The middle member of this three strong family delivers a good blend of practicality with all-paw performance.

Price: $109,990.

Powertrain and efficiency: 98.7kWh (91kWh usable) battery, 258kW/560Nm dual motor, single speed; 550km range.

Vital statistics: 4712mm long, 1881mm wide, 1597mm high, 2984mm wheelbase; luggage capacity 402 litres (100 litre frunk); 19 inch wheels.

We like: Enhanced range; spacious SUV practicality; comfortable, assertive driving feel.

Not so much: No home charger; not rated to tow here.

HORSE folk will tell you stallions can be kept together … if introduced gradually and thoughtfully. 

If not, it’ll get vicious. There will be blood.

Three weeks in adjacent paddocks was as close as mine got to my neighbours’. There were multiple times when they could have been brought together, but somehow we never managed it.

Their steed, a five-litre automatic GT convertible in a red as fiery as its temperament, and my dual motor in a more subdued, but stylish metallic grey, ran separately and led their own lives.

Good call? The Mustang as we’re now seeing it now, with - in this instance - two electric motors and a big battery on board, is clearly very, very different to the one that derives from a car that became an instant legend on unveiling in the 1960s. 

I admire my neighbours for buying a really nice, well-tended used V8 with intent to use it as an occasional weekend funster. 

Summer’s here, it’s a great car for open top driving. The deep-throated sound, the open-air ‘Summer of ’69' vibe. What’s not to like?

But no-one is being delusion. There’s no backing from the future; those chugalug heydays are slipping away. The world is not about to reverse its spin. 

Solid reason drives Ford breeding a new kind of horse. Ford's first 'proper' attempt at a global electric vehicle. Carefree hydrocarbon burn is passes; oil is dwindling resource and combusting it ain’t good for the planet. 

It also hits the wallet. I figure my neighbour’s first refill after purchase asked for substantially more than I’d outlaid feeding the electric type in the three weeks it was with me.

Ardent old-schoolers - and, just to be clear, that’s not those residing across the fence where I live - won’t care. It’s all ‘guns from cold dead hands’ stuff from them. They hate electric. 

They especially hate that Ford has dared applied the hallowed name to this large, solid five-seater sports utility. ‘That ain’t a Mustang!’. If I’ve heard it once since Mach-E arrived, I heard it 100 times. Often from those who I know have never once ponied up. Well, guess what? As the kid in a certain ad says, ‘suck it up, doob.’ It is what it is. And it is a Mustang.

Because? Well, if you’re going to talk performance, stand back. Bigger, fatter? Yes it is. But faster, too. 

With 258kW/560Nm and a 0-100kmh of 5.1, this variant alone has the cojones to kick dust in the face of any standard V8 Stang in a 0-100kmh sprint and, regardless hat it deports much more weight, you wouldn’t bet on it delivering a handy handing edge on a challenging road. 

To be really impressed, though, you need that 358kW and 860Nm GT. The flagship is a monster and you can understand why: To put a credible electrified twist on the muscle car heritage, it needed to be a brute. It really is. 

It’s much quicker off the line than any V8, with 0-100kmh in 3.7 seconds but this, and the status as the faster five-seater Ford ever, doesn’t really relate just how walloping it is. It’s the massive wall of thrust beyond the initial kick-off that also gets you. This is a car that was momentarily wheel spinning all four tyres off the line at the media event. Electric is electrifying.

What this reminds is that Ford has three kinds of battery Stang here; the GT for thunder and glory, the entry rear-drive for quiet-minded haulage for families buying on budget (and, for as long as it avails, the Clean Car discount) and the one on west. Plum in the middle on price. More cojones than the quiet-minded exterior packaging might suggest, but more a car for the distance gallop than a short sharp sprint. 

You get much of the same grip and traction aptitude as the GT, but with more compliant suspension and a trim and specification package that, while more affluent than that in the base rear-drive, nonetheless expresses a similar family-ready feel.

Mach-E prices most squarely to the market in its base form; it’s a big buy for the moment. With the AWD leaving $10 change from $110k, it’s clearly not the same consideration. It’s in the big boy league.

