Ford Mustang Mach-E prices and specs: hot GT version opens for ordering

Ford has opened order books for the high-performance, range-topping GT version of its Mustang Mach-E electric SUV (pictured above). It's priced from £67,225 and Ford says only a "limited number" of the cars are available for ordering, with deliveries expected later in 2021.

The Mach-E GT has a total power output of 480bhp – up from the 333bhp produced by the most powerful standard version and sufficient for a 3.7-second 0-62mph time. It uses the same 99kWh battery (with a useable capacity of 88kWh) as the 'Extended Range' versions of the standard Mach-E, which in this case delivers an official driving range of 310 miles.

Rapid charging is supported at up to 150kW, allowing for a 10 to 80% top-up in around 45 minutes – or the addition of 60 miles' driving range by plugging in for just 10 minutes. To help handle its additional power, the Mach-E GT gets adaptive suspension that has been specifically tuned for European roads, along with bespoke Pirelli tyres and upgraded Brembo brakes.

Elsewhere, a fourth driving mode is added to the standard three in the regular Mach-E. This 'Untamed Plus' is said to prepare the motors for "consistent power and torque delivery in repeated high power-demand scenarios on a track". The setting also adjusts the traction and stability control systems to limit intervention during track driving.

Standard kit on the GT comprises body-coloured wheelarches, bespoke grille and front-bumper design, 20-inch alloy wheels, a black painted roof, black door mirrors and red brake calipers. Inside, there's a 15.5-inch HD infotainment screen, Ford Performance sports seats, a 10-speaker B&O Sound System and hands-free tailgate opening. A panoramic roof is optional.

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Standard Ford Mustang Mach-E

The standard, non-GT Mustang Mach-E costs from £41,330 in the UK. The entry-level model is rear-wheel-drive Standard Range, while the rear-wheel-drive Extended Range comes in at £49,980. This version offers a claimed 379 miles of range, compared to the 273 of the Standard Range. There are also all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions of each car, wearing a '4X' badge and with slightly reduced range.

The Standard Range gets a 75kWh battery with a useable capacity of 68kWh, while the Extended Range's battery is 99kWh, with an 88kWh useable capacity. The rear-wheel-drive models have either 255 or 282bhp, hitting 0-62mph in less than eight seconds; the all-wheel-drive versions complete the sprint in under seven seconds, with dual-motor powertrains producing either 255 or 333bhp.

The rear-wheel-drive cars offer more range thanks to their single-motor layout, with the Extended Range version of this car returning the headline figure of 379 miles and the Standard Range 273 miles. The all-wheel-drive models – dubbed 4X – achieve 249 and 336 miles on a single charge respectively; they have an electric motor on each axle that can vary torque delivery as traction demands it.

The Mach-E is inspired by the Mustang muscle car, with its low nose, long bonnet and flared wheelarches giving it a sporty, muscular look. The tail-light design and the 'pony' badge at the front of the vehicle are clear nods to the Mustang. The boot measures 402 litres, rising to 1,420 litres with the rear seats folded down. There’s also a 100-litre ‘Front Trunk’ under the bonnet, which has a removable, waterproof and washable lining.

Every version of the Mustang Mach-E has three drive modes: Whisper, Engage and Unbridled. These affect the brake regeneration, steering weight, throttle response, the synthesised noise that the Mach-E emits and the simple LED strip display that sits in front of the wheel.

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Charging

The Mustang Mach-E is supplied with standard three-pin and Type 2 charging cables to facilitate charging at home and at most public stations. Every Mustang Mach-E is compatible with CCS chargers, including those of the ultra-rapid IONITY charging network that Ford is a founding member of. Cars equipped with the 75kWh battery will accept a maximum charging rate of 115kW, while 99kWh cars see that figure rise to 150kW. At these speeds, Ford anticipates the car can add 73 miles of range with just 10 minutes' charging – faster than previous estimates. That translates to a 10-80% charge in 45 minutes for both the rear and all-wheel-drive cars.

Drivers can monitor charging remotely using the FordPass smartphone app. It has a Power My Trip feature that can calculate the most efficient way to charge the Mach-E over a long journey, even highlighting nearby points of interest while you wait, giving estimated costs for the charge and telling you an estimated time of arrival having factored in charging times.

In June 2020, Ford in the US announced an 'Intelligent Range' function for the Mach-E. This system aims to reduce unplanned stops for charging by more accurately predicting how much range drivers have using past driving behaviour, weather forecasts and crowdsourced data from other Mustang Mach-Es. In addition, Ford says that future over-the-air updates will add the ability to factor in real-time traffic conditions, terrain and elevation of a given route.

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Interior, technology and options

Inside, the Mach-E has taken a leaf out of the Tesla Model 3’s book, with a simple design dominated by a full-length air vent and a large screen: the 15.5-inch portrait touchscreen controls most of the car’s functions, with only a handful of physical buttons to be found on the steering wheel, dashboard and doors. The screen also contains a rotary dial at its base; a feature not seen before anywhere on the market.

The infotainment runs Ford’s SYNC 4 system, with a 10.2-inch digital display showing vital information ahead of the driver. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, as are voice control, sat nav and built-in 4G connectivity, although it has yet to be decided whether the 4G capability will come with a subscription.

Drivers can use their smartphone to unlock and start the Mach-E and there’s also a touch-sensitive keypad on the B-pillar: entering a unique code will open the car, with another code required inside to start the vehicle. Similarly, the doors can be opened at the touch of a button, with a small grab-handle on the fronts and a green-lit lock sign on the pillar. There are no conventional door handles, just touch-sensitive pads.

Elsewhere, customers get the choice of two technology packs: the first adds a 10-speaker B&O sound system, a hands-free tailgate, traffic-sign recognition, advanced active parking assistance with a 360-degree camera and active driver assistance with lane-centring functionality. The ‘+’ version gets all of these features, as well as eight-way, powered front seats with memory functionality, powered, foldable mirrors, puddle lights and a panoramic fixed glass roof. 

Rear-wheel drive cars sit on 18-inch alloy wheels, with LED tail-lights and adaptive cruise control with stop-go functionality included. The 10.2- and 15.5-inch screens are standard across the range. All-wheel drive cars get 19-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights, heated, contrast-coloured mirrors and rear brake calipers, too. A plethora of driver assistance systems are available across the line-up.

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Over-the-air updates

The Mach-E has over-the-air update functionality, similar to its Tesla rivals. Ford says that while some other cars can only update while stationary, the Mach-E can update itself on the move – often, it claims, in under two minutes. Ford has suggested that the updates will extend beyond the car’s infotainment system, with all of the Mach-E’s on-board computers capable of wireless updates. This could mean performance upgrades or entirely new features, Ford claims.

Owners will be able to set a specific time of the day for their car’s updates to take place. Ford says that some updates will complete almost instantly after start-up, with information displayed inside to give a rundown of what has been installed. The company says that the first updates should roll out six months after the first customer deliveries in the US.

Ford says that its other new cars in the US will also start to be fitted with over-the-air update capability going forward, although it’s not clear which vehicles it means, nor if this technology will make it to the UK on anything other than the Mach-E. In the US, Ford engineers used over-the-air functionality to continue final development of the Mach-E even while working from home during the coronavirus lockdown.