Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD First Impressions: A True Mustang?

When you think of a Ford Mustang, you probably think of the loud V8 engine, but the complete opposite is true of the Mustang Mach-E. Here you hear absolutely nothing. You can find out here how we liked our first impression. 

We had the Mustang Mach-E with the AWD drive, ie all-wheel drive and almost the complete equipment that you can currently have. However, the "smaller" battery was installed in our test car. So it was the standard range version.

Well-known design as an SUV coupe?

From the rear, the Mustang Mach-E really does look like a real Mustang, as does the front, but the Proportions are not quite right. A lot of people would say a Mustang can't be an SUV, but after driving it I feel a little different.

The “bangs” are attached both in front and behind. The letters “AWD” can also be found on the tailgate, which, by the way, was electric in our test car. Of course, these stand for the all-wheel drive with 269 hp. The Mach-E is already doing quite well, as you would expect from an electric car and probably also from a Mustang. The Mustang Mach-E comes standard with full LED lighting. In our test car even with matrix LED headlights at the front, which mask the traffic at night so that nobody is blinded and you still have more visibility than without high beam. The Mustang Mach-E also offers (if you want) a panoramic glass roof.

Trunk and frunk offer many storage options

The Mach-E has both. A trunk and a front trunk (frunk). The trunk has a double loading floor including tire compressor etc. The frunk even has a water drain. So you could cool drinks with ice cubes in summer.

Driving impression of the Mustang Mach-E AWD

He drives very well! These were my impressions after driving the Mustang Mach-E for a weekend. I took that as a comparison Hyundai IONIQ 5. I had already dealt with this in detail in another test report. In terms of size, these two cars fit roughly into the same category. Both are SUV coupes. But in my experience it is a little more stable in corners and actually behaves a bit more manoeuvrably. Alternatively, you can get the Mustang Mach-E with only rear-wheel drive. The cushioning was surprisingly good, even on very broken or uneven roads.

Ford driver assistance systems

Ford installed many different assistance systems in the Mustang Mach-E. From adaptive cruise control to autopilot or steering assistant level 2+. All of these systems worked flawlessly during my short test period. The street sign recognition is one of the better ones on the market and is quite impressive. Ford Mustang Mach-E's "autopilot" works in tandem with adaptive cruise control and spacers. When good lane markings are in place, this system works just fine.

If you want, the adaptive cruise control can also regulate the speed based on the sign recognition. However, the car only slows down to the permitted speed from the sign, which is not really helpful, since you should have already reached the speed from the sign. The system from VW makes a lot more sense. This recognizes early enough that a speed limit is coming and drives directly to the permitted speed from the sign. With the Mustang Mach-E you can still set an offset of -5 and +5 km/h.

As a complete package, the Mustang Mach-E offers everything you need in terms of driving assistance in everyday life. At least I didn't miss any function during the test. Braking at the spacer wasn't abrupt either, but normal, just like you would do it yourself.

Loading with the Mustang Mach-E

The loading flap is located on the driver's side at the front. Just like the Audi E-Trons. Here you will find a normal CCS fast charging connector. The Mustang Mach-E can charge 11kW AC and up to 150kW DC. In our charging test, we came up with exactly 115kW, which Ford promises for the Mustang Mach-E with a standard range battery. With the long range battery you can then fall back on the full 150kW charging capacity. As a nice "Easter Egg" there is also a Mustang logo on the charging lid and "Horsepower" written underneath. Such details show how much attention to detail Ford put into their "first" real electric car.

First range test with the Mustang Mach-E

Since we have the small battery, i.e. the standard range of the Mach-E, we have a WLTP range of around 400 kilometers. If you need more, you can also achieve a range of 610 kilometers WLTP with the AWD. But only with the big battery. Since the Mustang Mach-E is very economical to drive, we were able to record around 380 kilometers without a motorway in everyday life. This is a very solid range and should be more than enough for most everyday use. Incidentally, this was switched on with the two-zone climate control. Of course, the Mustang Mach-E also offers seat heating on the two front seats. A steering wheel heating is also on board - in the truest sense of the word;) -

Software check of the SYNC4

Ford relies on the new SYNC4 infotainment platform for the Mach-E. The speed is very good, there are many setting options and the connectivity via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay works wirelessly without Protrouble. Furthermore, there are even some mini-games pre-installed. (This was definitely based on another American car manufacturer)

The climate control can be found at any time in the lower area. Another unique selling point is the volume dial, which sits on the display so that you can at least feel it a little bit. In the overall package, Ford offers very solid infotainment with good graphics and very good performance with the SYNC4 system, i.e. exactly how you imagine infotainment in 2022.

Sound made by Bang & Olufsen

Just as great as the infotainment is the sound in the Mustang Mach-E. This was developed with Bang & Olufsen. A soundbar is stretched throughout the cockpit. With a total of ten loudspeakers including a subwoofer, the system creates a very good sound experience.

The fabric covers of the speakers also felt very valuable. As you would expect from a brand like B&O.

Times are changing - brief summary of the Mustang Mach-E

Since we only spent a weekend with the Mustang, I can hardly draw a full conclusion. But that much is said. It's worthy of the Mustang name, even if it's a CUV. Times are changing, you won't always race through the city with loud engines, so I admire Ford's courage to have electrified the Mustang. Maybe we'll see a slightly smaller Mach-E in the future. More as part of the older Mustang models. This would certainly go down very well with some.

We thank the Westhoff car dealership in 59069 Hamm for providing the test car!

Recommendations for you

• Ford Mustang Mach-E GT review: Electric pony with lots of power
• NIO ET5 review: price-performance ratio better than Tesla?
• Tesla Model 3 performance review: really unrivaled good?
• Mazda MX30 e-Skyactive review: more weaknesses than strengths?