The AWD presents more affluently than the rear-drive type, but the big cachet is that it’s allocated a big battery, the same 98.7kWh (91kWh usable) battery also in the GT. The performance tune being less revved up than the GT’s pays off; with less fizz, it saves its energy for range. Drive with prudence and you’ll see close to 500kms’ from a charge. That’s around 100kms’ clear gain not only on the fastest one but also the 75kWh (70kWh usable) entry car.

Having to cruise by a convertible raises the big question about whether Ford has nailed the styling.  In some ways that argument is as pointless as the one about whether the name should or shouldn’t have been applied. 

I don’t mind Mach-E’s styling, overall; it’s a pitch in a new direction but, insofar as electric cars go, believe me, I’ve seen worse; I might be poking a bear in suggesting this, but I see far more character to Henry’s car than in the Tesla Model Y that was purportedly used a one of several muses.

Also, the AWD looks more coherent than the entry one tested a few months ago simply from having inch-larger wheel rim, shod with a shorter side walled (so rolling radius is likely equivalent) Bridgestone Turanza 225/55 R19s.

But, yeah, from some angles it looks odd. Not ugly, but certainly quirky. You can see the dilemma. Marketing says ‘electric requires a big car, so let’s make it a crossover-SUV (actually, more a coupe-crossover-SUV) cos those are hot sellers. But let’s also try to ensure styling affiliation with the other Mustang - it needs more than just the galloping horse emblem’. Quite a challenge for the designers, basically.

To their credit, they’ve crammed more distinctive styling cues of the ‘other one’ onto the underlying structure than you might first think. agreed, there’s much that suggests this effort is an idea that works better in proposition than in practice. But not doing so would have also been wrong, too.

Slip inside, and your view might change, because the cabin definitely is a high point and a testimony to the longevity of good design. 

Getting in there of course requires dealing with the 'E-Latch' door handles, those four little round illuminated circles in its black window surrounds, paired on the front doors to metal brackets on the glasshouse sills, are the usual first-use faff for newcomers; likewise the even weirder rear door access. Will retractable handles come to the facelift? Mach-E also has a numeric key pad on the B-pillar, which is US-market format security feature, seemingly redundant here. 

Anyway, the interior. It’s also very ‘spacey’ and… well, spacious as heck. I like it for both. Ford always marketed Mustangs as being for the family man budget but the EV is the first I’ve come across that a family can actually enjoy.

The petrol kind is great up front, beyond cosy in the back; my neighbours will concur their back seats are just there to lay shopping bags on. Even for kids, there’s no legroom. And as for headroom? My back is still recovering having squished into the back of a Mach 1 a year ago. The convertible resolves that when run al fresco, of course, but becomes barely tolerable at highway pace due to the slipstream. 

No such qualms with the Mach E which, as a bonus, allows for three across the back seat, so one more than the other one. And even with lanky old me at the wheel, those behind could stretch out. Plus the boot is ginormous. But then, it should be.

The interior also appeals because it seems modern-smart, still. Which is no small achievement. It’s easy to forget that, though relatively new here, Mach-E was signed off in 2020 and in production 12 months from that. Basically, the same timeline, then, as the VW MEB stuff, which has generally aged just as well, except perhaps in case of Q4. But, anyway, Ford’s look - and the operability - remains solid.  

The centrepiece 15.5-inch portrait touchscreen for the SYNC 4 infotainment system will be sniffed at suspiciously by those who us who like buttons, but I have admit to having become a fan of Ford’s touch-reliant setup. It’s much easier to use than most that load every under the sun on a screen. User-friendliness is also helped by it being reactive and another plus is that it looks classy - the graphics are all sharp and large. Same goes for the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster behind the attractive (and heated) steering wheel. The speedo having a 'Ground Speed' legend is a naff nod to the Mustang heritage, but overall the display wins plaudits for showing nothing extraneous.

For all the digital stuff, you still get proper wiper and indicator wands. The gearstick being a dial is okay, though it’s one of things that reminds how electric cars are not at all hands on.

Fit and finish wise, it’s solid; Mustang’s a Ford that is Detroit more in spirit than creation - ours are out of Mexico - but nothing to worry about, there. In respect to the materials? Ford is a blue collar brand. You get nice trims, nothing nasty, but neither is there much - the screen aside - to generate ‘ooh ah.’

