2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E review: Australian first drive (2024)

The Mustang Mach-E – Ford's first electric passenger car to be sold in Australia and a rival to the top-selling Tesla Model Y – is due in local showrooms by the end of this year.

It has attracted attention – and controversy – before it has even arrived.

Ford fans say the Mach-E is not worthy of the famous Mustang badge – because it is an SUV, and it is electric.

Study the design cues along the side profile, and you might notice the Mustang Mach-E started in the design studio as an electric equivalent to the Ford Escape SUV.

But after being blown away by the performance of an early test vehicle, top Ford executives asked the design teamto start over and see what the same vehicle would look like with a Mustang nose and tail.

Ford also figured it would sell more of these electric cars if it were to wear a Mustang badge than if it had an anonymous name.

For its part, Ford says the Mach-E is worthy of the Mustang badge and has the credentials to prove it.

So in our first local test drive, we thought we'd test the claims.

In this review, we will cover the price and features of all three model grades for the Ford Mustang Mach-E available from launch, take each one for a road test, and finish with 0 to 100km/h times across the line-up so we know exactly how fast each variant really is.

Does the Mustang Mach-E electric car have what it takes to beat the V8? You could be in for a shock.

There are initially three models in the Ford Mustang Mach-E line-up in Australia.

• Select: $79,990 plus on-road costs
• RWD single motor
• 71kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery
• 470km driving range (WLTP)
• 198kW/430Nm electric motor output

• Premium: $91,665 plus on-road costs
• RWD single motor
• 91kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery
• 600km driving range (WLTP)
• 216kW/430Nm electric motor output

• GT: $107,665 plus on-road costs
• AWD dual motor
• 91kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery
• 490km driving range (WLTP)
• 358kW/860Nm combined electric motor output

At a glance all three models look the same – and all come standard with a panoramic sunroof (as with the Tesla Model Y and upcoming Volkswagen ID.5), but there are some subtle exterior design cues to distinguish each variant.

The Ford Mach-E Select has 19-inch alloy wheels with aero covers (what we used to call hub caps), Hankook 225/55 R19 eco tyres, dark wheel arch flares, dark trim along the doors, and bi-LED headlights.

The Ford Mach-E Premium has a fancier 19-inch alloy wheel design without aero covers – and with Continental Premium Contact 6 tyres (also 225/55 R19), projector-beam LED headlights and red brake calipers.

The Ford Mach-E GT has a more aggressive front-fascia design – with a tinted faux-grille – to more easily identify it as the flagship performance model, massive race-bred Brembo brakes, and 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tyres (245/45 R20).

The interior of all three models is largely the same – they all come with a 10.2-inch widescreen digital instrument display and a massive vertical tablet-style 15.5-inch infotainment screen.

The main differences are the colour and trim across the dash, doors and seat fabrics.

The flagship Ford Mustang Mach-E GT gains more heavily bolstered sports seats up front, which are super snug but make this variant ineligible for a five-star crash protection score because it lacks a centre airbag (see our 'Safety' section below).

The Ford Mustang Mach-E has a roomy and comfortable cabin, though it is not the best in class. Form (the sleek roof line) has come at the expense of function (boot space and practicality).

There's not much more space than a Toyota RAV4 inside, even though the Ford Mustang Mach-E is bigger on the outside. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is also a touch more snug than a Tesla Model Y – Australia's top-selling electric SUV.

One ace up the Ford Mustang Mach-E's sleeve: its under-bonnet storage is a slightly larger cargo hold than that of the Tesla Model Y.

The Tesla Model Y claws back lost ground with more space in the rear seat and boot compared to the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

On balance, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is comfortable, but as is often the case in cars of this size, the back seat is better suited to two rather than three adults.

For those with kids, there are two ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the rear window seats, and three top-tether points so an old-school child seat can be fitted in the middle position.

There is good storage in the door pockets, a large two-tiered centre console near the dash, and another long narrow centre console with a roller shutter cover beneath an adjustable armrest between the front seats.

Helpfully, the two large digital displays for the instrument cluster and the infotainment screen are easy to navigate and easy to control.

