What's the difference?
No brand courted controversy more than Ford when it stuck the legendary Mustang badge on an electric mid-size SUV.
Now finally here in Australia after a significant wait, the Mach-E is the Blue Oval’s first step into fully electric territory.
The question we’re answering for this launch review is whether it’s too little too late. Now the Mach-E’s primary rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y are established players in Australia, is the Mach-E yesterday’s news, or is it something different in the EV space? Something worthy of the Mustang badge?
Let’s find out.
If you’re someone still convinced the newcomer Chinese brands don't have what it takes to shake up the Australian new car market, this might just prove you wrong.
It’s the 2025 XPeng G6 Long Range, and it’s a lot like the Tesla Model Y, only cheaper – and, in some ways, much better.
Don't believe me? Read on and I'll prove it.
The Mustang Mach-E is fantastic to drive and very competitive on the range and equipment front, allowing it to outpace some of its well established rivals in Australia.
In fact, it's almost a shame about the Mustang name, because it will distract from what is, at its core, a compelling first step for Ford into the fully electric space.
So, don’t expect a ‘Mustang’, at least not in the traditional sense. But this is certainly something. A new future for a new Ford.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
You never know quite what to expect when you jump into the first model from a brand-new brand, but the XPeng G6 was a pleasant surprise. And at this price, with these features, it should really give Tesla Model Y shoppers something to think about.
The Mach-E looks good, but nothing like the designs you have come to expect from Ford.
Sure, there are plenty of notes, references and hints, to its Mustang namesake, some more hidden than others, but fans will have to accept this is a new interpretation of the badge for a new era, and at the end of the day, it’s an electric mid-size SUV.
The overall visage is a little more sleek than your average RAV4, though, with a long wheelbase, coupe-like rear, and a curvy shape which no doubt helps it cut through the air as efficiently as its shape will allow.
Mustang hints are found, obviously, in the big pony badge on the front, but also the frowny-face headlight profile, and iconic three-bar pattern for the rear lights, too.
There are even hidden things, like pony imprints on the underbody protection, and ‘electric ponies live here’ branded onto the motor unit, where few buyers will likely ever see it. In a move which should keep all Mach-E owners happy, every grade looks great, each having its own character.
The base car looks all aero with its wheel covers and more humble plastic cladding pieces, while the Select adds contrast piano black bits and more traditional alloy wheels.
The GT goes harder still with a 3D-effect grille and much more Mustang-like 20-inch wheels.
I’m not sure what I was expecting when it came to the Mach-E’s interior, but it looks a bit more ordinary in pictures than it does when you’re in the car.
What appears from a distance to be a hodgepodge of bits from Ford America and Ford Europe with the same dull grayscale theme is more nuanced and textured once you’re in the driver’s seat.
I especially like the tiered dash with the speaker-bar look for the Bang & Olufsen system which integrates across the front, and the 15.5-inch screen which looks like it will dominate the space is actually at a perfect distance from the driver.
An appreciated amount of soft-touch surfaces and synthetic leather finishes round out the space. There is even a grade-specific textured detail piece running across the dash. Nice touch.
It’s also a lot to take in, but somehow it works. One thing is for sure though, it’s not traditional ‘Mustang’. This has jumped from the big, brash, old-world (and often maligned for quality issues) interior, to something cleaner, more open and futuristic.
There’s more than a little Tesla Model Y in the XPeng’s exterior design, with the two sharing the same kind of soft-edged, swept-back SUV styling.
It helps make the XPeng look familiar and inoffensive, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to call it ground-breaking, I think it has enough exterior flourishes to break up the body work, and I don’t mind the way it looks, and the way it sits on those big alloys.
Inside, it’s a spacious and pretty stylish space. This giant screen is super responsive, and is easy enough to navigate, with the key functions (like climate) glued to the bottom of the screen so you don't have to paw through menus to access them. The idea begins to fail when you have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto active, though, as you have to revert back to the car's home screen to access anything.
The XPeng uses its steering wheel controls to access air-con fan and temp controls as a kind of shortcut, but confusingly they change to distance adjustment when you’ve got the cruise control on. An easier, and much better solution would be to bring back buttons.
I also don't love the stalk-style gear selector, which doubles as a cruise control activator, and, with a double pull, as your autonomous helper. It just feels super old-school in a vehicle this modern.