Time in our care raised some dispute about the quality of the rotary volume dial set into the screen. ‘Someone’ thought that knurled metal-look, plastic in reality device should have been the real deal. Same for the drive selector. ‘Someone’ also raised comment about the vegan-friendly Sensico ‘pleather’, which I personally thought was decent, for an imitation hide. Some people cannot be satisfied.

Mach-E provisions a huge amount of safety kit, from the usual blind-spot warning system, to front and rear parking cameras. The standard ‘Pre-Collision Assist’ pack gives collision mitigation, forward collision warning, dynamic brake support and evasive steer assist. Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance are also standard. That much assistance might seem to be going overboard, but it’s needed to achieve top NCAP/ANCAP scores that help sell cars … and Ford’s set-up is sensibly tuned, by and large. Kickback when you get too near the side or centre line is well modulated.

All types have cameras giving rear and front views, and while it’s a shame 360-degree cameras to help with parking are GT-specific, it’s not challenging to park.

As in the other types, there are three driving modes, each with its own distinct personality. Active is default, Whisper is basically what other makers would call ‘eco’ and prioritises range and gives the throttle pedal a smoother delivery. Untamed is full power.

The extreme settings make tangible difference but, honestly, in everyday use, Active is just fine. 

Sure, the Mach-E is lardy, but the mid-level tune generates enough oomph to make for confident step off from challenging intersections - which we have near our house, with a T-crossing taking you straight from a 40kmh zone to a 100kmh sector - in any condition, without sense it’ll lose traction. Which is possible in Untamed, if just for a moment. Whisper was a bit too soft for that scenario, but it was fine in the cruise; the bigger impact is has is on air con performance. On a hot day, you might be challenged keeping the cabin cool.

Interestingly, the AWD seemed more honest about its range predictions than the base car did on test. You might recall the big run for the latter was a 482km stint, which was started with a full battery and more than 400kms’ range predicted, but nonetheless required two stops - one planned, the other not and very urgent - for replenishment in a car that cites 440kms’ max. 

That kind of thing would make me edgy about having a base car if it was being used frequently for long distance driving. Likewise, maybe, a GT. But the AWD claims 550kms and there wasn’t ever a time when I doubted it would at least see 490kms.

As in a petrol, how much energy you use ultimately comes down to how much you boot it and, frankly, the AWD doesn’t ask for that kind of behaviour. That’s not to say it’s not up to being driven hard; I went out one morning to give it a big workout and it did fine. At same token, there’s just something about it’s demeanour and dynamic quality that suggests it more up for a nice, easy drive. V8 owners will scoff at that but, realistically, that’s how their car operates, too.

Regardless of how they tailor, all Mach-Es weigh over two tonne, which is a fair bit to throw around. A Mustang coupe itself has substance, but the SUV has a heavier feel.

The AWD has more weight to its steering than the base, and I’m still a bit dubious about the drive system’s torque response set-up. It is designed to direct plenty of power rearwards to help prevent the nose from running wide. That wasn’t so evident in the one I took for a blat on launch; nor on this home turf tester. You can sense the push-pull fight between the power steering trying to do its job and the front drive motor seeking to lay down its grunt. Some will argue if Ford’s formidable performance car heritage demands better; but if so they have short or selective memories about how lairy some eight-cylinder Mustangs have been.

If you’re shopping for a Mustang, you’re possibly going to find the Mach-E to be a lot different to what you might have expected.

If you are shopping for an electric car, and it happens to be called a Mustang, then it’s a whole different story. Within the battery-compelled herd, it’s a fundamentally decent choice. Lots of room, good kit, decent performance and good range. The AWD isn’t quite a quattro, but intrinsically it’s a very good car on all surfaces; for me, I tried everything - gravel, of course, but even some sand (not a beach) - and it was great. Snow would have been interesting, but reports from America give it the thumbs up.

When Mustang released here, Ford Motor Company’s electric vehicle investment required an $NZ89 billion-plus spend by 2026. That’s been pulled back because the EV uptake on home turf hasn’t been as great as forecast.

Petrolheads should see that as some kind of doomsday message. EVs are here to stay. Mach-E will not be pulled. Even in a soft home market, it’s still outselling the trad type more than two to one.

It’s a car to consider. Except, perhaps, on those summer evenings perfect for a cruise with the roof down.