It was already presented at the end of 2019, but a certain pandemic created all kinds of chaos in the builders' schedules and only now, almost two years after its unveiling, the new Ford Mustang Mach-E arrives in Portugal.
Is this a mustang? Ahh, yes… Ford's decision to call Mustang its new electric continues to divide even today as it was announced to the world. Heresy say some, brilliant others say. Like it or not, the truth is that the decision to name this electric crossover Mustang Mach-E gave it much more visibility and even a dose of additional style, with visual elements that bring it closer to the original pony car.
But is it convincing? In this video, Guilherme Costa tells you everything that is most relevant and interesting about this electric crossover, in our first dynamic contact on national roads:
Ford Mustang Mach-E, the numbers
The tested version is one of the most powerful and fastest in the range (AWD with the highest capacity battery) being surpassed only by the GT version (487 hp and 860 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 4.4s, battery 98.7 kWh and 500 km autonomy) which will arrive later.
In this Extended AWD version that Guilherme drove, the Mustang Mach-E is presented with two electric motors — one per axle — which guarantees four-wheel drive, 351 hp of maximum power and 580 Nm of maximum torque. Numbers that translate to 5.1s in the electronically limited 0-100 km/h and 180 km/h.
Powering the electric motors we have a battery with a capacity of 98.7 kWh (88 kWh useful) capable of guaranteeing a maximum combined range of 540 km (WLTP). It also announces a combined cycle consumption of 18.7 kWh/100 km, a very competitive value, but taking into account Guilherme's observations during his dynamic contact, the Mustang Mach-E seems to be able to easily do better.
It is possible to charge the battery to 150 kW in an ultra-fast charging station, where 10 minutes are enough to add the equivalent of 120 km of autonomy in electric energy. In an 11 kW wallbox, fully charging the battery takes 10 hours.
mustang but for families
Taking the crossover format, the new Ford Mustang Mach-E presents itself much more apt for family use, having a generous offer of space in the back, even though the advertised 390 l for the trunk is a value at the level of a C-segment — one of its main rivals, the Volkswagen ID.4, has 543 l, for example. The Mach-E responds, however, with a second luggage compartment at the front with 80 l of additional capacity.
Inside, a highlight is the dominant position of the 15.4″ vertical screen of the infotainment system (this is already the SYNC4), which proved to be quite responsive. Despite the almost absence of physical controls, we highlight the presence of a separate area in the system to control the climate, which avoids navigating menus, and we also have a generous circular physical command to control the volume.
The technology on board is, in fact, one of the highlights of the new model. From multiple driving assistants (allowing semi-autonomous driving), to advanced connectivity (remote updates available, as well as an application that lets you manage a series of vehicle features and functionalities, as well as using your smartphone as a "key" access), to the potential of the infotainment system that manages to “learn” from our routines.
In this version, the high on-board equipment is also highlighted, practically all as standard — from the heated and ventilated seats to the Bose audio system —, with very few options (the red color of our unit is one of them, adding 1321 euros to the price) .
The price of this AWD version with the larger battery starts at €64,500 and is now available to order, with the first units to be delivered in September.
The more affordable version of the Mustang Mach-E is under 50,000 euros, but comes equipped with just one engine (269 hp) and two drive wheels (the rear), as well as a smaller battery of 75.5 kWh and 440 km of autonomy. If we opt for this rear-wheel drive version with a 98.7 kWh battery, the autonomy goes up to 610 km (the Mach-E goes further), power up to 294 hp and the price up to close to 58 thousand euros.