Battery size: 72–91kWh
E-Rating™: A
Max charge: 150kW
Range: 293–372 miles
Introduction and model history
Ah, Mustang. For a certain sort of driver it conjures up images of cruising Route 66 with the roof down and Elvis on the radio, which is how you can understand why people were upset when they heard that the name was being resurrected to go on an electric SUV.
And yet it’s not nearly as bad as people feared – it’s high-riding, yes, but it’s also swoopy and sleek. And it’s not short on power, either, with powertrains giving you the option of 268hp in the entry RWD car all the way up to a slightly mad 487hp in the fastest GT model, which comes with dual motors and all-wheel drive.
The Mach-E keeps up the pace when you’re charging up, too, capable of up to 150kW, which in ideal conditions will get you from 10–80% in 36 minutes. The inside is dominated by the now ubiquitous ginormous touchscreen – the 15.5in display looks like it’s been taped onto the dashboard, but it works easily enough. We found some our interactions with it were a bit too fussy though, like trying to change the aircon settings on the move.
There's a decent amount of space in the back, and a couple of adults will be comfy even on a long trip. Boot space is pretty good, though that swooping coupe-like rear end has an impact on how much you can load the car up, so it drags behind rivals like the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq. There’s also a 100-litre frunk under the bonnet if you like that sort of thing.
Range, battery and charging
You’ve got 73kWh, 88kWh and 91kWh batteries to choose from – the smallest battery is only available in the entry level Select-badged car, which is single motor and rear-wheel drive and good for 292 miles of WLTP range.
The mid-level Premium cars come in RWD single motor or AWD dual motor flavours, both with the 88kWh battery for 372 miles in the RWD car or 341 in the all-wheel drive model. The sportier GT car gets the biggest battery but not the biggest range, offering 304 miles.
The charger is on the front left wing of the car, which means some mental recalibration if you've driven other EVs for a while.
We drove the latter model in winter over a few hundred miles of mixed driving and average 2.7 miles/kWh, which works out at 246 miles of range. Objectively terrible, but not bad for a performance-oriented car in cold weather. The standard fit heat pump helped a bit – and we love the heated windscreen during cold snaps too.
Taking 10% or so off the WLTP range should give you a more realistically real world average here, though of course it depends on how you drive. Every Mach-E will charge at up to 150kW, which is not quite as fast as the Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6, but is still fast enough to get a 100 mile top-up in around 10 minutes.
If you’re charging at home from a 7kW wall box you’ll need about 11 hours for the 73kWh car, or 14 hours for the larger 88kWh battery. Find a 150kW rapid charger, which are now common in the UK's motorway services, and you'll get from 10–80% in around 36 minutes.
Practicality and boot space
The Mustang Mach-E feels pretty spacious up front, and while that coupe-like roofline might suggest it’s tight in the back, it’s actually reasonably comfortable. There's plenty of space for a couple of tall adults, even if it's not quite as airy as a Tesla Model Y or VW ID.4. You'll be comfier in the back of the Mach-E than in the Kia EV6 though.
Boot space is better than the underwhelming 402-litre capacity suggests, as the boot floor is pretty huge but you lose space in the height of the boot compared with the obvious rivals because of that rakish rear – this is where form and function come to slug it out.
It means that you'll be able to get a chunky double buggy in the boot, no worries at all, but if you've got tall dogs or big, boxy items then that sloped hatch could be a problem.
There's also a 100-litre frunk under the bonnet, which is plastic lined and even has a drain – perfect for muddy boots and sports kit. The rear seats fold flat if you need maximum luggage space, and doing so giving a good capacity of 1,420 litres.
There’s a reasonable amount of oddment storage in the cabin, with the central cubby being particularly deep and capacious. If you need to tow with it, the Extended Range models are rated to tow 1,500kg, apart from the GT and the Standard Range model, which only manage 750kg.
Interior, design/styling and technology
The funny thing about the Mach-E is that with the EV premium you’re paying the price that you’d expect of a posh petrol-powered premium SUV and getting a Ford. That’s not to say that the quality is bad, it’s just a bit middle of the road., and for £50k/£60k you want something fancy. Not helped by the awkward giant 15.5in touchscreen that looks like it’s been plonked on the dash.
