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MOTORS: Mustang trims some ‘muscle’ to be a leaner, greener machine





Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The name alone conjures up images of the glory days of American automotive history.

If you are in any measure a petrolhead, the mere mention of Mustang means muscle car and if you’re of a certain vintage, memories of Steve McQueen roaring through the streets of San Francisco in the ‘60s film Bullitt.

A lot has changed since then and while the name continues, the latest version has trimmed some of its muscle to become more appropriate for these environmentally-focused days.

The Mustang Mach-E sounds beefy but under the bonnet there’s no burbling 6.4 litre V8 of the original. All you’ll find in this £60,000 version is a storage area and two bags containing charging cables.

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It’s all-electric and ticks the boxes for those who want to drive something more interesting than a run-of-the-mill EV but still feel they need to show consideration for the future of our planet.

What Ford has done with this steed is create a clean, modern version of the original which may not be as gutsy, but still holds nothing back in performance.

Like every EV, the power is direct through the one-speed auto box and will propel you from a standing start to 62mph in just seven seconds which is only one-and-a-half seconds slower than the 1968 model.

Comparisons are being made with the Tesla Model Y which does the standing start in half that time but as far as I’m concerned, that’s about the only thing in the Tesla’s favour.

Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The Mach-E shares the big central touchscreen but is more engaging to drive, has more personality and stands out more than the Tesla, which is looking more bland as the numbers on the road increase.

Driving the Mustang is effortless with three driving modes - Active is the default, while Whisper is more eco-focused and Untamed prioritises performance. All three alter the accelerator and steering responses, as well as changing the cabin lighting and for a bit of fun, the Untamed setting adds a fake V8 engine sound through the cabin.

While the interior is superbly finished, it looks fairly spartan, because almost everything is controlled through the central 15.5 inch tablet-style touchscreen, which is user-friendly and pretty easily navigated.

Standard equipment is comprehensive and the Premium version test car came with heated powered front seats and steering wheel, wireless device charging pad, adaptive cruise control and rear view camera. The £2500 Tech Pack added a 10-speaker B&O audio system with dashboard sound bar, panoramic glass roof and powered tailgate. The other option on the test car was the Vapour Blue paintwork which added £1150 to the not-insubstantial on-the-road price just a few quid short of £60,000.

There’s a power button on the central pillar for the E-Latch keyless entry which opens the door automatically and can be programmed through a numbered keypad for extra security.

But this car’s big attraction is its range, which is claimed at 372 miles but that depends on the conditions and the weather. If you’re using the heater and aircon, wipers and lights, your battery can drain quicker and long speed-limit drives are less efficient than around town where you can benefit from regenerative engine braking and deceleration.

I liked the strong one-pedal drive option which not only reduces the amount of braking you have to do, but the regeneration also helps keep the battery topped up.

A rapid charger should boost your battery to 80 per cent in less than an hour but a standard home wall unit will take an overnight charge to do the same. I used the three-pin plug cable to charge the car overnight at home and it took the battery from 40 per cent to 100 per cent in about 15 hours.

Interior space for passengers is generous and while the rear boot isn’t the biggest, the bonus bin under the bonnet not only houses the charging cables but is also a handy extra cargo space.

Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium RWD 1-Speed auto

PRICE: £59,380 (£63,030 as tested)

ENGINE: Single electric motor 88kWh battery

POWER: 294 PS

TORQUE: 430 Nm

TOP SPEED: 111mph

0-62mph: 7 secs

RANGE: 372 miles

CHARGING TIME: 45 mins (150kW high power)


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