2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium review: Forget the name, this Tesla Model Y rival is as mild as the V8 Mustang is wild

The old saying goes ‘no publicity is bad publicity’, but whether that applies to the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E is debatable.

The argument in support is that bestowing Ford’s most iconic badge on a mid-size electric crossover has generated attention that it might otherwise have missed out on.

The argument against? Well, it’s not a V8 two-door sports car and for that some people will never forgive it.

But they weren’t going to be at the front of the queue for the Mach-E anyway. So forget them, put the name debate to one side and let’s assess the Mach-E for what it is: the first substantial electric car from one of the world’s most famous legacy car makers.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium price and equipment

When it was first announced for Australia the three-model 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E line-up came with pretty gobsmacking pricing. Even before any examples got into customer hands, the folks at the blue oval had a reality check and adjusted downward.

So the mid-spec single motor rear-wheel drive Premium being tested here went from more than $90,000 before on-road costs to $86,990, sneaking it under the Fringe Benefits Tax limit.

But it’s still more than $20,000 more expensive than the Tesla Model Y Rear Wheel Drive. You can also get the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Polestar 2 much cheaper.

At least the Mach-E Premium is well equipped with 19-inch alloys, a panoramic sunroof, a power tailgate, dual-zone climate control and eight-way powered front seats (with memory for the driver) trimmed in artificial leather.

Technology includes a huge 15.5-inch infotainment touchscreen and thin 10.2-inch instrument panel, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, smartphone wireless charging, embedded satellite-navigation, a 10-speaker B&O sound system and the FordPass connect embedded modem and smartphone app.

The Mach-E Premium picks up a five star ANCAP rating based on 2021 protocols, as does the cheaper Mach-E Select. But the dual motor GT flagship misses out because its significantly different front-end structure hasn’t been tested.

As is expected these days, there’s heaps of active safety led by autonomous emergency braking,

The Mustang Mach-E comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, roadside assistance for up to seven years and a 12-month/15,000km service schedule. The battery warranty is a maximum eight years and 160,000km.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium: What we think

It’s got the big name and it’s got the big price, so it’s appropriate enough the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E drive like a big car. Not so much in millimetres  but kilograms.

It’s actually a bit shorter than a Tesla Model Y at 4728mm long but its 2094kg claimed kerb weight is about 100kg more than the Y RWD. A 91kWh lithium-ion battery contributes substantially to that heft.

The Mach-E’s never a car that feels light and playful to drive. Instead it sits solidly and comfortably on the road, something its long 2984mm wheelbase also contributes to.

Unlike the V8 Mustang, it’s a relaxed and easy cruiser with decent cabin space front and rear for people and their stuff and a sizable boot and frunk to stow luggage.

Trim materials in the Mexican-built Mach-E are of a high standard, varying between cloth, leather and some form of carbon-fibre look.

The interior tech is impressive, especially the big screen’s display of maps, although there’s too much drilling required to change drive modes. But at least permanently visible controls are retained for air-con and audio. .

Outside, the push buttons and hooks that replace doorhandles in the name of improved aerodynamics seem unnecessarily fussy in their operation.

The Mach-E’s cruisy character is accentuated by incongruously light, feel-free steering and a braking system that imparts little feedback to the driver. More positively, the Mach-E Premium rides absorbingly over most surface irregularities.

The 216kW/430Nm powertrain pushes the Mach-E along impressively. You won’t find yourself short of overtaking power on the highway or being overwhelmed at the traffic lights in town.

The Mach-E Premium’s WLTP range claim of 600km proved optimistic during our testing. It’s still going to deliver 400km or more in most circumstances, but based on our experience it’s unlikely to threaten its claimed 17.1kWh consumption rate. It’s more likely to hover closer to 20kWh/100km.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium: Verdict

Clearly, this car bears no driving or design relationship with what the extroverted and sports-focussed Mustang traditionally represents.

Instead, this is a good average effort at a medium electric SUV all-rounder that’s cruelled by high pricing – even after the downward adjustment.

For all this car’s pleasantness, there are many better and cheaper options out there.

SCORE: 3/5

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium specifications

Price: $86,990 (plus on-road costs)

Basics: EG: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, mid-sized crossover, RWD

Range: 600km (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 91kWh lithium-ion

Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km

Energy consumption: 17.3kWh/100km (WLTP)

Motors: 1 rear permanent magnet synchronous, 216kW/430Nm.

AC charging: 10.5kW, Type 2 plug

DC charging: 150kW, CCS combo plug

0-100km/h: 6.9 seconds