Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV - Electric motor, drive & performance

Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV electric motor

The Standard Range model has 266bhp. Meanwhile, the Extended Range Mach-E gets 290bhp with rear-wheel drive or 346bhp with a dual-motor setup. Even the most basic rear-wheel-drive model with a single motor can get from 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds, while the all-wheel-drive version takes just 5.8 seconds.

Now, there’s also a GT model, with 480bhp and a huge amount of torque. It’s much quicker off the line than the V8-powered Ford Mustang coupe, with 0-62mph taking only 4.4 seconds, while Ford has also upped the top speed to 124mph from the 111mph in every other Mach-E. That's very nearly as quick as the fastest Tesla Model Y but even the lesser models should be plenty fast enough for the vast majority of SUV buyers, while showing most petrol and diesel SUVs a clean pair of heels with relative ease.

With almost endless ways to tune how its electric motors respond, Ford has given the Mach-E three driving modes that have a big effect on the way it drives. Whisper is our favourite, favouring driving range and softening the throttle response, making it easier to drive smoothly. Active is the default setting, while Untamed (a nod to the Mustang theme) makes acceleration more instant, pushing you back in your seat, but also pipes in fake V8 engine sounds. The V8 noise is a bit gimmicky but it does add a bit more character to the driving experience.

Even in Whisper, the Extended Range four-wheel drive Mach-E can cover ground at a rapid rate, and refinement is impressive as its name suggests, with almost no sound from the electric motors. At speed the most noticeable noise is wind rushing over the car's nose, and even tyre roar from the 19-inch wheels is unobtrusive.

26

Considering its 2.2-tonne weight, there's also less body lean than you might expect, especially given the raised view out from the driver's seat. Sadly, the steering – usually a trademark Ford strong point – feels oddly numb around the centre, before reacting sharply, and this is only made more noticeable in Untamed mode. Ford has also included a single-pedal driving mode, bringing the car to a stop using electric recuperation alone, just by releasing pressure on the accelerator. This takes unfamiliar drivers a little while to get used to but then feels even more relaxing for driving around town. A few more settings for the brake regeneration would make it easier to get used to.

The GT model gets upgraded brakes and adaptive suspension to cope with the extra performance but taking corners quickly exposes how heavy the car is. We like the direct steering and grip, while the car is far more adjustable than some of its rivals – helped by an extra ‘Untamed Plus’ driving mode. The sportier driving modes tighten up the car’s line when exiting a corner so the car doesn’t drift wide.

We’ve recently had some hands-on – or should that be hands-off? – experience with BlueCruise, a driving assistant function now available on UK Mach-Es. It allows the car to take over with straightforward motorway driving on a large part of the UK’s network, with around 2,300 miles mapped as part of Ford’s ‘Blue Zone highways’ – that’s more than 95 per cent of the motorway network. It’s effectively a clever adaptive cruise control system, able to adjust speed according to traffic and steering between the lane markings, but unlike many similar systems it allows you to legally take your hands off the wheel.

We’ve found it works well in practice, and operates smoothly. It’s still the driver’s responsibility to change lanes – tap the indicator and BlueCruise deactivates so you can steer into the next lane. The system also alerts you if it needs you to take over at any point, while an infra-red monitor ensures you’re still paying attention to the road – so don’t think you can sit back and read the paper or scroll through emails while BlueCruise is active.