Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
“Are you trying to kill me?!” my 87-year-old mother shouted at me from the backseat. It was a Sunday evening and we were hurrying to hear the last mass at the Divine Mercy Parish church in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City. Tired of hearing mass on TV, my mom, who has difficulty walking after two hip replacements, decided to go to church at the last minute. To make it on time, I had to drive fast but my mom thought that I was intentionally driving harsh and reckless.
I’m more afraid of my mom getting mad at me for driving fast than I’m afraid of NCAP.
I couldn’t blame her. The brutal acceleration of the vehicle that I was driving was pinning my mom, my wife Shawie (who was riding in the front), and even me into our seats. I wasn’t intentionally being too fast although I must admit that I was enjoying it. It was simply the prodigious amount of torque – around 676 Newton-meters or 916 foot-pounds of instantaneous torque – that was being delivered to the road by all four wheels, which made us feel like we were being catapulted to church instead of just driving there. (Sorry, mom…)
With tons of torque and AWD, this electric compact crossover SUV can challenge a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 in a drag race and win. (Sorry, muscle car aficionados…)
Because You Can…
The vehicle I was driving that evening was a 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD that our friends from Ford Philippines lent to me for a week-long test drive. As you may have deduced by now, it is all-electric compact crossover SUV with two permanent magnet synchronous motors – 50 kW in front and 210 kW at the back – that produce around 389 horsepower and delivers it to an all-wheel drive (AWD) system. This electric stallion can go from zero to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds!
This electric Mustang can sprint from rest to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds.
But wait: Isn’t Mustang Ford’s legacy muscle car/sports car brand? Why did they use that name on an electric crossover SUV? I can only guess that Ford did that because they can. During the initial planning stages, it was supposed to be marketed as the Mustang Mach 1, defiling the iconic pony car variant from 1969-1973, but thankfully they changed it to Mach-E to connote its electric propulsion. Launched on November 17, 2019, it went on sale in the US in December 2020 as a 2021 model, and promptly won the 2021 North American SUV of the Year Award. Coincidentally, the campaign slogan for the Mach-E is “Because You Can”. Nope, we did not make that up.
Why did Ford name an electric compact crossover SUV after their iconic pony car legacy brand? Because they can…
Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s a handsome, capable and extremely quick compact EV with a lot of premium features thrown in for good measure.
SUV Capacity, Mustang Power
The Mach-E is built on Ford’s Global Electrified 1 (GE1) platform, which evolved from the C2 crossover SUV platform of the 4th generation Focus, 3rd gen Kuga, and 4th gen Escape, which, unfortunately, Ford Philippines does not market here. Measuring 4.7 meters long and 1.9 meters wide, the Mach-E borders on the definition of “compact” dimensions. Although, it has room for 5 occupants plus 841 dry liters (around 30 cubic feet) of luggage behind the rear seats and an additional 74 liters (approximately 3 cu. ft.) of storage in the front trunk or “frunk”.
Built on Ford’s GE1 global electric platform, the Mach-E is the American car company’s foray into the highly competitive electric / hybrid compact crossover / SUV market.
The handsome facade features LED projector headlights, DRLs, and sequential turn signals. Those are active grille shutters between the license plate and the front spoiler.
Front trunk or “frunk” offers 74 dry liters or 3 cubic feet of watertight space to keep small, valuable items hidden from prying eyes.
Like any good two-row SUV, the Mach-E’s cargo capacity can be expanded up to 1,691 liters (about 60 cu. ft.) simply by folding the 60/40 split backrest of the 2nd row to accommodate large or bulky items. I took advantage of a rare sunny morning during the August rainy season and loaded my vintage Nishiki 12-speed racer/road bike into the back of the Mach-E for a quick weekend ride outside the metropolis. Shawie and our daughter Vette used the Mach-E to take our dog Brandy to the vet for her scheduled check-up. And, of course, there was that manic drive to get to church on time…
Because the Mach-E is a 5-door compact SUV, the space behind the rear seats has a removable cover and can accomodate 841 liters or around 30 cubic feet of luggage.
