2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT review

I hope that by now, some six months after the Ford Mustang Mach-E arrived in Australia, we've moved beyond the 'it's not a real Mustang' angst and agreed that, whatever you call it, this car is worthy of attention because it is the first ground-up Ford EV offered for sale in Australia.

Once upon a time, a Blue Oval Ford badge all but guaranteed that a car would be a major player in its segment. Not any more, and not for the Mustang Mach-E because there is plenty of competition for buyers in the $50K to $100K EV price band.

To set expectations, let me tell you the Mustang Mach-E is an electrically powered cross between a large hatchback and mid-size SUV, although technically it's classified as a large SUV by local bureaucrats. Prices range from roughly $73,000 to $105,000 (before on-road costs) for the three Mach-E variants.

Anyone considering a Mach-E should also shortlist the Tesla Model Y, Polestar 2, Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, all of which have performance variants to match the Mustang Mach-E GT. If you're not worried about getting from 0–100km/h in four seconds or less, then the Subaru Solterra and Toyota BZ4X also come into play, just not for the GT.

I'm setting out to answer two questions, and it's my hope that the first also answers the second: Is the Ford Mustang Mach-E a complete and compelling EV crossover? And, where should it rank with prospective EV crossover buyers?

Let's find out.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E range kicks off at $72,990 for the Select, climbs to $86,990 for the Premium and tops out at $104,990 for the GT we're testing here. None of those prices include on-road costs which, according to Ford Australia's website, will add roughly $7500 to $10,000 to the total depending on the variant you choose and the state in which you live.

Our Vapour Blue paint job adds $700, taking the drive-away price to $115,960 in Melbourne and $116,199 in Sydney. If you'd rather not pay for paint, then Shadow Black is the only one of the seven colours offered that doesn't cost anything.

Compared to 'lesser' Mach-Es, the GT has larger 20-inch alloy wheels and Pirelli performance tyres. It has MagneRide adaptive suspension, which Ford claims can be tuned to deliver a cossetting ride or an exhilarating one. It also gets Brembo brakes and unique GT styling touches outside and inside.

Powertrain differences are equally impactful. The Mach-E Select makes do with a 198kW motor driving the rear wheels and a 72kWh battery providing up to 470km of driving on a single charge. The Mach-E Premium steps up with a 216kW motor, a 91kWh battery and a 600km driving range.

The Mustang Mach-E GT has the same 91kWh battery but consumes a lot more power per kilometre, because it has a second motor driving the front wheels. Combined, these two motors produce 358kW and 860Nm, and endow the GT with a 0–100km/h time of 4.3sec (tested by Drive). As you'd expect, the driving range drops to 490km per charge.

Bigger than you'd think just by looking at it. The Mustang Mach-E's exterior styling gives it a sleeker look than its dimensions would imply, perhaps due to the adoption of the Mustang Coupe's sharp and low nose.

The Mustang Mach-E GT is 4743mm long, 2097mm wide (including mirrors) and 1623mm tall. It sits on a 2984mm wheelbase. That means it is roughly the same length and height as a Tesla Model Y, but is 119mm wider and has a 94mm longer wheelbase. That width difference should give it more shoulder room inside, and the longer wheelbase should yield a stability advantage during dynamic driving.

The Mustang Mach-E GT comes with Ford Performance sports front seats with a unique GT trim. They're power adjustable, have a memory function and are heated, which is a nice touch in winter.

Then there's the 15.5-inch, centrally mounted, portrait-orientated tablet for controlling almost every secondary system in the car, supplemented by a 10.2-inch digital driver's display, both of which I'll explore in the infotainment section below.

The Mustang Mach-E's cabin has a few conveniences, including a large oddments box under the infotainment display and two cupholders. Underneath is a second tier for additional storage, but it's not really suitable for handbags or anything valuable because it's in plain sight. There are also bottle holders in the doors but they're a tight squeeze.

Gaining access to the second row is one of the Mach-E's little tricks, because there's no door pull as such. Instead, one touches a small sensor pad that unlatches the door, then you pull what looks like a small aero wing. Sure, it's different for the sake of differences, but works well enough.

Space in the second row is generous, even for six-footers, which also makes it roomy enough for child seats. Second-row occupants can take advantage of air vents and charging ports (USB-A and USB-C), plus cupholders in the centre armrest, but they don't get heated seats like the fronts do.

