Production-ready Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally edition unveiled

US car giant Ford has formally unveiled the production-ready version of the Mustang Mach-E Rally – a jacked-up electric SUV which can be driven off the beaten track.

First unveiled in concept form at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Mustang Mach-E Rally is Ford’s spiritual successor to the Focus RS performance hatchback – the last in a long line of petrol-powered Blue Oval machines designed for all conditions.

Compared to the Mustang Mach-E’s flagship GT grade, the Rally gains an extra 20mm of ground clearance, trades 20-inch alloys for rally-design 19-inch wheels (shod in Michelin CrossClimate2 tyres) and underbody protection to protect the electric car from rocks and deep bumps off the road.

Additional cosmetic enhancements include a new-look front bumper and splitter, a grille with built-in fog lights, a black painted steel roof and a rear spoiler inspired by the Ford Focus RS.

All examples of the Mustang Mach-E Rally will also be sold with two black racing stripes which run from its bonnet to the boot, with six body colours available to customers – Grabber Blue, Shadow Black, Eruption Green, Star White, Glacier Gray, and Grabber Yellow (as shown).

Inside, the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally’s cabin features gloss white trim highlights on its steering wheel’s lower spokes, dashboard and door car contrast stitching – while the ‘Mach-E Rally’ embossed front seats also have gloss white backs.

Ford has added a new ‘RallySport’ drive mode for the Mustang Mach-E, which it claims allows the electric car to slide at larger angles before intervening, a more linear throttle response and stiffer suspension damping.

While Ford is yet to reveal performance figures for the Mustang Mach-E Rally, it says the off-road focused electric car will produce at least 358kW and 860Nm – identical outputs to the Mach-E GT which utilises the same dual-electric motor setup.

Power is supplied by a 91kWh lithium-ion battery pack – also shared with the GT, which has a claimed WLTP driving range of 490km, though it rides on larger wheels and sticker tyres.

Order books for the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally are due to open in the US from early 2024, where the electric SUV will be priced from $US65,000 (almost $AU102,000).

The jacked-up electric car will also go on sale in the UK and Europe at the same time, though it is not yet clear whether it will come to Australia.

As previously reported, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is due to arrive in Australian showrooms between October and December 2023, priced between $79,990 and $107,665 plus on-road costs.