The 60/40 folding rear seatback can expand the cargo capacity up to 1,691 liters or about 60 cu. ft. to accommodate large, long, or bulky items…
… such as my vintage Nishiki road bike, which I took for a ride in the country side…
… as well as our dog Brandy, who was driven to the vet for her routine check-up a day after.
Charging the NCM Battery
Ford claims that the Mach-E has a range of 550 kilometers with the 88-kilowatt Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) Lithium Ion battery pack fully charged. They also claim that charging the battery from 10% to 80% with a 150kW DC fast charger will take only around 36 to 45 minutes. Our Mach-E test unit was delivered to us with the battery at 63%, an indicated range of 278 kilometers, and 11,710.8 km on the odometer. Since we weren’t going anywhere after we took delivery, we decided to plug it in using the supplied portable AC charger.
The battery was at 63% when I got the Mach-E. It took the supplied portable AC charger 20 hours to bring the battery up to 99%. I should get a wall-mounted charger and a roof over our open garage when I decide to get an EV as my next car.
The Mach-E is too handsome be left parked overnight under the elements. Squint your eyes and you’ll see some design cues from Aston Martin, which Ford owned in the early 2000s.
Because there was no 220-volt outlet in our open garage, I had to plug the AC charger into a heavy-duty extension cord. The extension provided a low amperage that made the charging rate glacially slow. It took more than 20 hours to charge the Mach-E’s battery from 63% to 99%, and the indicated range only got up to 446 kilometers. That’s a little over a hundred kilometers less than the 550 km range the factory claims! (To be fair, the US Environment Protection Agency got 270 miles/435 km range while Edmunds Automotive got 304 miles/489 km range when they tested the Mach-E in 2021. 446 km is just on par. – Ed.)
Instead of the claimed 550 km range, our Mach-E test drive indicated 446 km at 99% battery charge. Still, that’s a long, long drive ahead…
American EPA tests came back with 435 km range while independent tests showed 489 km range. The 446 km range we got is within the, uhm… range.
Open Sesame? No, Push the Button!
The first question most people asked me when they saw the Mach-E was, “Where are the damn door handles?” Well, there’s none. Push buttons mounted on the door pillars pop the doors open while a small, protruding fixed handle is used to pull the door wide open. The key fob in my pocket unlocks the doors and activates the push buttons but programmed smartphones or the built-in SecuriCode keypad at the B-pillar can also be used to unlock the doors. Everything nowadays seems to happen at the push of a button…
The Mach-E does not have traditional door handles and key slots on its doors. Look closer and there’s a small metal tang at the door pillars to pull the doors with…
A push button activates a solenoid that pops the door open. The SecuriCode key pad built into the driver’s side door pillar unlocks the Mach-E.
Once inside though, Ford used premium materials to pamper the driver and passengers. The perforated ActiveX seats are made from synthetic leather to provide luxurious comfort. Light fills the interior through the fixed glass roof, which has a special coating that keeps the cabin cool even under a scorching summer sun. At the center of the dashboard is a vertical 15.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a rotary dial, which controls most of the Mach-E’s functions, including the energy management, headlights, aircon, and the audio system, of course. The Ford SYNC 4A operating system, which can be updated wirelessly, runs the whole show.
Premium materials are used throughout the interior, which feels bright and airy because of the fixed glass roof. The glass has a special coating to keep the cabin cool under the sun.
A vertical 15.5-inch touchscreen with a rotary dial sits at the center of the dash. Ford’s SYNC 4A runs the operating system and it can be updated OTA.
The infotainment touchscreen controls and monitors most of the Mach-E’s functions, including energy management, vehicle control settings, A/C, parking, and entertainment. Ford even threw in a video game in case you get stuck in stalled traffic.
Giddy Up, Electric Horsey!
