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Ford’s first pure EV is a dramatic reinvention of the famous Mustang Coupe. We find out how the new Mustang Mach-E SUV performs on British roads.
The Mustang Mach-E is the most exciting new Ford that’s been launched in years. Its first model designed from the ground up to be electric, the Mach-E builds on the fanatical following for the classic Mustang Coupe, and electrifies it. Not only that, it transitions the Mustang from sports car into a family-friendly SUV, complete with five seats and big boot.
Ford offers it in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive (AWD) guise, with two battery options. All have the same sporty style and distinctive interior dominated by a huge touchscreen. With prices starting from just over £40,000, Ford is hoping the Mustang Mach-E will generate the same sort of buzz as its Tesla Model 3 arch-rival.
You can choose either a 75kWh or 98kWh battery in the Mustang Mach-E: they’re called Standard and Extended range variants. The best range is found in rear-wheel drive models, which do 273 miles in Standard and 379 miles in Extended range. The AWD covers 248 miles and 335 miles respectively.
Two charging cables are supplied as standard. The Universal Charge Cable has swappable adaptors for charging at home. The other is for AC public chargers which don’t have one built in. Via the FordPass app, owners also get access to the FordPass Charging Network, and Ionity chargers.
The Mustang Mach-E is a super-looking machine. It’s curvaceous, with a muscular stance and flowing lines – a great SUV-themed reinterpretation of the regular Mustang Coupe. Standout features include the long bonnet, tri-bar tail lamps and the coupe-like roofline. Ford actually uses a visual trick here: the top of the roof is painted black, creating the visual effect of a fastback rear end.
The hatchback tailgate lifts up to reveal 402 litres of extremely usable space, extending to 1,420 litres with the seats down. So it’s very practical, as well as good-looking. There’s even an additional stowage compartment in the front, which holds 81 litres.
As if the exterior didn’t have enough of a wow factor, Ford has made sure the interior has impact too, with an incredible 15.5-inch HD touchscreen display. Although it seems intimidating at first, it’s actually child’s play to use, and JGEV found we soon familiarised ourselves with it.
The cabin has a modern feel elsewhere, with nice use of materials to create a welcoming feel. There’s also loads of stowage space and, crucially, plenty of room for passengers, both front and rear. We like the high seating position and think the touch-sensitive doorhandles and fantastic – and facilitate tech that allows your smartphone to work as a key.
The JGEV test car was, we reckon, the sweet spot of the range: it had the Extended 98kWh battery, paired with the rear-wheel drive chassis. This give the most range and exceptionally swift performance – 0-62mph takes just 5.1 seconds. The rear wheels have good traction too, so you can make plentiful use of this potency away from the lights. The instant power delivery is very satisfying.
There are three modes: Whisper is the gentlest and quietest, Active is a good all-round mode and Untamed is the most exciting. It even mimics gearbox downshifts as you decelerate. Drivers can also toggle a ‘one-pedal’ mode on and off – it works well once you get used to it – and we also liked the deep, bassy artificial engine note which was surprisingly high-tech and convincing.
For a sporty SUV, the Mach-E has a pleasantly supple ride. There’s a pliancy to it that soaks up bumps well and rolls along in refreshing silence. The clean, uncorrupted steering feel is good, too, as is the chunky steering wheel.
Handling is excellent, in the usual Ford way. There’s plenty of precision and it remains composed over challenging roads. The Mach-E is also surprisingly rear-led, allowing keen drivers to really interact with this sophisticated EV through twists and turns. It’s genuinely good fun and we had a blast driving it. We also think it is a better overall drive than a Tesla Model 3, with a more comfortable ride and better-resolved, more incisive handling.
Ford has come up trumps with its first ground-up EV. The very thinking behind the Mustang Mach-E concept was right from the off, and Ford has delivered the production version perfectly. It looks great, has a fascinating interior, is packed with clever tech via its head-turning touchscreen, yet is also practical and family-friendly too.
We at JGEV love how it drives. The Mustang Mach-E is swift and smooth, in that familiar EV way, but it is also sophisticated in how it rides and handles. This is an EV that’s been expertly developed and we are sure it is going to prove popular in retailer showrooms. All the excitement around it certainly is well-justified.
Prices from: £40,350
Battery size: 75kWh and 98kWh
Driving range: 248-379 miles
Motor power: 269-315hp
0-62mph: 5.1 seconds
Boot size: 402 litres
