I CAN’T for the life of me imagine the great Steve McQueen being over-impressed.
The man who made a habit of driving racing cars very fast, the man who put the muscley Mustang right up there among the motoring icons with his exploits in Bullit would probably be scratching his head and give the latest Ford to carry the name one of ‘those’ looks.
Not that you’ll find the blue oval anywhere on the latest all-electric Mustang.
This is very much a 21st century ‘Stang, be in no doubt about that.
To be fair, there probably would be a wry grin the first time the right hand pedal was touched, because the response can be fierce. Certainly not subtle. And the same can be said for the brakes, which can anchor up and halt forward progress in such a way that the seatbelt takes a firm grip of your shoulder. Initial progress around town isn’t smooth, until you get fully used to it.
The all wheel drive Mach-E doesn’t disappoint for a performance viewpoint with its Tesla-like acceleration, and it proves to be both surefooted and grippy, as well as giving you a decent range, as long as you shoes don’t have lead soles and you cut down on the spirited prods on the accelerator.
Using the name of one of their most iconic sports cars to attract customers could be a good ploy as long as it meets the day to day needs of the driver, and also offers value, style and kerb appeal.
Mustang ticks most of the boxes in a range that starts around the £50,000 mark, though the Mach-E Premium AWD version sampled here weighs in at £65,405. The range features rear and all wheel drive versions, Standard or Extended Range and battery capacities of 70kWh and 91kWh.
As an example, the Mustang Mach-E RWD Extended Range version will take you up to 379 miles without needing to top up the battery. If you’re considering going electric but aren’t used to being solely reliant on a battery pack under the floor, that could be a deal clincher.
The Standard Range AWD (all-wheel drive) has a motor driving each axle. You get more traction and swift acceleration (0-62mph takes 6.3sec), but the official range drops to 248 miles.
Standard equipment gives you a huge portrait-style 15.5-inch, touchscreen which takes pride of place in the middle of the dash and controls most the car’s functions, as well as heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a smartphone charging pad, adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors and camera.
The AWD Extended Range version adds a 10-speaker B&O audio system, a panoramic glass roof, a powered tailgate and Active Park Assist.
Essential driving information – speed, battery percentage and the remaining range – is on a separate 10.2in digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and because it’s there just below your line of sight, it’s easy to read.
As already mentioned, the calibration of the accelerator could do with a bit of work, too: it lunges off the line unless you’re judicious with its pedal, and coupled with the rather grabby brakes it can make the Mach-E hard to drive smoothly around town.
So, after more than half a century, the Ford Mustang formula of muscular styling, a raucous V8 and rear wheel drive is gone. Ford’s first foray down the electric avenue is a very different pony.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD
Price: £65,405 (£66,555 as tested)
Engine: electric
Power: 265bhp
Torque: 427lb/ft
Transmission: single speed automatic
Top speed:111mph
0-62mph: 6.3 seconds
Economy: 248 mile range
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
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