To honest, I didn’t know that the Mach-E has 3 Drive Modes – Whisper, Engage, and Unbridle – the whole time I was driving it around Metro Manila. I just drove it like I stole it, err… like I own it so I can explore its driving dynamics. For example, I got to confidently do a One-Pedal Drive, where the regenerative braking and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) slows down and stops the Mach E when my right foot releases the accelerator. However, there are times when I feel the need to stomp on the brakes myself just to feel those Brembo front ventilated discs and rear solid disc brakes actually do their job.
I did a “One-Pedal Drive” on the Skyway. The Mach-E slows down and stops when I take my right foot off the accelerator and the regenerative braking and ADAS takes over.
Minimalist cockpit is the most ergonomic anyone can get in a modern electric compact SUV. Large vertical touchscreen in the middle looks like a dash-mounted laptop and an afterthought. I miss binnacles, instrument panels and analog gauges.
I occasionally glance at the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster behind the multifunction steering wheel just to check the battery charge level and other vital info. Of course, I can get the same vital info from the infotainment touchscreen but, silly me, I don’t like being distracted by a centrally-mounted computer while I’m enjoying the drive. Or fiddle with that touchscreen while I’m driving and enjoying my favorite music emanating from the Bang & Olufsen 10-speaker audio system with subwoofer. I just want to drive this strong electric horsey, okay?
I seldom use the10.2-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel to monitor the battery SOC since the Mach-E has a long range on a single charge. TPMS indicated that the right front tire has low pressure.
There’s a clean line-of-sight to the digital instrument cluster through the leather-wrapped multifunction 3-spoke steering wheel.
Loaded to the Gills
I’d be remiss if I did not mention the numerous features of the Mach-E such as the 19-inch ten-spoke Bright Machine-Face aluminum alloy wheels shod in 225/55R19 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 tires; LED projector headlights, signature lights, sequential turn signals, taillight, and puddle lamps; automatic headlights; power side mirrors, active grille shutters, hands-free lift gate; rain-sensing windscreen wipers, wireless charger, auto-dimming rear view mirror, and dual-zone aircon with 2nd row vents.
Red Brembo disc brake caliper peeks through the 19-inch ten-spoke Bright Machine-Face alloy wheels that are shod in meaty 225/55R19 Hankook tires.
Swing your foot under the bumper and the liftgate will open for you, hands-free. The taillights have sequential turn signals and the galloping horse logo lights up at night.
The front perforated ActiveX driver and passenger seats feature 10-way power adjustment with 3 memory settings for driver’s seat. The Sync 4A infotainment system comes with enhanced voice recognition, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The Mach-E has nine airbags, front and rear parking sensors, and an alphabet soup of active and passive safety systems. It does not come with a spare tire but there’s a tire inflator kit in the back, just in case. And security is further enhanced with the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system.
Front passenger sits into a perforated ActiveX seat with power adjustment. There’s plenty of room in front.
There’s plenty of room for 3 average-sized adults at the back. The fixed glass roof offers an alternate view for backseat passengers. 10-speaker Bang & Olusen audio system with subwoofer sounds really great!
What Price Legacy?
Its P3.5 Million price tag may be a bit steep for a compact crossover, especially when premium, upmarket midsize plug-in hybrid SUVs from China can be had at the same price point. However, as part of the Mustang family, the Mach-E gets to enjoy the halo effect of its two legacy brands – Ford and Mustang – which has decades of automotive excellence behind each name. To further promote that brand legacy, Ford Philippines recently put up a new spare parts depot and technical training center to assure their customers of reliable aftersales, service and parts support.
The Mach-E gets to enjoy the halo effect of its two legacy brands – Ford and Mustang – which has decades of automotive excellence behind each name.
The Mach-E sports the iconic galloping horse logo because it is part of the Mustang family.
If we set aside the price for a while, this American compact electric crossover SUV actually has a lot of things going for it. Unfortunately, the weakening peso and high exchange rate is partly to blame for the Mach-E’s high price. I personally enjoyed driving the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD – high price not withstand. Range anxiety and inadequate local EV charging infrastructure be damned.
I just pray that my mom’s no longer sore about that fast Sunday evening drive to church. Otherwise, I’m the one who’ll be damned!
