Ford steals Tesla’s thunder
An electric battle is hotting up between Ford and tesla for the best upmarket battery-powered cars. this week i got behind the wheel of Ford’s scintillating new green-and-mean flagship all-wheeldrive Mustang Mach-e Gt, pinnacle of its all-electric Mach-e range.
it’s a brave decision to call what is essentially an electric SUV crossover a Mustang, the corporation’s legendary V8 petrol muscle car. While the first Mach-es impressed, the new Gt takes that to another level. i drove the new more powerful, slightly lower-riding Mach-e Gt around the gorgeous, unspoilt croatian region of istria.
it certainly shifts. in addition to Whisper mode (for relaxed driving), Active (the default comfort setting) and Untamed (for a full-on sporty drive), there is now Untamed Plus for even more speed when on the track.
Ford has cunningly taken the best of the stylish, minimalist tesla and added raw Ford passion to make it less purist, with some handy userfriendly touches. these include a second smaller screen in front of the steering wheel.
the Mach-e Gt has awesome acceleration. A dual electric motor and all-wheel drive enables rest to 62mph in 3.7 seconds, up to a top speed of 125 mph. its 487 hp makes it Ford’s fastestaccelerating european five-seater ever.
it is grippy on twisting mountain roads, feeling taut and muscular. charging to 80 per cent takes 45 minutes and all that will set you back from £65,080. there is ample storage, with 402 litres in the rear expanding to 1,470 litres with the rear seats down, plus another 100 litres in the front trunk. An app converts your smartphone to a key.
Ford aims to create a new electric Mustang family, maybe including a more coupe-like twoseater version and even a seven-seater.
entry- level Mach-es start at £41,330 for a rear-wheel-drive 294 hp that accelerates from rest to 62mph in 6.1 seconds, and a 351hp all-wheel-drive from £49,650 that covers the same ground in 5.1 seconds.
earliest Gt orders will arrive by the new year and orders made now by the spring.