Ford Mustang MACH-E SUV (2020 - ) Electric review

If the standard Mach-E looks like great bang for buck this GT version is a more serious purchase, and priced against premium rivals like the Jaguar I-Pace, Polestar 2 and faster versions of the Audi Q4 E-Tron Sportback, not to mention new arrivals like the Genesis GV60 and GT version of the already impressive Kia EV6. No discussion of fast EVs can ignore Tesla either, the Tesla Model Y delivering the usual combination of electrified performance and tech brand image. Whether you think the Ford badge can cut it at this level is something to ponder but, more broadly, like any electric car the Mach-E GT can slash your running costs if you charge it at home and – especially – if you can run it as a company car and offset the higher cost against the substantial Benefit In Kind savings.

Just like the standard Mach-E we have high hopes here. Ford as a brand normally fares mid-table in reliability indexes and owner feedback, and, given Ford’s reputation, you’d hope for fewer build-quality glitches than the far newer Tesla. Ford’s infotainment system is usually pretty reliable too, unlike some of its glitch-prone competitors. There’s an eight-year battery warranty, which is more-or-less standard across the industry now.

There’s a huge amount of safety kit offered on the Mach-E, from the usual blind-spot warning system, to front and rear parking cameras. The standard ‘Pre-Collision Assist’ pack gives you collision mitigation, forward collision warning, dynamic brake support and evasive steer assist. Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance are also standard for the GT, as are 360-degree cameras to help with parking what is a pretty big car.

The GT is intended to stand apart from the rest of the Mach-E range, though the core of the vehicle is of course the same and it shares the spacious, SUV practicality of the standard one. In keeping with the all-American image it feels somewhat larger than life and takes up a lot of space on the road and in parking spaces, though the raised edges of the bonnet and classic ‘power bulge’ in its centre both look cool and help you judge your road position, taking some of the stress out of it. As the performance model the GT definitely has a macho vibe to go with the beefed up looks, the steering feeling pretty heavy at parking speeds while the bigger wheels add substance. Exclusive to the GT is what Ford brands ‘MagneRide’ suspension, which adjusts automatically according to which mode you choose from the central touch-screen but still feels pretty tough in every setting. Suffice to say, the GT wears its performance heart on its sleeve so if you want a comfy electric family SUV you’re better off looking elsewhere. The flipside being it has character and a sense of cool the kids will probably love, especially in those bright new colours.

Tesla’s influence is clear on the Mach-E’s interior, the giant, vertically oriented touch-screen powered by the next-generation of Ford’s in-house Sync infotainment. It’s bright, clear and easy to use with crisp graphics, while – unlike Tesla – you still get a big, physical volume dial. Which we like. Chances are you’ll be connecting your phone wirelessly and using your apps a lot of the time, so the charging pad means your handset will never run out of juice and spares the faff of plugging a cable in, in keeping with the Mach-E’s new tech vibe. Unique features setting the GT apart from other Mach-E variants include wider 20-inch wheels with colour-coded arch extensions to contain them, Ford Performance sports seats and a standard B&O sound system, leaving the panoramic roof as the only real option. GT spec also introduces exclusive and suitably lairy new colours, including Grabber Blue and Cyber Orange. In for a penny, and if you’re going the whole hog with the fastest Mach-E you can buy you may as well make sure people know about it, in keeping with Ford’s ‘Watch me!’ ethos for the car.

From its legendary RS hot hatches to the classic V8-powered Mustangs, the Mach-E GT combines Ford’s formidable performance car heritage from both sides of the Atlantic. And brings with it more than a degree of expectation. It comes as standard with the bigger 91kWh battery, which is good for an official 310 miles. That’s nearly 70 miles less than the best of the regular Mach-Es but the GT is all about performance and its twin motors have been retuned to deliver a combined 487 horsepower, which is over 100 more than the next most powerful model. It’s also tuned to send more of it to the rear wheels to mimic the handling balance of classic Mustangs, gaining an additional Untamed Plus mode unique to the GT that sharpens steering, boosts power delivery and relaxes the interventions from the stability control. It’s intended for track use only but, either way, the car only lets you use it if the temperature and battery achieve certain parameters and it wouldn’t work on our test vehicle so we can’t comment on the extra performance or more aggressive ‘engine noise’ it claims to deliver. For road use the regular Untamed mode is more than enough though, the synthesised growl over the speakers going some way to compensate for the lack of a big petrol engine like Mustangs of old while the response to the accelerator is borderline brutal. Thankfully you can calm it down with the Whisper mode for town use, though it still feels pretty burly even in this mode.