer when punting the Mach-E one-up in faster corners.
Low-speed urban ride is unsettled and, in these conditions, the steering gives up little communication. With speed and cornering load, the wheel starts to suggest some classic Ford tuning nous, yet the Mach-E’s ride continues to buck occupants in line with its nameplate. Sharp-edged back road bumps intrude more than in any rival here, and jar through the steering; larger undulations are dealt with more adeptly.
In the absence of engine NVH, other sounds are seemingly magnified and the Mach-E’s combination of surface-dependent tyre noise, road vibrations, and wind rustle around the side mirrors will grow tiring on a trip.
The Ford holds an ace in its largecapacity battery, however – at 91kWh it’s 21 percent bigger than the nextbest Tesla, which it rivals for realworld efficiency at 18.0kWh/100km. The result is the Mach-E will go farthest on a charge – our test indicated a range of more than 500km – but takes the longest to top up.
Efficiency is unlikely to be enough, though. The Mustang Mach-E is relatively pricey, with a polarising image – the retro cues desperately trying to evoke an emotional response the powertrain can’t.
The Mach-E is far more conventional than the futuristic Ioniq 5, and lacks the oomph of the Hyundai and Tesla, which make better driver’s cars and superior family wagons.
Meanwhile, the Kia EV6 is a better fit if the oddly specific brief calls for an SUEV that channels the Pony Car.
Mach-E’s rear-drive balance brings an unexpected reminder of former local heroes