Driving the car you won’t be bothered too much – you sit comfortably low for that sporty feel, if you want the upright, ‘safe’ feel of a big family SUV this isn’t it. The mid-range Premium RWD trim gets the electrically adjustable seats, and the Premium AWD gets the panoramic glass roof that lets lots of nice light into a cabin that can feel a little oppressive otherwise.
You get wireless Apple and Android connectivity as standard – which is good, because Ford’s own satnav isn’t always very clear. You’ll need to go Premium AWD for the Bang & Olufsen audio setup (that does sound pretty good), and the powered tailgate that’s a must if you’re short, but standard kit is pretty generous – you’ve got heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen on every car, as well as wireless phone charging, dual zone climate control, adaptive cruise and 360-degree parking cameras.
The Mach-E got the the full five star safety rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests, with an excellent adult occupant protection score of 92%, and child occupant score of 86%.
Motors, performance and handling
With that Mustang badge on its rump, there's real pressure on the Mach-E to handle well. Thankfully, it does. You’ve got a bit of a Mustang vibe going with that long bonnet and the huge batteries giving the car a nice low centre of gravity, but the Mach-E thankfully feels a bit more European on the move.
Unless you’re accelerating in a straight line, that is. The Mach-E has a variety of power options that range from quick to indecent. Even the entry-level Select RWD model gets 268hp and will do 0–62mph in 5.9 seconds, while the Premium AWD 375hp for a bonkers 4.6secs 0–62mph run. If you’re feeling particularly perky then the there's the range topping GT with its 487hp that’ll get to 62mph in 3.7 seconds.
Even the least powerful version is punchy, and the smooth throttle response and brake feel also help make every Mach-E a confident drive whether you're enjoying a good road or just pottering through traffic. Unless you’re worried about winter conditions or regularly drive on slippy stuff we prefer the slightly more calm and relaxing power delivery of the rear-wheel drive models.
Thoroughbred American cars tend to be softly sprung and wallowy, getting a bit scared when you arrive at a corner. The Mach-E has been deftly calibrated by Ford’s European engineers and feels well controlled, doing a decent job of filtering out the yuckiness of British roads.
The range topping GT version is mean to be more fun to drive, but it only really works if you properly lean into the silliness and spec the £2,250 Rally Pack that sticks on a giant rear wing, go faster stripes and white rally-inspired wheels as well as 20mm of extra ride height and suspension tuned for rallycross.
Running costs and pricing
There are four models to choose from in the Mustang Mach-E line-up, that combine three trim levels (Select, Premium and GT) with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and three battery sizes (73kWh, 88kWh and 91kWh).
The Select RWD 73kWh Standard Range starts the bidding at £50,840, Premium RWD 88kWh Extended Range is £59,390 – and it’s £65,415 for the AWD version of that – and then the range topping GT AWD 91kWh Extended Range model will cost you an eye watering £74,550.
Worth noting here that the Extended Range AWD version is rated to tow up to 1,500kg if you're interested in that.
Ford does offers on these cars quite often, with 0% APR on PCP finance making the car a bit more enticing. Reckon on anywhere from £400 to £700 a month depending on the small print. The whole range will qualify for the government’s expensive car supplement that adds £425 to your annual VED bill.
You get three years/60,000 miles of warranty from Ford as standard, as well as 12 months of roadside assistance that can be extended another year if you get the car serviced at a Ford dealer. Service plans and extended warranties are available for a price. Service intervals are variable – the car will let you know – but bank on around two years/18,000 miles.
Verdict
There comes a point in most enthusiastic drivers’ lives when you have to put down the toys and get something sensible for the sake of the family. Ford will try and have you believe that the Mach-E is the car to straddle that fine line between youth and middle age. The Mach-E sometimes feels like it’s trying a bit too hard, an occasional bit of nonchalance wouldn’t go amiss.
No one has yet nailed a sporty electric family car that you’ll genuinely have fun driving, but the Mach-E gets as close as anyone has in GT guise. Just a shame we can’t recommend it at that crazy price.
The entry level rear-wheel drive car has everyone going for it and offers all the Mustang pony you’ll ever really need in a five-seater SUV, whatever Ford’s marketing department might try and sell you otherwise. You get decent range, a solid charging capability and under the heavy branding exactly the sort of competent family car that Ford has been shifting for decades.
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