To open the doors from the outside, press a discreet button the size of a five-cent piece and then pull on a small aerodynamic tab. There's also space for a PIN-code touch panel on the driver's door to access the car without a physical key.

The interior door handles have a precise-feeling, vertical metal lever. There are one-touch auto-up and auto-down power windows for all four doors.

All models in the Ford Mustang Mach-E range in Australia are equipped with a power tailgate that opens and closes at the press of a button.

Back seat occupants have rear air vents and a choice of a USB-A or USB-C charge port.

Front seat occupants have a large wireless smartphone charging pad and USB-A and USB-C ports. The cargo hold has a 12V power socket.

Under the boot floor is space for a charging cable but no spare tyre. An inflator kit is standard, which is less than ideal but better than nothing at all, which is the case in the Tesla Model Y.

Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all variants of the Mustang Mach-E, as are AM/FM and digital radio – and embedded navigation.

The inclusion of AM is a big deal. Most other electric cars don't have this potentially life-saving feature. AM has slowly been disappearing from new cars as it is phased out in Europe and the US. However, AM radio signals are a primary source of emergency information during bushfires, floods and other natural disasters – particularly in regional and remote areas where there may not be phone signals – or out of FM radio range.

Ford should be commended for making sure its cars have AM in them (after briefly experimenting without AM on some models). For example, Tesla, Polestar, MG and others lack AM radio on their electric cars. And we dropped out of digital and FM radio range the other day just 45 minutes out of Sydney.

For those who don't listen to talkback, news radio, or emergency alerts, there is a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

It's okay, but genuine music buffs might be disappointed. It seems B&O has a genuine premium audio range and a lesser system of lower quality that has B&O badging on it but average audio quality.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on Euro NCAP testing conducted in 2021.

Based on a range of destructive tests – as well as assessments of crash-avoidance systems – most variants in the Ford Mustang Mach-E range were awarded 92 per cent for adult occupant protection in the front seats, 88 per cent for child protection in the back seats, 69 per cent for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and 82 per cent for crash-avoidance aids.

Testing was of left-hand-drive models – not right-hand-drive – completed by Europe NCAP and interpreted, checked and adopted by Australasian NCAP.

However, the top-of-the-range Ford Mustang Mach-E GT – the fastest and most expensive variant – is not included in the five-star rating because the sports seats lack a centre airbag between front occupants (designed to protect them in a severe side impact).

Despite this deficit, the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT comes with all other advanced safety aids as the rest of the Mach-E line-up – which is awarded a five-star safety rating.

For the full list of advanced safety equipment on the new Ford Mustang Mach-E, see the next section of the review.

All three variants in the Ford Mustang Mach-E line-up come with a complete suite of advanced safety technology, with the exception of the absence of the centre airbag in the flagship GT as noted above.

All Ford Mustang Mach-E variants sold in Australia have two front airbags, two front-seat-mounted side airbags, two full-length 'curtain' airbags, and a driver's knee airbag. Only the Select and Premium models have a centre airbag between the front seats to prevent head-clash in a severe side impact.

Other advanced technology standard on all variants includes autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse), radar cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-zone warning, rear cross-traffic alert, speed sign recognition, a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitors (which are the more accurate valve type).

The lane-keeping assistance and speed sign recognition systems worked well on our preview drive, and the 360-camera view delivers clear images during the day (we didn't have a chance to test it in low light) on the 15.5-inch high-resolution infotainment screen.

Service intervals for routine maintenance on the Ford Mustang Mach-E are the same for most of Ford's petrol-powered passenger cars: every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first). Warranty is five years/unlimited kilometres.

According to Ford, the cost of routine maintenance over three years is $450 and over five years is $765. At the time of publication, the 'odd' years are $135 and the 'even' years are $180 per visit, all the way to 12 years/180,000km.

Service prices are low compared to petrol cars, and the Mach-E's service costs are very reasonable for electric cars.

Electric cars are generally cheaper to service because there are fewer perishables and maintenance items, which is becoming a concern for dealerships who rely on service departments as profit centres in their own right.

