Blue Oval finally locks in electric fastback SUV for local release – by the end of this year
Ford has finally fessed up – the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E is coming to Australia and will arrive in local showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year.
Official confirmation of the ground-breaking electric fastback SUV’s Aussie release has been a long time coming, following its world debut at the 2019 Los Angeles motor show, where the Mach-E’s chief engineer told carsales it would most definitely be sold in Australia.
Unexpectedly high demand in the US and Europe has prevented Ford Australia from locking in a local launch for the high-riding fastback wagon since then, despite its subsequent release in the right-hand drive UK and New Zealand markets and Ford’s Australian trademark application for the Mach-E name.
Now, however, Ford Australia has finally confirmed the Mustang Mach-E will arrive here before the year’s out, just carsales sources said it would in August last year, and it will come with all of the upgrades Ford announced for the European market last September.
Three versions of the battery-powered mid-size SUV will be offered here from launch – Select, Premium and GT – but pricing and specification details for the three-grade line-up won’t be released until later in the year.
Powering the base model will be a single 198kW/430Nm electric motor – mounted to the rear axle – drawing current from a 71kWh lithium-ion battery pack offering a targeted driving range of up to 470km, pending local homologation.
Stepping up to the Premium will add more standard equipment as well as a bigger 91kWh battery and a more powerful motor (216kW/430Nm), upping the effective range to about 600km.
But many Aussies are likely to opt for the flagship GT given it will be the only dual-motor variant available Down Under and slams down no less than 358kW/860Nm, stopping the 0-100km/h clock in just 3.7 seconds (with a 300mm rollout) and making it the quickest Ford model offered in our market.
The GT has a targeted range of 490km thanks to the inclusion of the 91kWh battery as standard and will come with Ford’s MagneRide adaptive damping system, performance braking package and Untame Plus drive mode extension, which backs off the traction and stability controls, tweaks the all-wheel drive parameters, sharpens throttle and brake response, sets the drivetrain to maximum attack and proactively cools the battery pack.
Ford says the system is intended for use only on closed roads (read: racetrack use).
Every Mach-E will feature a 15.5-inch SYNC4 infotainment screen, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless phone charging, 10-speaker B&O sound system and a panoramic sunroof as standard.
“We are thrilled to bring the Mustang Mach-E to Australia,” Ford Australia and New Zealand president and CEO Andrew Birkic said.
“It’s an exciting time for electric vehicles in Australia, and Mach-E gives us the chance to do what Mustang has done best for decades – put a smile on customer’s faces.
“We know Australians love that feeling of driving a performance car, and the Mach-E will mean they can enjoy that iconic Mustang freedom with all the benefits that an EV offers.”
Established rivals for the Mach-E include the Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Tesla Model Y, all of which are priced from about $70,000 and have a dedicated performance flagship either already available or on its way soon.
The Mach-E will be Ford Australia’s first dedicated EV, first all-electric passenger vehicle and second battery-powered model behind the upcoming E-Transit van, and will be followed by the E-Transit Custom in 2024.
As such, it forms a key part of the Blue Oval brand’s local electrification strategy, which includes five electrified models on sale here by the end of 2024.
Today’s announcement – made with the help of Daniel Ricciardo and co-inciding with the Australian Formula 1 GP – takes the tally of confirmed electrified Fords to four (including the already available Escape PHEV) and leaves just one more to come.
That could be either the upcoming Puma EV, the (plugless) Escape hybrid revealed back in 2020 or an electrified version of the new Ranger.
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Keyword: Ford Mustang Mach-E confirmed for Australia