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Ford Mustang Mach-E in the test: the SUV that was once a wild horse

2020-12-16T04:07:34.771Z


Of all things, Ford is turning the iconic Mustang sports car into its first electric SUV. The result is a strange mixture of nostalgia and progress.


Icon: enlarge

The Ford Mustang was once an elegant sports coupe.

Now, as an electric car, the legendary series in SUV format is taking off.

Photo: Ford

The first impression:

 brewery owl instead of wild horse - the pony car has lost its glue.

That's what happens when the Mustang mutates into an electric SUV.

What the manufacturer says:

 When Bill Ford talks about the Mustang, the supervisory board chairman of the US automaker is exaggerating.

If he compares the Mustang Mach-E with the Model T, the first car to be mass-produced, that is far-fetched.

Especially since Ford is late for another revolution.

Although the Mach-E is the company's first serious electric car and thus the long-overdue answer to Tesla & Co., its economic importance is probably rather minor.

The electric debut is not yet based on the technology that should bring large numbers and competitive prices - the modular electrification kit (MEB) of the VW Group, in which Ford has bought.

There is still one catch.

Even though Ford claims that the electric car evokes a feeling of freedom like the Mustang - the Mach-E is an SUV and not a sports car.

A radiator grille inspired by the prototype and exhibited fenders do not turn a family car into a muscle car.

Not even if the taillights actually come from the Mustang, a galloping wild horse is emblazoned on the tailgate and the electronics let a surprisingly authentic eight-cylinder sound bubble out of the speakers in the sportiest driving mode.

Mustang drivers like to smile about it.

But if you know the VW ID.4 or the Tesla Model Y, you might find it comforting that not all emotions are lost with electric mobility.

We noticed: 

Whisper, Active, Untamed - the naming of the three driving programs is both a wink of the eye of the engineers and proof that they are still attached to the combustion engine world.

If you step on the accelerator in Untamed mode, which is translated as "temperamental", you will understand why.

Then the Mustang shoots away like an untamed horse.

Unlike many other e-cars, the sprinting ability does not decrease as quickly.

The Mach-E keeps a fast gallop, reaches 100 km / h in 5.1 seconds and continues to accelerate to 180 km / h.

Competitors like the VW ID.4 put an end to 160 things.

The start of the Ford does not make sense in terms of range, but it fits.

After all, project manager Ted Cannis promised that the E-Mustang would be "fast and fun" - fast and fun.

The low center of gravity thanks to batteries in the floor (common in electric cars) and a low seating position (unusual in SUVs) actually make the Mustang an athlete among electric vehicles.

Cars like the VW ID.4 or the BMW iX4 appear bloodless.

Even the Tesla Model Y is less fun, although it drives faster. 

As accurately as the Mustang meets the criteria of the old car world, it does not use the opportunities of the new.

Braking with a lifted gas foot, which many e-car drivers appreciate, is only possible to a limited extent, even in the strongest recuperation level.

While Stromer like the ID.4 can turn the wheels more, the turning circle of the Mustang is at the standard level.

The space in the rear is at best average, despite 4.71 meters in length and almost three meters of wheelbase.

But even Ford knows that driving pleasure is no longer enough as an incentive to buy.

The Mach-E is also said to be practical and has two luggage compartments.

At the back with a good 402 to 1420 liters capacity, at the front there is 100 liters under the hood - with variable room divider and drain, so that you can also transport dirty objects in it and then spray out the tub.

You have to know that:

 when Ford starts delivering the Mustang Mach-E in January, prices will start at 46,900 euros.

There are initially four drive configurations on offer.

There are rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and two batteries with net capacities of 66 or 88 kWh.

This results in outputs of 198 kW for the models with one, or 216 and 258 kW for those with two electric motors, as well as standard ranges between 400 and 610 kilometers.

It is charged with up to 150 kW, so that the Ford can draw electricity for 100 kilometers within ten minutes. 

Later there will be a Mustang GT.

This increases the power to 358 kW, tears up to 860 Nm of torque on the tires, sprints from 0 to 100 in 3.7 seconds and the car can go up to 200 km / h.

For the new drive concept, Ford has a new ambience with a huge touchscreen that almost seems to float in front of the center console and, like Tesla, is mounted upright.

There is only a tiny monitor installed behind the steering wheel.

The entire infotainment system is constantly online and, for the first time in a Ford, can be updated via the Internet and without cables. 

We won't forget that:

 the idiosyncratic door handles that the designers came up with for the Mustang.

They reduce air resistance and offer something new: Because sensors snap the doors open, there is only a small hook on the sheet metal at the front and just a recessed grip at the rear.

Both look cool, but they are impractical and make entering the new world unnecessarily difficult.

Thomas Geiger is a freelance writer and was supported by Ford in his research.

Reporting is independent of this.

Icon: The mirror

Source: spiegel

All tech articles on 2020-12-16

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