So what’s the deal with the Ford Mach-E’s grille? We do some digging to find out.
You may have noticed during the 2021 Ford Mach-E’s big reveal on Sunday that there appear to be two versions of the electric crossover. Yes, the Mach-E will come in many configurations, including standard and extended range as well as rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive, but it also gets a performance-oriented version called the GT. It’s the GT that looks a little more special than the regular Mach-E.
On the non-GT Mach-E, it looks pretty much like how you’d expect an EV to look. There is no grille since there is no intercooler to require a mass of air slamming into the front. There’s also no air intake for the engine. It’s just a solid piece of plastic to improve the car’s aerodynamic efficiency.
That changes on the GT model. You’ll note that the front fascia appears more aggressive, with large are inlets on either side of the bumper, a chin spoiler, and if you look at it from the right angle, it almost looks like it has a real grille.
It turns out that this is all by design. Autoblog spoke to a Ford engineer at the reveal event to get the lowdown. That grille is still covered in plastic to reduce drag, but it’s clear plastic with a grille-shaped design behind it. Apparently, performance-oriented shoppers look for big grilles in their cars, and so that faux-grille is designed to make them think the Mach-E GT is a fast vehicle. It most definitely is fast, but not because of the fake grille.
Those air inlets beside the grille are much more functional. Since the GT has wider tires, they grab as much air as they do concrete. To reduce drag, those inlets direct air around the tires. That chin spoiler is also more function than form, providing the Mach-E with a bit of extra downforce.
We’re not sure what to think about the fake grille, but if it gets more people inside an electric Ford, then we’re all for it.
(Source: Autoblog)