What is a massive win though is the driver screen. Tesla fans can scream minimalist aesthetics all they want, but the drive experience is simply better when you can see your speed and other key info right in front of you.
This is especially true when it comes to the usability of the cabin. I was surprised to be greeted by a high seating position, a wide cabin, and an abundance of storage with plenty of neat features.
For a start, the centre console is a nice piece of design. It features a floating bridge section with a wireless charging bay, rubberised storage tray, dual bottle holders with variable edges, and a floating armrest piece with a large console box below.
In front, and below the wireless chargers, there’s a big cutaway for additional storage, and a decent sized glove box on the passenger side.
The all-dominating touchscreen, as mentioned, is at a nice distance from the driver, isn’t as obstructive as it looks and unlike the Tesla Model Y or Model 3, the Mach-E scores a little digital instrument panel to provide the driver with conveniently-located core information.
I only have two gripes about these systems. Unfortunately, you have to adjust the climate functions through the touchscreen.
There’s a nice central volume dial, but it would be nice to have physical adjustment dials for temperature and fan speed, too.
As it is, the touch areas are quite small, and require a bit of concentration to jab at.
The instrument panel has a nice clean design, but isn’t customisable, the limited information it shows is all you get. Better than not having one, I suppose.
The rear seat is also excellent, offering me, at 182cm tall, plenty of airspace for my knees, and sufficient width for my arms. Headroom is its most limited dimension, although I fit without my head touching the roof.
The seats are brilliant, clad in a decent synthetic leather material and padded with an excellent amount of foam material for a comfortable ride no matter where you’re seated. The centre seat even seems usable for adults, thanks to the Mach-E’s flat floor.
Rear passengers are treated to bottle holders in the doors, two more in the centre drop-down armrest, USB ports on the back of the centre console, pockets on the backs of the front seats, and a pair of adjustable air vents.
Annoyingly, the huge panoramic sunroof doesn’t have a retractable shade, nor is there a flexible shade accessory on the options list.
Sure, it looks great, but it could be a nuisance, baking the interior during hot Australian summers.
For some reason this particular trait is common in more and more EVs with the Tesla Model Y and Polestar 2 sharing the same issue.
Boot space is 402 litres (VDA) which is not particularly large for a mid-size SUV. I would expect 450 litres or more in this category, but the Mach-E is compromised a little by its aggressively-shaped rear.
It also doesn’t get a spare wheel of any kind, making do with a repair kit under the floor.
Ford also throws in a Type 2 to Type 2 public AC charging cable, but if you plan on charging from a wall socket at home you’ll have to delve into the accessories list.
One of my favourite Mach-E features is the 134 litre frunk. I’ve said before I don’t think this particular EV fad is super useful.
It’s often an inconvenience to have to pop the front from the inside, and I’ve found in my long-term loans of EVs I rarely use them, but the Mach-E’s frunk is special because it’s watertight and drainable.
This opens up some neat opportunities, like the ability to throw dirty hiking, diving, or work equipment in there and hosing it out later, or even filling it up with ice and chucking a case of drinks of your choice in there for an old-fashioned American block party. It even has integrated cupholders for this express purpose.
At 4753mm in length, 1920mm in width and 1650mm in height, the XPeng fits into the fast-growing mid-size electric SUV space.
And it ticks a lot of practicality boxes, like with its 571-litre boot, swelling to 1374 litres with the seats folded. But its real party trick is in the back seat, where the space is properly massive.
I have another mid-size SUV, powered by a petrol engine, at the moment and our baby seat presses against the back of the passenger seat. In this it feels like I could fly a kite in the space between them.
It’s the same for passengers, too. Honestly, the real estate on offer is massive, and that includes for the middle-seat rear passenger, where the lack of a bulky tunnel eating into legroom means adults can sit there comfortably.
There's a pull-down divider separating the back seat that's also home to two cupholders, and there are twin USB connections, as well as air vents (though no temp controls).
There's no spare tyre, though, which means fiddling with the repair kit should you get puncture, or waiting for roadside assist.
Price is key to any new electric car, and the Mach-E doesn’t do anything unexpected. It’s not here to be a new, more affordable mid-sized electric option in Australia, instead leaning on its performance credentials to slice out its own niche amongst its competitors.
