Ford unveils all-electric Mustang inspired SUV
No, this is not an April Fool’s joke, it’s just Ford getting ready for the future and the future is electric (for now). For the first time in the brand’s history an electric car will bear the pony logo. The all-electric SUV gets Mustang inspired looks while also having a distinct identity. There will be a plethora of variants offered with a combination of rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive options. The fastest variant gets the ‘GT’ moniker, like it’s ICE powered counterpart, and 450bhp to help it earn that iconic badge.
Variants and Configurations
There are a huge set of variants with multiple combinations available. However, at launch there will only be two variants available, ‘Premium’ and ‘First Edition’.
To simplify things, In terms of battery there is either a standard 75.7kWh battery or an extended range 98.8kWh battery pack and there is an option of rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive on select models.
The base variant called ‘Select’ gets only the standard battery and is offered with rear-wheel-drive as standard and an EPA estimated range of 368km. The top-spec ‘GT Performance’ trim gets 400km of range and all-wheel-drive only. There will be a table here to detail the variants and batteries
Powertrain
The Mustang Mach-E is powered by an electric motor offering varying levels of performance across the range. Variants mated with the standard battery get 250bhp and 414Nm of torque in rear-wheel-drive format or 565Nm with all-wheel-drive. The ‘Premium’ variant with the extended battery bumps up power to 278bhp with torque remaining at 414Nm for rear-wheel-drive models while the all-wheel-drive variant gets 327bhp and 565Nm of torque, the same as the ‘First Edition’. Performance stays similar across these models with a sub six second 0-100 time. ‘California Route 1’ gets 278bhp and 414bhp and also the slowest 0 to 100 kmph time of under seven seconds, to extend its cruising capabilities. The top-spec ‘GT Performance’ gets 452bhp and 829Nm of torque! This helps it reach 100kmph in under four seconds, that’s definitely fast enough to be called a Mustang.
Styling
Performance is one thing but a Mustang also has to look the part, since styling is subjective let us know whether the ‘Mach-E’ deserves the Mustang badge. The ‘Mach-E’ definitely has some cues from the standard Mustang line but does not borrow heavily enough to be recognisable as a Mustang at first sight. The taillights strike a great resemblance with the iconic three slash design while the rear haunches of the car also hark back to the Mustang. The front end is a big departure except for the Mustang inspired headlights, with three vertical LED strips. The pony badge is featured across the car to remind you that this is a Mustang although the lack of any prominent grilles do surely give away the car’s electric background.
The Mach-E is also one of the few cars with no real door handles, there is a button on the door frame which opens up the door a few inches so you can reach in and swing it open. Lost your keys? Fret not, there is a keypad on the door allowing you to input a preset password to unlock the car. In terms of size and appearance the Mach-E is definitely more of a crossover than a big SUV.
Interior
On the inside is where the similarities with the Mustang seem restricted to the pony badges littered across. However the shape of the dashboard is similar to that of the first Mustang. The cabin is dominated by a large 15.5-inch touchscreen that is standard across the range, controlling the majority of the car’s functions. There is also a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster which is also standard across the range. Thankfully, Ford has retained a physical volume dial! The interior is finished in completely animal-free materials with a new synthetic material that mimics leather.
Charging
The Mach-E can charge at rates of 150 kilowatts using the DC fast charger that can give it 75km of range in just 10 minutes. For charging overnight, Ford is bundling the Mach-E with a Ford Mobile Charger that can give three miles of range per hour using the standard 120 volt outlet while a 240 volt outlet gives it 22 miles of range per hour. Mach-E owners will have access to a huge range of charging stations across the United States, Ford says up to 75 percent of them.
Pricing and Availability
The base Select variant starts at $43,895 (Rs 31 Lakh before Indian taxes and duties) while the top-spec GT Performance will cost $60,500 (Rs 43 Lakh before Indian taxes and duties). The Mach-E will be offered in Premium and First Edition trims only at launch in 2020 with other variants joining the line in 2021. Pre-bookings are now open through Ford’s website. However, we do not know if the Mach-E will ever hit our shores.
