2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD Road Test (Autoblog)
The Cayenne of Mustangs.
The name and the badge are what everyone wants to talk about. I mean that literally, as every person who stopped me to talk about this Iconic Silver 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD (and there were many) zeroed in on that mid-gallop horse and had some question or opinion about it. It wasn't all negative, either. Far from it. Ultimately, though, they'd want to know what it was like. The answer was simple: It's exceptional.
Of course, the Mach-E is hardly a simple thing. There's a dizzying array of drivetrain and battery combinations available, resulting in numerous ranges, power outputs and acceleration times. In general, opting for all-wheel drive brings more power and torque, but less range. The Extended Range battery (88 kWh of usable battery capacity versus 68 kWh) adds range as you might suspect, but also increases horsepower. That battery's availability also differs by trim level: unavailable on the base Select, optional on the Premium and standard on the California Route 1 and First Edition models. The high-performance Mach-E GT adds further range and higher outputs, but it's still months away.
For now, the configuration we tested is the most powerful version available: the Premium AWD with the Extended Range battery that produces 346 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque. Ford says it'll hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. It feels exactly that quick. All that instantaneous torque embeds your body firmly into the soft front seats as it gets the Mach-E up to speed with ease, but as the numbers in the very-Mustang "Ground Speed" indicator rise, it runs out of steam in a way indicative of a car whose horsepower number is so much smaller than its torque figure. Accelerating once at highway speeds is a treat — just toe the accelerator and the Mach-E shoots forward without gears to change or an engine to roar.
(photo credit: James Riswick - Autoblog)