We didn't have an estimate for the annual insurance premium as this review was published because the insurance companies are yet to upload Ford Mustang Mach-E details into their systems.

We didn't drive the Ford Mustang Mach-E on our usual road loop as this test was conducted during the media preview event near Brisbane, and we were driving in a mix of conditions – up and down mountains and along some stretches of freeway, as well as the bump and grind of peak-hour traffic.

Testing of the GT was mostly on a closed course, but we did drive all three variants on the road – at different times and on different loops – so it was hard to compare like-for-like.

Nevertheless, we noted the energy consumption data we saw, which was high given the conditions.

The Select and Premium showed consumption figures of 18–20kWh per 100 kilometres, which is much higher than a Tesla Model Y that can dip in the 14–16kWh/100km bracket in ideal conditions.

The GT showed consumption figures of 23–25kWh/100km, which is also high but on par with other electric cars that offer similar performance, such as the Porsche Taycan Turbo.

We will do a more thorough analysis of the energy consumption of each Ford Mustang Mach-E variant as they come through the Drive garage.

Energy Consumption - brought to you by bp

Energy Efficiency	Energy Stats
Energy cons. (claimed)	Select: 17.8kWh/100km Premium: 17.3kWh/100km GT: 21.2kWh/100km
Energy cons. (on test)	Select, Premium: 18–20kWh/100km GT: 23–25kWh/100km
Battery size	Select: 71kWh Premium, GT: 91kWh
Driving range claim (WLTP)	Select: 470km Premium: 600km GT: 490km
Charge time (11kW)	Select: 7h 16min (estimated) Premium, GT: 9h 11min (estimated)
Charge time (50kW)	Select: 1h 38min (estimated) Premium, GT: 2h 02min (estimated)
Charge time (150kW max rate)	Select: 32min (10–80 per cent) Premium, GT: 45min (10–80 per cent)

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First up, we tested the Ford Mustang Mach-E Select, the cheapest model in the range. It comes with a 71kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack and an electric motor that powers the rear wheels.

It’s smooth to drive but feels heavy, even by electric car standards, and has similar acceleration to a Tesla Model Y (we will get to the exact 0 to 100km/h figures for each variant of the Ford Mustang Mach-E shortly).

Although the base-model Select (71kWh) has a smaller battery capacity than the middle-of-the-range Premium (91kWh) edition, the Select is heavier overall because it has different battery chemistry.

For the tech heads, the Select model equipped with a 71kWh lithium iron phosphate battery weighs 2104kg, whereas the Premium model equipped with a 91kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery weighs 2098kg.

The Premium model is more supple over bumps and more sure-footed in corners.

Given the suspension tune is the same on the Select and Premium, the only differences are weight and the Select's 19-inch Hankook tyres compared to the 19-inch Continental tyres on the Premium.

Although the Premium's extra power is modest, it feels perkier and more responsive than the Select (as our 0 to 100km/h times later confirmed), and in fact it’s line-ball with the times we recorded for the Tesla Model Y.

Another cool feature included on all variants of the Ford Mustang Mach-E: the driver has a choice of silent mode or what Ford calls “propulsion” mode. It gives the car an artificial, high-tech interior hum delivered via the audio speakers that sounds like a cross between a spaceship and a V8 engine.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium is surprisingly comfortable, though there is a bit of road roar on coarse-chip surfaces. It’s clearly not as quick as the Mustang badge might suggest, but it’s perky enough for most electric cars.

If your budget stretches this far – $90,000-plus – and you don’t want to drive a Tesla, the Mach-E Premium is a good alternative.

With our road test of the Select and Premium models completed, it was time to get behind the wheel of the GT.

This is the Mach-E variant we were most excited to drive – and the car Ford says is truly worthy of the Mustang badge.

It’s the fastest and most powerful electric passenger car Ford has produced to date, and it’s one of the fastest and most powerful electric cars on the market today.

