With ‘tablet-style’ touch and swipe functionality, it controls everything from driving modes and ‘propulsion sound’, to temperature, 10-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system and large navigation display.
It also comes with Ford’s latest Sync system which is quick and intuitive, and the voice control uses natural language in its command. For example, I just yelled ‘coffee!’ at it and a list of local cafes were displayed.
Continuing on the display theme, the regular Mustang’s big instrument cluster has been replaced with a 10.2-inch strip, which is very ‘to the point’. Speed, traffic sign recognition, a bird’s eye view of the vehicle with lane and proximity relationship, and range are all displayed but in a kind of no-frills manner, it’s more akin to a head up display if I’m honest.
OK, so V8 Mustang traditionalists look away now. The throaty V8 has been replaced with (in my case) two permanent magnet motors powered by an 88kWh battery, producing 258kW of power and 580Nm of torque. 0-100km/h comes in at 5.8 seconds which is a whole second slower than the new V8’s, but it’s half the time of the ’66 and the same as the 2.3L and it consumes energy at a rate of 18.7kWh/1000km – with zero emissions.
The Mach-E is as simple to drive as any modern Ford. The push button start is located beside the instrument cluster and the 1-speed gear selection is on a dial in the centre console (some may not like that). Visibility is better than a regular Mustang, especially through the rear glass, but the wing mirrors seem slightly small for the size of the vehicle.
Although you are riding that much higher than in a regular Mustang, looking out over the long channeled bonnet and seeing the wide hips in the wing mirrors does give you that muscle car feeling.
I felt that the steering is well weighted and appears more responsive as you move up the driving modes, as does the throttle pedal. Road noise is limited but there is a certain amount of wind noise when doing 70mp/h on the motorway.
The ride itself is firm but not teeth-rattling so, but does feel a little juddery in the rebound (it is a 2+tonne vehicle after all) and being AWD (and an EV) traction is great regardless of the UK’s wet roads, something Ford has spent a lot of attention on.