Three Mach-E grades arrive in Australia with prices ranging from $79,990 for the most affordable rear-wheel drive Select version, stepping up to $91,665 for the also rear-drive Premium and stretching to $107,665 for the all-wheel drive GT.
Before you start adding on-road costs or state-based discounts then, the Mach-E competes with mid-grade or higher-end versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y - and maybe the more sedan-like Polestar 2.
Range is, of course, key to the price equation for any EV, and this is where the main differences lie between the variants, which are remarkably similar when it comes to standard equipment. The base Select gets a smaller, more affordable 71kWh battery pack. It grants the entry-point car a driving range of 470km on a single charge. Not bad at all.
Next up, the Premium grade remains rear-wheel drive, but swaps up to a larger 91kWh battery unit, delivering one of the longest ranges of any EV on the Australian market, at 600km.
Finally, the top-spec GT moves to all-wheel drive, almost doubling its power outputs, but maintains the same 91kWh battery, for a reduced but still respectable range of 490km between charges.
Standard equipment is impressive, too. Even the base Select scores items usually reserved for high-spec cars, like synthetic leather interior trim with heated and power adjust front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a Bang & Olufsen 10-speaker premium audio system.
Other standard equipment includes the impressive 15.5-inch portrait-oriented multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a matching wireless phone charging bay, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, 19-inch alloy wheels (with aero panels), a 360-degree parking camera, LED headlights, and the full safety suite.
The Premium grade scores higher-spec LED headlights, contrasting piano black exterior trim, black headliner and red stitching for the interior, as well as metal scuff plates and pedal trims.
The top-spec GT has the most noticeable bump in equipment, with the addition of adaptive suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels, a Brembo brake package, GT styling touches inside and out, ambient interior lighting, and sporty front seats with additional bolstering.
The issue the Mach-E faces, then, is not range or standard equipment. It is simply not offered in a form which is as competitive with price-leading versions of its core rivals.
Of course, most anticipated vehicles like this are picked up primarily in high-grade forms to begin with, Ford telling us nearly 40 per cent of pre-orders have been for the GT, but it’s notable there’s no circa-$70,000 entry-point variant as there is for the EV6, Ioniq 5, and Model Y.
Okay, first things first – what the hell is XPeng? It's been around for about 10 years in China, but only made its way to Australia last year. It was founded by some former car company execs and tech tycoons — one of whom is telecommunications billionaire He Xiaopeng, which is where that name comes from.
Anyway, this one is the XPeng G6, which launched in Australia with two trims – the Standard Range, which is $54,800, before on-road costs, and the one we’ve tested, the Long Range, which is $59,800. The difference is in the battery size, of course, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
As of now, the new Model Y can be ordered for $63,400 for the Standard Range or $73,400 for the Long Range, which makes the XPeng a whole heap cheaper.
Outside, you get LED lighting all around (including the DRLs), a massive glass roof, auto door handles, an auto-opening boot, a V2L connection, which allows you to use your XPeng’s battery to power whatever you plug in and big 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin rubber.
You also get some cool high-tech features, accessed through the XPeng app, like the ability to drive your car out of tight parking spots remotely.
Inside, there are synthetic-leather seats that are heated, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate, a massive 18-speaker sound system (with speakers in the headrest), wireless charging and two very handy screens — a responsive 15-inch central screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a 10.2-inch digital dashboard.
There’s also more safety stuff than you can shake a crash test at, but we’ll come back to that in a second.
The Mach-E might not look like a traditional Mustang, but don’t be fooled, it’s no ordinary mid-size SUV on the performance front.
Even in its most basic trim level, the Mach-E puts out 198kW/430Nm, and yes, it’s rear-wheel drive.
The mid-grade version boosts power even further to 216kW/430Nm, while the top-spec GT nearly doubles outputs to 358kW/860Nm thanks to its dual-motor, all-wheel drive system.
Sprint times are a hot-hatch baiting 6.6 seconds for the base Select, 6.2 seconds for the Premium and an impressive 3.7 seconds for the GT.
The GT scores other enhancements, too, like the 'MagneRide' suspension also seen in the internal-combustion Mustang, and upgraded software unlocking the sportiest ‘Untame Plus’ drive mode which Ford says is ‘for track use only’ (and it is, because it basically turns traction control down to a minimum).