The Mach-E's boot is a biggish 519-litre cavity that is supplemented by a 134L front boot. The back boot has a false floor for storing charging cables out of the way.

The back seat split folds (60/40) to liberate additional cargo space if needed.

There is no spare tyre of any kind in the Mach-E GT, with a tyre repair kit instead.

The Mustang Mach-E's infotainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and both can be connected via a wireless or wired connecttion. The Mach-E also has AM/FM/DAB radio, and Bluetooth media connectivity, all of which plays through a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Satellite navigation is also standard.

The menu system is somewhat intuitively laid out, in that it doesn't take too long to find what you're after once you're familiar. Some functions, however, could do with top-level controls (or dare we say it, physical controls) such as air-conditioning adjustments.

As for the smartphone integration, yours truly owns an up-to-date Android device, so I tested it with the Mach-E and experienced a couple of small hiccups during our week together.

On one occasion, the car and phone refused to renew acquaintances until I wiped their previous pairing and started from scratch. On a second occasion, when Android Auto was not in use but the phone was Bluetoothed in, the Mach-E's tablet randomly rebooted mid-drive.

Ford's FordPass Connect app integrates with the Mach-E GT, allowing owners to lock and unlock doors, open the boot, check the state of charge, locate the vehicle, adjust the climate control, and check the odometer, among other non-critical functions.

Good question. The answer is… we don't know for sure. We can set our expectations based on 2021 testing by Euro NCAP – which ANCAP later adopted – in which the Mustang Mach-E achieved a five-star safety result. But that result does not apply to the GT variant.

Still, while we can't be definitive, it's hard to imagine a variant being wildly off-base compared to other variants. Please understand, though, that all of this is provided as buyer guidance, not assurance.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Select and Premium (but not the GT) 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.

We should also state that testing was of left-hand-drive models – not right-hand drive.

All Australian-spec Ford Mustangs have two front airbags, two front-side airbags, two full-length curtain airbags, and a driver's knee airbag. The Mach-E GT's sports seats do not have a centre airbag between the front occupants like other variants of the Mach-E do.

All three variants in the Ford Mustang Mach-E line-up come with a strong suite of active safety technology.

Autonomous emergency braking works in forward and reverse, there's 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.

The lane-keeping assistance and speed sign recognition systems work well on Australian roads, and the 360-degree cameras present a crisp and clear picture on the 15.5-inch infotainment screen.

Whereas some car companies endow their electric vehicles with extended service intervals of two years or more, Ford requests that the Mustang Mach-E be serviced every 12 months or 15,000km.

The warranty is also Ford's standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with an eight year, 160,000km on the high-voltage battery and electrical drivetrain components.

Ford pegs the cost of routine servicing at $140, $180, $140, $180 and $140 for each of the first five years. Despite the unusual frequency for an EV (see above) these prices are competitive.

An indicative comprehensive insurance quote came in at an eye-watering $4045 per year, which is some $500 more than a similarly obtained quote for the Kia EV6 GT. We have no explanation for this discrepancy except to hypothesise that the insurance companies might be applying a 'Mustang hoon' tax to the Mach-E.

Our quotes were obtained through a major insurance company's online quote system for a 35-year-old male with a clean driving record who garages the car in Chatswood, NSW, every night. Your quote may differ based on individual circumstances.

Ford claims the Mustang Mach-E GT will consume 21.2kWh per 100 kilometres driven. Our week of testing recorded an average of 22.8kWh per 100km, and despite what you may think, only a small amount of that driving was focused on exploring its performance envelope. A good 75 per cent was representative of everyday urban use.

Based on that, owners can expect little more than 400km from a full charge, which is well south of Ford's 490km claim.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E's electrical architecture is behind the benchmark set by rivals like the Kia EV6 GT and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, both of which have 800V systems capable of replenishing 10–80 per cent charge in 18 minutes at speeds up to 350kW.

The Mach-E's recharging speed tops out at 150kW, meaning it will take 45 minutes to hit 80 per cent from 10.

If you're lucky enough to have an 11kW AC charger at home, the Mach-E needs 10hr 54min to go from dead flat to full beans.