What you can detect instantly by the seat of the pants: the Mach-E GT is demonstrably quicker than a Mustang V8.And there’s more than a hint of (artificial) V8 noise inside the cabin transmitted via the audio speakers. It’s pretty convincing for fake sound. I only wish Ford could give drivers the option to make it a bit louder.

Before we get too carried away, let's talk about the results of our 0 to 100km/h acceleration tests.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Select did the 0 to 100km/h dash in 7.2 seconds and the Premium stopped the clocks (using satellite-based VBox timing equipment) in 6.9 seconds, which coincidentally is the same acceleration time we have previously recorded for the Tesla Model Y.

For the flagship GT, Ford claims a 0 to 100km/h time of under four seconds, but that’s with a rolling start.

With our VBox equipment attached, we recorded a string of four identical 4.3-second times, making it more than half a second faster than a V8 Mustang and almost as quick as a Porsche 911.

As we packed the VBox equipment away to continue our road test loop, we contemplated the data. The 0 to 100km/h time of 4.3 seconds is rapid by any measure and will likely be the fastest car many buyers will have experienced in their lifetimes.

On the road, the Mustang Mach-E GT feels so quick and so responsive that Ford could sell tickets for joy rides.

Think we’re getting carried away? A community service announcement for all the Mustang fans who are electric-car haters – or who are discovering electric cars for the first time: please stay off your keyboards and off social media until you’ve driven one.

What’s equally impressive is how agile the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT feels, even though it weighs more than 2.2 tonnes (which is as heavy as a Ford Ranger). When we drove the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT in the US about a year ago, the suspension was too firm even though we were on perfectly smooth roads. So we’re thankful Ford Australia selected the upgraded suspension as standard on examples of the Mach-E GT delivered here.

In addition to powerful regenerative braking, the GT also has large friction brakes – race-bred Brembos with discs the size of pizza trays. The calipers are huge – you can wash off speed really quickly – and in our test at least, they were fade-free.

The Pirelli P Zero tyres have excellent grip, and they were surprisingly supple and quiet on the roads we sampled on the preview drive. The GT’s all-wheel-drive system also helps the vehicle claw out of corners.

So, with all that said, is the Ford Mustang Mach-E worthy of the iconic Mustang badge? It depends on which model you choose.

The Select model is probably the hardest sell in the Ford Mustang Mach-E range given its comparatively high price, firm suspension, and limited driving range.

The Premium is the sweet spot and a good alternative to the Tesla Model Y – if the budget stretches that far.

But the flagship Ford Mustang Mach-E GT truly is next level. It’s a genuine performance car, no matter what you call it.

This is a tough call. The Tesla Model Y is cheaper, roomier, more energy-efficient, and has a bigger charging network than the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

However, the Tesla Model Y has a shorter warranty, lacks basics such as an AM radio, a spare tyre or inflator kit, and has a much smaller dealer network compared to Ford's 180 outlets across Australia, should buyers need sales and service support.

While price weighs heavily against the Ford Mustang Mach-E range, some might argue that's what it costs to stand out from the Tesla Model Y crowd.

There's another potential group of buyers: Ford fanatics who are coming around to the idea of an electric car as a second vehicle – to park alongside their Ford Ranger ute or V8 Mustang coupe.

Ford Australia says supply of the Mustang Mach-E will be limited between now and the end of the year, but shipments are due to ramp up in 2024.

The company has not yet indicated any waiting times as early orders are still coming through. However, Ford expects the Select and Premium variants will have shorter waiting times than the flagship high-performance GT.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive of the Ford Mustang Mach-E at a dealership before signing on the dotted line because personal preferences can differ.

In the case of the Ford Mustang Mach-E Select – the cheapest of the three models – be sure to drive it on bumpy roads to check you're comfortable with the suspension. In our experience, we found the Premium and GT models better over bumps.

If you're testing a Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, be sure to hold on tight when you floor the accelerator. Most drivers will not have experienced acceleration like this before.

If you're interested in one of the regular versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, we’d also recommend test-driving the Tesla Model Y. Or wait to check out the Volkswagen ID.5 due in local showrooms in the second half of 2024.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest Ford news here.

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