![]() ![]() Unlike most menus of this kind, which just sort of expect you to know what everything means, each setting has an information icon that, when clicked, gives you a plain-English explanation of what the various modes or settings do. There's an incredibly powerful settings menu that's accessed by hitting the Mach-E in the top left corner of the screen. There's one part of the central display that deserves an award, though. Charging comes by way of two USB ports (one Type-A, one Type-C) per row. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Waze integration are all included, as is a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot running on AT&T's network. Climate controls are at the bottom and, while I miss having physical switchgear for these, the touchscreen controls are easy enough to use at stoplights. The top half of the screen is devoted to a single thing, whether it's a navigation map or audio info, while a series of tiles just beneath allows for quick swapping between various corners of the system, and you can see it all with just a quick glance away from the windshield. It's running a modified version of Ford's Sync 4 system, so it's responsive and easy on the eyes, with both light and dark motifs available. The real meat and potatoes of the Mach-E's cabin tech comes from the honkin' 15.5-inch portrait display centered on the dash. Andrew Krok/Roadshow Mustang Mach-E Sync 4 infotainment I sincerely hope that Ford puts this screen - and this system - into as many future vehicles as possible. While the battery can accept up to 150 kilowatts of charging power, a trip to a 50-kW charger delivered just 35 kW of max power, requiring a whopping 45 minutes to add about 18% of juice. The First Edition before me has an EPA-estimated range of 270 miles from its 98.8-kWh battery, but Michigan's cold ambient temperatures have sliced the onboard computer's estimated range down to 220 miles and driving with a heavy foot can bring that number down even further. You can turn it off if you don't need to pretend you're driving something nonelectric, though. Each setting also has its own volume level for the fake "engine" noise that Ford pipes into the cabin, which is more of a low-pitched thrum that actually sounds pretty good - better than the usual spaceship-like low-speed noises that most automakers rely on. Engage, the middle-child option, sharpens throttle and steering while the sportiest mode, Unbridled (groan), ramps the response up even further. Whisper is my favorite, taking advantage of the car's inherent on-road smoothness with a numb accelerator and comfortably light steering feel. The Mach-E offers three different vehicle modes. Even in its sharpest vehicle mode, there's still plenty of sensible right-pedal modulation on offer, making it easy to power out of one corner and into the next. As expected, the instantaneous electric torque makes for exciting starts, but it's not enough to rip your toupee off your scalp. With about 332 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque, there's definitely enough go-juice, but with the majority of the powertrain's heft located as low as possible, it takes a whole lot of brute manhandling to unsettle the Mach-E. To that end, my First Edition tester holds the party line. is pretty straightforward: It's meant to deliver balanced handling with power that has the capability to overwhelm the rear end. Subverted expectations are the name of the game and while the nomenclature might not sit well with everyone, rest assured that the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E is a lovely little EV that speaks of great things to come. Of all the years for Ford to slap the Mustang name on an electric crossover, 2020 seems about right. ![]()
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