This G6 is a rear-wheel drive affair, with a single electric motor housed at the rear axle. It produces 190kW and 440Nm in Standard Range form or 210kW/440Nm in Long Range guise, which don’t sound like massive numbers — especially given the 2.0-tonne-plus weight of this XPeng – but it gets up and moving just fine.
The 100km/h sprint is a claimed 6.2 seconds, while the top speed is 200km/h.
As mentioned, the three Mach-E variants have distinctly different range offerings. The base Select travels a respectable 470km between charges, the mid-grade Premium covers 600km (one of the longest ranges on offer from any EV currently in the Australian market) and the top-spec GT travels 490km between charges.
Interestingly, the base car is offered with the more affordable LFP (lithium-iron phosphate) battery chemistry for its 71kWh unit which uses less rare materials, sourced from China’s CATL, while the larger 91kWh batteries are sourced from Korea’s LG Chem using the higher output but more expensive NMC (nickel-manganese cobalt) chemistry.
On the efficiency front the Mach-E isn’t bad considering its performance, and size. The base Select is rated at 17.8kWh/100km on the combined cycle, while the number is lower for the Premium at 17.3kWh/100km, but hops up to a less-than-impressive 21.2kWh/100km for the all-wheel drive GT.
For reference, these official consumption figures are about on-par with the Ioniq 5 and a little lower than the EV6. It will be interesting to test this car’s range and efficiency figures at a later date, on a longer test.
The Long Range version of the G6 nabs a 87.5kWh battery (compared to 66kWh in the Standard Range), unlocking a claimed driving range of 570km.
The official power use figure is 17.5kWh/100km, but I did a fair bit of driving on all sorts of roads and my number was more like 14kWh.
When it does come time to charge, the G6 is set up for 280kW DC fast charging which means, should you find the right fast charger, a 10-80 per cent charge should arrive in just 20 minutes. Home charging will take a lot longer, of course – we’re talking overnight plugged into a regular wallbox.
Let’s make one thing clear. The Mach-E does not drive like a Mustang. A Mustang, of course, being characterized primarily by its brash V8 roar, gratuitous cabin and grand touring dynamics.
No, the Mach-E immediately reminds me of a Ford Europe SUV. Sounds like an insult doesn’t it? But it isn’t.
The Escape and Puma are remarkably sharp to drive, and I consider them deeply underrated options in the SUV space, and more suited to drivers than they first appear.
The Mach-E takes the best elements of these two and dials it up to 11, adding the smoothness of an electric powertrain and inherent rear-wheel drive performance characteristics as it does.
While it saddles you with a tall SUV-like seating position, it’s no simple SUV once you get it on a few curves, the urgent performance from the rear-mounted motor, even in the base car, is excellent, feeling as though it punches above many of its rivals, while the sharp, accurate steering makes it feel surprisingly agile and responsive considering its dimensions and weight.
The regenerative braking is well-calibrated, too, offered in either a one-pedal or more moderate tune, but perhaps the most surprising aspect of this car is its well balanced ride.
Reviews from my colleagues overseas pointed to an overly hard ride, which I was expecting, but I was greeted with a car that deals with bumps, undulations, and corrugations with a remarkable amount of poise.
Ford says what it calls the “Irish tune” was selected as it offered the best ride for our roads, and it seems the Blue Oval engineers weren’t wrong.
It’s a firmer ride than the boaty Hyundai Ioniq 5, but not as firmly sprung as the Polestar 2 or Tesla Model Y.
In other words, it’s firm enough to make it fun to drive, but not hard enough to ruin it in your day-to-day commute.
It was also interesting to find the MangeRide adaptive suspension in the GT grade didn’t make as big a difference as expected, firming things up a little on some surfaces, but offering a slight edge to the amount of chassis control on offer as a result.
The three drive modes also make a significant difference to the experience. The ‘Whisper’ mode dials back accelerator response and artificial noise, serving as a kind of ‘eco’ setting which is said to also be more suited to low-traction scenarios, where the instant torque of the electric motors can easily spin the wheels.
