A blast on ruts and roads, but who is the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally really for?

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The Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is the first production electric rally car – and it’s a blast on a dirt track.

As mine sprays gravel when I spin through corners, the only real reminder that I’m in an EV is the missing engine whine.

After a cautious first round, instructor Sean Edwards tells me to “really punch it this time.”

Punching it is sort of the point of the Mach-E Rally. After an afternoon at DirtFish Rally School in Snoqualmie, Wash., about 40 minutes east of Seattle, it’s obvious that the Mach-E Rally is at home sliding through off-road courses with gas-powered rally cars like the Subaru WRX RS.

But at $74,995 before fees, taxes and rebates, who exactly is the Mach-E Rally for?

“We realize not everyone is going to take it rallycross racing,” said Richard Kreder, Mach-E vehicle engineering manager at Ford Motor Co. “It’s the most comfortable-riding car we have … and we think it’s going to be an excellent snow car.”

The Mach-E Rally started out with designers sketching “a Hot Wheels version” of the Mach-E with big tires, Kreder said.

“And then some people with rallycross backgrounds thought we could do a rallycross vehicle and it would be kind of cool – it would be different,” he said. “No one’s in that space right now and we thought we could build onto Ford’s rally heritage.”

The Rally is a $5,000 package on the $69,995 Mach-E GT – but Kreder said it’s more than “just a stripe package.” On top of the GT’s standard features, including all-wheel drive, MagneRide suspension and an extended-range battery, the Rally comes with the additional GT performance upgrade – which is a $1,295 extra on the GT. That increases the torque to 700 lb-ft from 600.

It also gets rally-specific upgrades for racing in the dirt, including a front grille shield with LED fog lamps, a rear spoiler inspired by the Ford Focus GT, protective front and rear aluminum under shields, white 19-inch wheels and Michelin CrossClimate2 tires.

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The suspension is softer than the GT (so it can handle rough roads) and it’s an inch higher off the ground. But the most notable extra is RallySport mode. It tweaks steering and throttle response, turns off the regenerative braking and loosens the stability control so you can slide through turns.

You do get the stripes (which you can opt out of), a side decal and a black steel roof (you can’t get the optional panoramic glass roof – it isn’t gravel-friendly).

So, for $75,000, you get a Mach-E with race car looks, plenty of torque and the ability to play in the dirt.

Most buyers will probably consider the Rally for its looks over its gravel-road street cred, Kreder said. And likely, it will appeal to buyers who usually seek the top version of any car.

“There’ll be some enthusiasts,” he said. “But I think most would [consider it] for the appearance.”

When designing the Mach-E Rally, Ford looked to the Subaru WRX RS, a gas-powered sedan with a standard transmission and a sticker price of just under $42,000.

“We benchmarked the WRX, for what it’s worth. They’ve been in this rally space for 20 years,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s going to [attract] WRX drivers. We’ll see.”

For 2024, the biggest change to the entire Mach-E lineup, which first launched for the 2021 model year, is a new rear motor. It’s now built in-house to lower costs. That helped spur a price drop in February.

Otherwise, there aren’t any startling changes – mostly there have been a series of tweaks. Ford lets owners send verbal notes through the infotainment system suggesting how it could make the Mach-E better.

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With well-publicized grumbling that EVs are too expensive to attract mainstream buyers, why come out with a $75,000 electric rally car?

It fits with Ford’s EV strategy – to focus on performance and capability and show buyers that EVs aren’t appliances. It’s why it’s called the Ford Mustang Mach-E and not just the Mach-E.

“The EV market is still growing. It’s not growing as fast, I know – but I think EVs are the way of the future,” Kreder said. “I tell people I have my [Mach-E GT] – it is faster than my supercharged Mustang Cobra and it’s more refined than my Lincoln … other people buy EVs for other reasons. For me, it’s performance.”

That performance comes at a cost. While the Mach-E’s 91-kilowatt-hour extended-range battery pack has 483 kilometres of range in the base all-wheel-drive version – compared with 370 kilometres for the standard 72-kilowatt-hour battery – that range drops to 426 kilometres on the Rally, mostly because of the tires and added height.

The Mach-E Rally is available to order now. Even though it costs more than the $70,000 cap for federal and most provincial rebates, it still qualifies because it’s considered a trim package on the GT.

Tech specs

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

• Base price: $77,590, including $2,595 for destination and delivery, before rebates, and plus fees and taxes
• Motor / battery: Dual electric motors, front and rear / 91 kilowatt-hours
• Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 480 / 700
• Drive: All-wheel drive
• Power consumption (NRCan ratings, litres equivalent per 100 kilometres) / charging capacity: 2.7 combined / up to 150 kilowatts
• Curb weight: 2,258 kilograms
• Range: 426 kilometres
• Alternatives: Subaru WRX RS, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Tesla Model Y

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Looks

What a difference fog lights, stripes and a sexy spoiler make. While the regular Mach-E is still a handsome car, the Rally package gives it a sporty ruggedness. I even got a “Wow! What kind of car is that?” in a parking lot from a guy in a Tesla. It looks good even without the stripes. The pushbuttons for the doors still look odd, though.

Interior

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The Mach-E Rally gets the same sports seats as the GT and they’re comfortable (I felt hugged). Generally, there are no big changes to the Mach-E’s interior – and that’s fine. It’s still spacious and comfortable. The controls make sense. While it has a large vertical centre touchscreen, similar to Tesla and Volvo, controlling basic functions is more straightforward here. It has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a top trim.

Performance

A car built for ruts and gravel makes for a comfortable daily driver. The Mach-E Rally was more responsive and handled more confidently than the RWD Mach-E and AWD Mach-E GT. As it went over potholes on winding forest roads, it was smooth but not bouncy. Ford says it can go from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.6 seconds.

Technology

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It has a maximum charging rate of 150 kilowatts (compared to 350 for most rivals) and can charge from to 80 per cent from 10 per cent in 36 minutes at a DC fast charger, Ford said. And you do get an adapter that lets it use Tesla Supercharging stations. When I tried at a station outside a suburban IKEA, the car instantly started charging when plugged in. (When you’re done, it bills your account on Ford’s BlueOval Charge network). It’s also equipped with Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driver-assist tech, which only works on certain sections of select divided highways. It’s one of the better systems I’ve tried – but, like all of them, it’s not self-driving and requires the driver to watch the road and be ready to take the wheel at all times. I had to suddenly take over on a curve.

Cargo

The rear holds 841 litres with the back seats up and 1,674 litres with them down. There’s a 133-litre “frunk” (front trunk).

The verdict

Ready for the dirt and daily driving, the Mach-E Rally is as fun as it looks.

The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.

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