Familiar Name, Nothing’s the Same
It only took 55 years for Ford to make dramatic news with the Mustang. Yes, at one point there was a Mustang II, but we will not dwell on that. What Ford has done is expand the Mustang lineup with the all-new, all-electric 2021 Mustang Mach-E SUV. If you are a Mustang purist, take a deep breath, as the current Mustang coupe and convertible will continue to provide both cruising pleasure, fuel economy from EcoBoost engines and superb high-performance driving. But for those that want the spirit of the original Mustang, but one that goes faster than any street legal, showroom gasoline version ever did—and does so quietly—then the Mach-E could be the car for you.
Ford gave rides this week, in prototype
versions of the Mustang Mach-E, to a select group of automotive journalists,
with pro drivers behind the wheel. If this isn’t too Batman for you, the best
way to describe the Mach-E is—Whoosh! Yikes! and Yahoo!, because this thing is
fast. Ford has set its eyes on the highest performing battery electric vehicles
(BEV) by taking a blank slate and creating a SUV that, in the GT trim level,
can get 0-60 in the mid-3-second range.
Mustang Mach-E Choices
The Mustang Mach-E comes in five trim levels:
Select, Premium, First Edition, California Route 1 and GT/GT Performance. The
Premium and First Edition will be available in late 2020, and the Select and
GT/GT Performance in early spring 2021. The design cues are pure Mustang with a
long hood and short rear overhang. The LED headlights are slim and frame a
front nose that has active air shutters on the lower fascia. The sequential,
tri-bar LED tail lamps are true to current Mustang design.
There are three drive modes—Whisper, Engage and Unbridled—each giving a different driving experience. Rear wheel drive (RWD) is standard with all-wheel drive (AWD) an option. AWD is standard on the GT and GT Performance models. Performance numbers for the GT/GT Performance are 459 horsepower (hp) and 612 pounds-feet of torque, (lb.-ft). The other three models get a very impressive 332 hp and 417 lb.-ft. of torque. Not bad for a base zero emission 210 kilowatt (kW) electric power plant. The higher numbers come when a 50 kW motor is added at the front wheels to create AWD.
The Mach-E will have the option of one-pedal
driving, where lifting off the accelerator pedal will bring the car to a stop.
This is a very convenient feature in-town and in ever-so-frustrating, commute
traffic.
The all-electric driving range is estimated to be either 210 and 300 miles, with the higher range when the Mach-E is equipped with the extended range battery and RWD. Battery packs are 75.7 kilowatt-hours (kWh) for the shorter range and 98.8 kWh for the long-range models.
People and Stuff
The compactMach-E (Escape class) has room for five, but three full-size adults in the rear is not advised for a trip of any distance. With the rear seat folded, cargo space is 59.6 cubic feet, but that isn’t the only place to store stuff. Under the hood is a waterproof front trunk—or “frunk”—which can hold a carry-on-sized bag. For versatility, the frunk has been cleverly designed with a drain so it can hold wet or dirty items or even be packed with ice for beverages and then hosed out.
The interior design is sleek and modern, with
either cloth or a non-animal “leather” used throughout the cabin, including the
seats. The floating flip-up center armrest is deep for storing purses and bags,
which we were told is the preferred location for purses for easy access to
their contents. The optional panoramic sunroof is large and opens the cabin for
front and rear seat occupants.
Technology
The 2021 Mustang Mach-E comes with updated
and improved driver-assist technology suite of Co-Pilot360 2.0, which has
features that help make driving safer and drivers more confident. These include
automatic emergency braking, blind spot and active lane control monitoring,
evasive steering assist plus adaptive cruise control.
Active park assist is available on certain
trim levels, allowing the driver to press and hold a button, at which point the
Mach-E automatically takes control of the steering wheel, accelerator pedal,
brakes and gear selector, for either parallel or perpendicular parking.
FordPass Connect is standard, offering a 4G
LTE Wi-Fi that can handle mobile devises and allows for over-the-air software
updates. This is also where electric charging can be managed, including
charging and payment, through the FordPass charging network, the largest such
network in North America.
Ford’s proprietary 15.5-inch, vertical
touchscreen handles the next generation Sync 4 connectivity system
that includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Ford+Alexa and Waze navigation. The
Sync 4 system has been simplified so now everything is no more than two touches
away. If you really want to go big, the optional B&O Premium audio system
should be worth the investment because the cabin on the Mach-E is so quiet.
There is a second smaller, horizontal screen
directly in front of the driver that displays driving information. It is a bit
curious that the Mach-E will not come with a head-up display, which Clean
Fleet Report would like to see as standard equipment on all cars.
Price and Timing
Expect final pricing for the all-new,
all-electric 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E to be released as we get closer to the on-sale
dates of fall 2020 and spring 2021. The “from” pricing at this point begins at
$43,895 and goes to $60,500. The considerable spread in prices reflects the
different trim levels, different size batteries, and RWD versus AWD options. Federal
and state tax credits could reduce the final price by several thousands of
dollars.
Clean Fleet Report will do a thorough road test of the 2021 Mustang Mach-E when it is made available to the press. We are excited to drive and learn as much as possible about the Mustang Mach-E, and pass along our thoughts on this revolutionary Ford vehicle.
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Source: Electric, Hybrid, Clean Diesel & High-MPG Vehicles
