There are so many crossovers out there pretending to be off-roaders. Hell, you can get a toughened-up Nissan Rogue these days (and honestly, it's not half bad). But for the most part, adding grippier wheels and faux running boards to a crossover does not an off-roader make.
Ford at least put some effort into the new Mach-E Rally. It has a 1.0-inch lift, optimized springs, genuine underbody protection, and a pretty nifty body kit to boot. Tack on the Mach-E GT's powerful output and you've got yourself a genuinely fun little off-road EV.
| Quick Specs | 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally |
| Battery | 91.0 Kilowatt-Hours |
| Motors | Dual Permanent-Magnet Synchronous |
| Output | 480 Horsepower / 700 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.4 Seconds |
| Base Price / As Tested | $60,990 / $65,484 |
With two electric motors and a 91.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack, the Mach-E Rally has 480 horsepower and a whopping 700 pound-feet of torque. Alongside the GT, it's the most powerful Mach-E money can buy—hell, it's one of the torquiest EVs on sale anywhere today.
Tick over to the Mach-E’s “Unbridled” powertrain mode to uncork all 700 lb-ft. A huge wave of electrons launch the rally-ready SUV to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds—just a tenth of a second slower than the standard GT—and on to a limited top speed of 128 mph. It's quick as heck. There's even a faux acceleration sound that's pretty convincing at speed (it sounds like a rumbly V-6).
Ford tweaked the suspension specifically for off-road use. But that also means the Mach-E Rally is plenty compliant on pavement, too. Standard MagneRide shocks, slightly softer dampers, and tweaks to the anti-roll bars and bushings give it a more pliable yet still compliant ride.
Pros: Genuinely Capable On The Dirt, Looks Awesome, Still Comfortable
There's a titch more body roll when you flick this Mach-E hard into a turn compared to other trims in the model range, presumably from the added ride height. But it handles well otherwise. It has ample body control, excellent balance, and a light but responsive steering feel.
There is some tire noise from the chunkier Michelin CrossClimate2 all-seasons, especially at highway speeds. And that massive rally-style wing makes rearward visibility a thing of the past. But who cares, this thing was made for rallying.
Since I'm about 5,000 miles and an ocean away from Col de Turini, a dinky dirt road is the next-best option. Step one is to dig into the touchscreen (mildly annoying) and select the RallySport drive mode, made specifically for the Mach-E Rally. Activating this mode smooths out the throttle response—instead of an instant shove of torque, power arrives in a more linear way. This mode also softens the dampers and relaxes the traction control just enough to allow you to rip off some sweet dirt drifts. If you really want to get wacky, you can disengage traction control entirely.
Even on this tight dirt road with a few tiny corners, the Mach-E Rally is an absolute hoot. Prod the throttle and yank the steering wheel hard to send the back end into a tidy, refined drift. Get up to speed and the softened suspension skips over rocks and powers through ruts like a genuine rally car, while the chunkier rubber claws its way through the dirt.
Cons: No Limited-Slip Diff, A Little Pricey
There's a bit of cladding on the fenders and side sills to protect it from kicked-up rubble, and a film on the doors helps to save the paint. There's even genuine underbody protection in the form of two panels, front and rear.
The one downside is that the Mach-E Rally doesn't have a limited-slip differential. Instead, it uses brake-based torque vectoring, which is less predictable and harder on the rotors. For the 95 percent of owners who won't take this thing to an actual rally stage, it's no big issue. But for the slim majority who might actually aim this car down a logging road in earnest, you'll have to live without that one key feature.
Otherwise, Ford made a genuinely compelling Mach-E rally car. And it still has all the things that make the standard Mach-E such a great electric SUV.
The extended-range battery comes standard on the Rally model, which gives it 265 miles on a single charge. Plugging into a 150-kilowatt DC fast charger refills it in just over 35 minutes, and there's a one-pedal mode for ultra-efficient driving.
The interior feels premium and airy, with high-end materials almost everywhere you look (apart from a chintzy-feeling rotary shift controller). The Rally model adds gloss white accents on the steering wheel and dash, and a unique trapezoidal pattern shared with the exterior. And love it or hate it, you get the same 15.5 vertical touchscreen found on other Mach-Es with functions like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and satellite radio. It even has BlueCruise hands-free highway driving (a $2,100 option with a three-year subscription).
Not to mention the Mach-E Rally just looks cool as hell. The 19-inch rally-inspired white wheels fit the personality of the car perfectly, the custom grille with two integrated fog lights further hammers home the rally theme, and that massive rear wing looks awesome, which Ford says was inspired by the Focus RS. My test car had two slick racing stripes down the middle with that same trapezoidal pattern from the cabin, though unfortunately, an uninspired Glacier Gray paint job. Go for one of the good colors; Grabber Blue, Grabber Yellow, or Eruption Green.
With a starting price of $60,990 and an as-tested price of $65,485, it’s definitely not the cheapest performance crossover out there ($55,890 for the Mach-E GT AWD and the Rally trim is another $6,000 on top of that). But while I was expecting another warmed-over soft-roader, the Mustang Mach-E Rally was genuinely impressive and thoroughly charming.
See, electric SUVs can be fun.
Competitors
2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
