Ford on Tuesday opened the order books for its 2021 Mustang Mach-E and in the process revised higher the electric crossover SUV's output figures.
Ford is initially offering the Mustang Mach-E with two battery options and either rear- or all-wheel drive. The two battery options include a 68-kilowatt-hour Standard Range battery and an 88-kwh Extended Range unit.
Models with the Standard Range battery and RWD are coming with 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, up from a previously announced 255 hp and 306 lb-ft.
Models with the Standard Range battery and AWD are coming with 266 hp and 428 lb-ft, up from 255 hp and 417 lb-ft previously.
View Photos of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E 4 Even if it hadn't borrowed the Mustang's hallowed name, the new Mach-E crossover makes a bold statement about Ford's future in the electric-vehicle. The battery-powered performance crossover will be called the Ford Mustang Mach-E, complete with the pony logo and everything. It’s not so much “Mustang-inspired” as it is an official, legit member.
Models with the Extended Range battery and RWD are coming with 290 hp and 317 lb-ft, up from 282 hp and 306 lb-ft previously.
Was it the right move on Ford's part to borrow the Mustang name and use its styling, applying both to an electric crossover that will be built in Mexico and will compete with the likes of the.
And models with the Extended Range battery and AWD are coming with 346 hp and 428 lb-ft, up from 332 hp and 417 lb-ft previously. Ford says this setup will deliver a 0-60 mph time in the mid five seconds.
Next summer, buyers will also be able to opt for a Mustang Mach-E GT with the Extended Range battery and AWD. This model was previously said to be coming with 459 hp and 612 lb-ft, but it could potentially see its output also increased. Ford says this model will hit 60 mph in the three-second range.
EPA-rated range figures haven't been announced but, depending on model, Ford has said to expect anywhere between 210 and 300 miles. Ford said the Mustang Mach-E can also add about 61 miles of range in 10 minutes when charging at a rate of 150 kilowatts, available for example at an Electrify America DC high-speed charging station.
Ford is also developing an electronic driver-assist feature that will enable the Mustang Mach-E to handle some highway situations on its own. The feature will be delivered in the second half of 2021 via an over-the-air update, though it will only be applicable on models equipped with the correct hardware.
Pricing for the Mustang Mach-E starts from $44,995, including destination, and the first examples should be delivered late this year.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is The Car Connection's Best Car To Buy 2021.
The Mach-E has the styling cues of its pony car namesake, the roominess of a crossover SUV, and the performance that bridges the gap between them. With a 300-mile range that rivals only the Tesla Model Y and a price that undercuts it by at least $7,000, Ford's electric crossover appeals to the masses like a Model T for the electrified age.
Starting at $43,995, it's affordable, easy to operate, fun to drive, and stays relevant with over-the-air updates. The lack of tailpipe emissions is an added bonus Henry Ford never could have accounted for when the Model T launched in 1908, at the peak of the smoke-filled industrial age that was fueled in no small part by the advent of the personal vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine.
Branding it a Mustang is not just marketing flimflammery aimed at capitalizing on an American icon half as old as the Model T. Perhaps Ford is on a 56-year cadence for upending the automotive paradigm? Draw the lines, do the math, conspiracy theorists.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Regardless, the Mustang team was instrumental in the design and execution of Ford's first mass produced electric vehicle with a dedicated platform i.e. not the Ford Focus Electric. The long hood with twin peaks, the nose dipping into the vertical front, the sequential indicators on the fishbone taillights, the muscular rear haunches housing a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, all honor the Mustang more so than the galloping pony icons stamped front, back, and inside.
The similarities mostly end there. It lacks the whip-crack rear end that rotates like so many V-8 Mustangs, but it can still cook with a 0-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds with the larger 88-kwh battery pack and a second motor mounted up front for all-wheel drive. A forthcoming GT model can do it in 3.5 seconds. Gut-dropping acceleration uninterrupted by gear shifts is the secret joy of owning an electric vehicle, and the Mustang Mach-E upholds that in every configuration, even in rear-wheel-drive models, where range is maxed out at 300 miles but propulsion is slowed to a 0-60 mph time of 6.1 seconds.
Even with the smaller 68-kwh pack mounted under the floor between the axles, the Mach-E has a low center of gravity and a lower ride height than other SUVs. An independent suspension helps it react to the driver's inputs and road conditions; even though it leans into turns and initially plows into corners like a front-wheel-drive car, the Mach-E is fun to drive.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Mustang Crossover Horsepower
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E first drive - Portland, OR
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E first drive - Portland, OR
It also lacks the cramped interior of the Mustang. The Mach-E seats five and with no driveshaft tunnel it can actually fit five adults. The coupe-like roofline is offset by a fixed-glass roof on all but the base Select model that opens up the airy sensation and provides more head room in back. Clever packaging such as a tiered storage floor offer a very crossover-like 29.7 cubic feet of space; fold down the 60/40 rear seats for 59.7 cubic feet, and if that's not enough drop a couple carry-ons into the 4.8 cubes in the front trunk.
The Mach-E comes loaded with Ford’s latest safety features, including automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. A 15.5-inch touchscreen serves as a mastermind of controls, though the lower quadrant always shows climate controls, and a volume dial simplifies the simplest task. The Mach-E pairs with smartphones for wireless charging, to use as a key, and to monitor the vehicle, among other things. An available hands-free driving system is coming soon, but leather upholstery isn't.
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is a worthy electric car, and a proud heir to the Ford pony-car legacy.
Read more about our Driver’s Choice awards to find out what our readers think is best in every category—and find out what won in the Best Car To Buy derby at our sister sites, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports.
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