It's no Mustang Coupe, that's for sure. But then, nobody would expect that from a car with two more doors, a much taller and heavier body, and no brawny V8 under the bonnet. The fact is, the only things the Ford Mustang Mach-E shares with the storied V8 namesake – visually and dynamically – is the Mustang badging and front-end styling. In every other way, the Mach-E tries to be its own car.

The Mach-E GT is frightfully fast in a straight line (a common EV trait), and it is capable of strong acceleration from a standstill and at open road speeds. In short, it will get your adrenaline pumping every time you punch the accelerator. But it's no Sunday morning sports car. Dynamically the Mach-E GT stops short of the driver involvement and dynamic prowess needed to deliver anything like the immersive thrills of a Mustang Coupe.

The driving position is too high for that, the electric powertrain has little character, the vehicle's 2.3-tonne weight compromises its agility, and its multi-mode MagneRide suspension stops short of delivering a truly dynamic drive. Then there's the Mach-E GT's all-wheel-drive system which, even though it's rear-biased, never builds a rapport with the driver.

Those are all negatives if you were hoping for a more authentic Mustang GT experience. But if instead you're after an electrified grand tourer, then the Mustang Mach-E GT is more convincing. It is fast, has a muscular powertrain, feels planted, and will get you from A to B rapidly and in relative comfort.

Think of the Mustang Mach-E GT as a fast everyday sedan/SUV crossover and you won't be disappointed. It has the capacity to be a sedate commuter cruiser as well as a fast flyer, yet even in its calmest mode – 'Whisper mode' as Ford calls it – there's an underlying taste of its inherent dynamic abilities. The steering feels sharp, and the body is well controlled, even if the suspension is at its bump-soaking best and the accelerator is blunted.

But even once your expectations are recalibrated to suit the Mach-E GT, there are some shortcomings, both visually and physically. The interior doesn't feel special enough for a $115K drive-away price, nor does it do 'sporty' very well, especially not the steering wheel, which is the most used human-machine interface. The seats need more lateral support to keep up with what the GT can do in corners too.

The firmer 'untamed' suspension setting is a mixed bag. It feels softer than it needed to be given the driver's ability to choose, yet at times it deals with bumps and joins surprisingly harshly and uncouthly.

The steering weighting is tied to the different suspension modes, which means drivers can't tailor each setting to their liking.

Also, the one-pedal mode is grabby and abrupt at low speed, which makes it hard to stop smoothly. Whereas other EVs I've driven disable one-pedal mode in reverse (preferring a more natural creep mode), the Mach-E GT's one-pedal mode stays active in reverse, which in turn makes reverse parking a jerky stop-start affair, especially because it is so grabby.

Some of those driving issues can be fixed by a software update (if Ford chooses), but any interior improvements will probably have to wait for the next model update.

Ford's brochure for the Mustang Mach-E GT makes no mention of towing capacities, and indeed Ford Australia confirmed with Drive that the Mustang Mach-E range is not certified for towing in Australia.

Ford Australia also confirmed that it has no intention of changing that any time soon.

North America has a similar restriction, but Ford of Europe has certified the Mach-E for between 750kg and 1500kg, depending on the variant.

We asked if rear-mounted bike carriers can be fitted to the Mach-E in Australia and if Ford Australia offers any in its accessories range. The answer is "Ford Australia does not offer bike carriers for the Mach-E currently and does not plan to introduce them in the short term". Never say never, I guess.

Yes, if you want a fast Mustang that's electric, practical and SUV-like. But you'd be paying more for a Blue Oval badge when you can get better for cheaper.

If you want a fun-to-drive electric crossover with four-second acceleration, then the Mustang Mach-E GT is one option, but we found that the $5K cheaper Kia EV6 GT offers a better overall package for less.

We are yet to conduct a comparison with the Tesla Model Y Performance which, given its even greater price advantage (it is $13K cheaper), could be the Mach-E GT's toughest rival to date.

Ford Australia confirmed to Drive that there is "good stock on the ground of the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, so while specific dealer stock may vary, customers wanting that variant should be available to find one for immediate delivery".

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Ford website for stock of your preferred Mustang Mach-E variant. You can also find Fords for sale at Drive Cars for Sale.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Follow this link to find your nearest Ford dealer. We’d also recommend test-driving the Kia EV6 GT and the Tesla Model Y Performance before putting your money down.

For those after a true high-performance EV at a similar price, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is well worth a look.

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