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2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD winter testing

We catch a ride -- and cop a drift -- in the Blue Oval's iconoclastic electric SUV.

Chris Paukert
Following stints in TV news production and as a record company publicist, Chris spent most of his career in automotive publishing. Mentored by Automobile Magazine founder David E. Davis Jr., Paukert succeeded Davis as editor-in-chief of Winding Road, a pioneering e-mag, before serving as Autoblog's executive editor from 2008 to 2015. Chris is a Webby and Telly award-winning video producer and has served on the jury of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards. He joined the CNET team in 2015, bringing a small cache of odd, underappreciated cars with him.
Chris Paukert
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E winter test
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This is the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Blue Oval's forthcoming all-electric crossover SUV.

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We ventured to Michigan's remote Upper Peninsula to the Smithers Winter Test Center to get acquainted with the model's through-the-road AWD system.

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The Mach-E breaks numerous Mustang conventions, including having four doors, all-wheel drive, an SUV body style and, of course, being electric.

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Ford says the Mach-E will be available late this year, so for now, we had to be content with a right-seat ride.

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With rear-biased AWD, big, sustained, Ken-Block-like drifts are possible.

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Charged up and ready to go.

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The model we experienced wasn't the higher-power GT, but with 332 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque, it's got plenty of power to do stuff like this.

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Even if you're comfortable with the idea of a Mustang SUV, the Mach-E's looks might not be to everyone's tastes.

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More of a crossover than a traditional SUV, the Mach-E isn't likely to venture too far off-road.

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We tested the Mach-E on an icy 20-degree split-mu incline.

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Yep, three-element taillights with dynamic sweeping turn signals, just like the gas-powered coupes.

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More than a few Mustang loyalists are up in arms about the fact that this vehicle uses their favorite pony car name and visual cues.

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That's us in the red dot on the left.

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The Mach-E doesn't have normal door handles -- small buttons on the B-pillar release electric catches, and those little winglets are actually door pulls.

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 Keep clicking and scrolling for more frigid images of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV.

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