The standard mode is far more balanced, while the 'Untame' mode makes the motors respond in haste, and dials up the artificial rumbling noise, but not to an unpleasant level.
The fourth, ‘Untame Plus’ mode, only available on the top-spec GT, allows the car to, for example, break into a drift when grip is low enough by dialling back the traction control.
It’s designed to allow a little more play and maximise acceleration response for track use. Still, it doesn’t feel as tail-happy as its namesake combustion coupe.
While it appears to be yet another mid-size electric EV, then, there’s something a little more on offer here, and something which sets itself apart from the electric pack by being fun to drive in a way something like a Tesla Model Y isn’t.
The best part is, these unusually engaging dynamics extend beyond the top-spec GT, all the way to the base Select.
The only thing is, it’s still very tidy. It’s organised, the traction control is clever, the chassis is sharp, the steering is brilliant and the electric motors are… inorganic.
In some ways, this car is too good to be a Mustang, certainly missing some of the edge-of-your seat chaos a V8 rear-driven coupe can bring.
So, long as you understand this, there’s a very compelling sporty electric SUV to be found here.
How much you love your time behind the wheel of the XPeng G6 comes down to what you're looking for from your mid-size electric SUV.
Speed and sportiness? There's not much of either. But it does serve up tons of space and technology, surprising refinement and a calm and cosseting ride.
And I think you can mount a pretty solid argument that all of that is pretty important in a mid-size SUV, more so than the ability to carve corners.
I did some solid driving in the G6, including a round trip from Sydney to the start of the NSW South Coast, taking in every road type and surface imaginable, and XPeng proved super comfy, pretty quiet and very, very easy the entire time.
Sure, it's not one of those EVs that makes the scenery blur when you put your foot down. Its outputs and acceleration are a bit more user-friendly than that. But it also doesn't ever feel underpowered, with the plenty of poke away from the lights and even some in reserve for freeway overtakes at 110km/h.
The steering, even in its 'Dynamic' mode, is fairly soft, and you can never magic away the weight of the XPeng in corners, where that compliant suspension does allow for some roll, but it also doesn't feel entirely disconnected from the road below in that disconcerting way some vehicles can.
So, if comfort is mission critical in your SUV space, the XPeng delivers.
Oh, and I know that big screens aren't that uncommon these days, but the multimedia unit in the XPeng is a treat. It's super fast, even when scrolling across maps, and it's relatively user friendly, too.
All Mach-E variants get the same set of modern active safety equipment including auto emergency braking at freeway speeds, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. It also scores a 360-degree parking camera and reverse auto braking.
Adaptive cruise control features (although not the semi-autonomous ‘BlueCruise’ offered in this car’s American version), alongside a healthy suite of airbags.
Only the Select and Premium grades are rated a maximum five ANCAP stars, with the GT excluded.
The XPeng G6 wears a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from assessment in 2024, owing mostly to a flood of active safety features that arrive as standard, including AEB (with pedestrian, backover, cyclist, motorcycle and crossing detection), lane departure warning, lane keep assist, speed sign recognition, driver monitoring and more.
But it could also lay claim to a unique record – the first Chinese EV in which the safety systems don't make you want to make you pull your hair out with their incessant chiming and bonging.
Only on the freeway, where an intermittent chiming incorrectly warned me I was leaving my lane, were the safety systems at all overzealous. Otherwise, they were entirely liveable.
If a crash is unavoidable, the airbag count runs to seven (dual front, front side, side curtain and front centre) and multi-collision brake is standard, to minimise the chances of a secondary crash following an initial impact.
Ford offers a now industry standard five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, as well as the battery manufacturer standard eight-years and 160,000km for the high-voltage components.
Unlike some EVs in this space which push intervals out to two years, the Mach-E needs to see a workshop once every year or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.
Thankfully, servicing is relatively affordable, at just $135 or $180 at alternating years for the first 10 years, and roadside assist is automatically topped up with each service (at an authorised Ford dealer) up to seven years.
I'm scoring the regular warranty offering here, which is five years or 120,000km, with the battery covered for eight years or 160,000km. Keep an eye out for deals, though. At the time of writing XPeng was offering a 10-year warranty on both, for example.
Service intervals are 12 months or 20,000km. The cheapest individual service is $238, but over five years the total cost is $2064, averaging out to more like $410 per year.