Ford Mustang Mach-E GT 2024 Review

There are three variants in the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E line-up, starting with the Mach-E Select, which kicks off from $64,990 plus on-road costs, and the mid-spec $79,990 (plus ORCs) Mach-E Premium.

Both of those are single-motor, rear-wheel drive variants, and present fairly sensible offerings in the mid-size SUV segment.

Then there’s the flagship Mach-E GT we have here. It’s the only all-wheel drive offering in the range and it’s an absolute lunatic. Naturally, it’s also the most expensive at a touch under $100k before on-road costs.

Those in the loop will know Mach-E sales have been slow – to the end of June 2024, Ford has moved just 326 units – and for that reason, it’s introduced several price cuts across the range since the electric Pony car landed in 2023, the most recent adjustment including a $7000 shaving off the top-spec GT’s price tag.

When it first touched down in Oz, the Mach-E GT was priced at $108,990 (plus ORCs). Just a few months ago, this was cut to $104,990. In May 2024 this was slashed again to the current $97,990 (plus ORCs).

Add another $700 to the invoice if you want the Grabber Blue Metallic paint job seen here (the only no-cost colour option is boring Shadow Black).

Rivals for the Mustang Mach-E GT include other performance electric SUVs such as the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N ($111,000 plus ORCs), Kia EV6 GT ($99,590 plus ORCs), and Tesla Model Y Performance ($82,900 plus ORCs).

Generous equipment levels for the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT go some way to justifying its fairly hefty price.

Standard equipment for the top-spec GT includes LED lighting all round, an electric tailgate, 360-degree parking camera, rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors, and big red Brembo brake callipers.

Inside, you get bolstered Ford Performance Sport seats up front with heating (and memory for the driver), a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, ambient interior lighting, a fixed glass roof and Pony emblem puddle lamps.

As for tech, a 15.5-inch portrait-style centre touch-screen is perhaps the most prominent feature inside the cabin. It’s huge and although it’s not the most intuitive or responsive system we’ve seen in an EV, it’s still easy enough to live with and offers plenty of gadgets, like a sketch pad.

Ahead of the driver is a narrow 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, while a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system delivers great audio.

Interior storage isn’t bad but most of the cubbies and shelves are open, so if you’ve got anything to hide, you really only have the glovebox or a small area in the centre armrest.

At the front end, a nifty 134-litre frunk (front trunk) will swallow a few bags of groceries with ease, while a conventional 519L boot is plenty spacious, but there’s no spare tyre, just a repair kit.

As for safety, there’s a lot on offer, although it’s worth mentioning that the Mach-E GT is yet to be crash-tested and rated by ANCAP.

That aside, standard safety and driver assistance aids include nine airbags, blind-spot monitoring (with cross-traffic alert and braking), active lane assist, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, reverse brake assist and post-impact braking, speed sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.

Yes and no. In terms of its size and SUV-like proportions, the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E is most certainly fit for family duties. The cabin is spacious enough for four adults, and three top tethers and two outboard ISOFIX anchorage points in the second row mean child seats will be no issue.

Taller people in the outboard rear pews will enjoy generous under-thigh support and head room is only slightly hindered by that swooping roof line. A centre armrest with cup holders and two USB ports (one USB-A, one USB-C) come standard, but there are no map pockets and only small storage nooks within the rear door trims.

At 166cm, this reviewer can (just) comfortably fit in the rear centre pew so three children or small adults will manage, but it’s worth noting the centre console cuts into that centre passenger’s foot room, forcing them to share the floor space of the outboard passengers.

We wish you could option a conventional roof but like many EVs (ahem, Tesla) a fixed-glass roof is the only option for the Mach-E and let’s just say we’re glad we’re not doing this long-term test in the summer months.

Despite its best efforts to convince you it’s a decent family car, the Mustang Mach-E GT is ultimately a performance car and, when driven the way the Blue Oval brand intended, it doesn’t make the comfiest family hauler.

As mentioned, the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT is the cream of the Mach-E crop, designed to go up against sporty electric cars like the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, Kia EV6 GT, and Tesla Model 3 Performance.

A pair of electric motors – one at either end – serve up a lovely 358kW and 860Nm and send it to all four 20-inch alloy wheels via a (Mustang-inspired) rear-biased all-wheel drive system. It’s enough to make its sticky, grippy Pirelli P Zero tyres scrabble for grip, but more on that later.

Drive mode options include Active, Whisper, Untamed, and Untamed Plus, and you can choose to ride in silence or with a synthesised, ‘V8-inspired’ soundtrack.

When it comes time to plug in the GT’s 91kWh lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, a maximum DC charging rate of 150kW across the Mach-E range is sub-par, and means it’ll take around 45 minutes for the Ford to charge from 10 to 80 per cent.

For reference, superior max charging rates of 350kW and 250kW are available for the aforementioned Hyundai and Tesla respectively, so you’ll be able to juice up those two quicker than the Mach-E at a fast charger.

A claimed range of 490km (WLTP) isn’t too bad for a performance-focused EV – better than the IONIQ 5 N’s claim of 448km but not the Tesla Model 3 Performance’s purported 528km – however you’ll be hard-pressed getting that much range from a single charge. With the battery at 100 per cent, our Mach-E GT tester shows a predicted range of just 397km.

When charging at home from an AC charger, the Mach-E can draw up to 10.5kW, which is on par with most others and means it’ll take about 11 hours for the battery to reach 100 per cent from zero.

But the Ford also falls short compared to the 5 N and M3P in terms of outright speed, with the Mach-E GT’s 3.7-second claimed sprint to 100km/h no match for its competitors’ respective 3.4 and 3.1sec claims. Even the Kia EV6 GT is said to cover the same sprint in 3.5 sec.

For starters, the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT doesn’t offer the type of smooth, supple ride you’d expect from a typical ‘family SUV’.

Instead, the firmly damped GT feels busy and unsettled on any patch of tarmac that’s not completely smooth. Add to the equation its hefty 2.2-tonne mass and there’s a lot of weight to shift here, which is made all the more obvious when it comes to enthusiastic driving.

As you’d expect, the 358kW Mach-E GT has some seriously sickening pace, and it doesn’t take much provocation of the right pedal to get it moving…fast. There’s no doubting Ford’s claim it’ll sprint from zero to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds.

Plant your right foot and you’ll have to wait a moment for the front wheelspin to subside and that Pirelli P Zero rubber to regain grip. When it does though, you’re hurled forward with incredible speed.

But then you’ve gotta stop the thing. And while that’s no problem for the GT’s big Brembo brakes, it’s the modulation of the brake pedal that takes some finesse. It’s difficult to master and even with the lightest of feet, there are still times it feels as if you’re about to be sent through the windscreen, such is the lack of brake modulation on offer.

Almost no braking force at the top of the pedal can suddenly turn into what feels like full braking force with only a little more pressure, lurching you out of your seat and making everyone on board uncomfortable.

Using the I-Pedal (one-pedal driving) makes for a more predictable experience but even then, you come to a jolt rather than a pleasant stop when you apply the brake pedal to come to a complete halt – at a red light for example.

Look past its quirks, however, and there’s no denying the eye-catching Mustang Mach-E GT is a bundle of fun and it seems to be getting easier to manage as more time is spent with it, so it’s a good thing this is a long-term test.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT at a glance:
Price: $97,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Dual permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 358kW/860Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 91kWh lithium-ion (NMC)
Range: 490km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 21.2kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au