In Detroit at the 2022 North American International Auto Show, Ford’s new seventh-generation Mustang was definitely the talk of the town – but it wasn’t the only pony making the rounds.
The Mustang Mach-E also made quite an impact, with Ford rolling out a selection of the things for Australian media to sample.
No, the Blue Oval isn’t ready to confirm a right-hand-drive model for the AU market, but maybe how intent Ford was to get the Australian media behind the wheel of one as part of the other Mustang launch must be a good sign, right?
And I hope so, because the Mach-E is a really great car. Is it a Mustang? I’ll let you decide, but it’s quick enough to out-pace the vast majority of Ford’s previous pony cars.
The lowest-spec, rear-wheel-drive base Mach-E offers a healthy 194kW of power and 430Nm of torque. A top-shelf GT? Try 358kW/813Nm. That’s not far short of a Mustang GT500.
So, yeah, it’s powerful, but even the lower-trim models are very quick, with all that lovely, low-end torque from the electric motors.
And, with up to 502 kilometers of range in the Route 1 edition Mach-E, the car has reasonably long legs, too.
The interior is bright and futuristic, having a futuristic, concept-car vibe to it.
There’s not a lot in here, Ford taking some cues from Tesla and integrating just about everything into the massive, 15.5-inch, vertically-mounted display with a clever inset volume knob. Ford’s Sync system is plain but snappy and does all that you’d want it to.
When you’re not tapping into all the torque offered by either one or two electric motors, the Mach-E is a reasonably comfortable tourer.
Comfortable seats and acres of headroom mean you’ll be plenty comfortable, and it’s naturally quiet and calm as can be.
The ride quality can be a bit harsh at times, but that’s significantly lessened if you spec the smaller, 18-inch wheels.
Ford’s basic active-safety package is comprehensive, keeping the car centered on the road, adapting your speed to traffic, and automatically braking in emergency situations.
If you want to step up, Blue Cruise hands-off cruise control is available, too – at least in the US market, but Australian roads are understood not to have been mapped for this function as yet.
Overall there’s a lot to like about the Mach-E, and in the US it’s very competitively priced. You can get into one for just under $44,000 US (AUD$65,000 at the time of writing in September 2022).
That would make the Ford about $8000 cheaper than the cheapest Model Y, though in the US, buyers who want a Mach-E Premium with the big battery and AWD end up in the same ballpark as the Tesla.
Choosing between the Mach-E and Model Y is no competition, at least for me. The Mach-E looks better, drives better, and I have a lot more trust for Blue Cruise than Autopilot.
Again, no word on when or if a right-hand Mach-E will come to Australia, but spy shots have revealed the existence of an RHD test mule. Hopefully Ford AU makes it happen soon, because more people need to drive this car.