In another Munro Live episode about the Ford Mustang Mach-E teardown, Sandy Munro and Ben Lindamood return to the topic of Volkswagen ID.4's lack of a frunk (front trunk).
It appears that Sandy Munro was triggered by the negative comments after he criticized the lack of a frunk in ID.4.
According to Sandy Munro, there is a reason behind that and it's wrong engineering that costs consumers valuable space. The manufacturer "neglected some gigantic amount of space underneath the instrument panel."
As we can see from (2:20), the team compares the dimensions of the instrument panel in Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4 and notes that Mach-E has a smaller instrument panel. However, the most important thing is that in the Mach-E, there is tons of stuff installed underneath, while in the ID.4 there is a lot of empty space.
The shift of some components from the instrument panel to the front side (especially HVAC) probably cost Volkswagen the ability to offer a front trunk. As we understand, there are also positives to having HVAC in under the hood, in the form of easier serviceability.
It's an interesting comparison of two different approaches. We will see over time which solution will become better and in which segments.
The last part of the video is about Ford Mustang Mach-E's composite liftgate, which is considered a very good design. It weighs 22 kg, a bit less than 26.7 kg in the case of the Tesla Model 3, but it's also smaller. According to Sandy Munro, Ford's solution is more expensive initially, but would be less costly than steel in the long-run at high volume.
See also
Previous episodes related to the Ford Mustang Mach-E:
- Teardown: beginning, thermal system, doors off, door modules and rear interior, ABC pillars and door hinges, front/SORB test, seats, battery removal
- Review: first impressions, frunk, undercarriage front and rear, ride & drive, and wrap-up.
