How Much Mustang Is There In The 2019 Mustang Mach-E?

How Much Mustang Is There In The 2019 Mustang Mach-E?

As much as we like to see similarities between the two vehicles, they鈥檙e actually very different design-wise. The Mustang is defined by two key elements, the headlamps, and the grille. It has been like this since day one and the pony car continues to stand out through unique headlamps and grille. And these two features haven鈥檛 been transferred to the Mach-E. And while the inner corners are somewhat similar to the Mustang鈥檚, the outer corners are a different story, as they are oriented toward the A-pillar instead of the wheel arch. The same goes for the grille. Sure, the Mach-E has the familiar hexagonal shape, but so do all the other Ford models in the lineup. The Mustang鈥檚 shape is rather unique thanks to its sharper edge and perfectly straight lower line. The Mach-E, like all the other Fords currently available, has rounder corners and a convex lower line. The closed-off design of the Mach-E鈥檚 grille also results in a smoother transition between the grille itself and the front bumper. The hood, for instance, is missing the really wide flat section in the center, as well as the fine vertical line that separates the entire element in two.

The profile is obviously a big departure from the sixth-generation Mustang. Not just because the Mach-E rides higher, though. The roofline is obviously different, while the beltline and the side panels are taller. The rear fascia is where we can find the most Mustang-esque feature on the Mach-E: the taillights have a similar tri-bar design. However, this feature is also a notable departure, as the bars have clear separation in the lower half, while a fourth horizontal bar extends into the tailgate. The decision to add a trapezoidal grille just below the tailgate doesn鈥檛 make the Mach-E look like a Mustang either, as everything else is notably different. It鈥檚 pretty obvious that these cars were designed some six years apart. Not only does the dashboard boast a clean, modern, and simple design, there鈥檚 also no sign of conventional buttons and controls. Everything is controlled through the massive, tablet-style display in the center stack.

Sure, this design is borrowed from Tesla, so Ford didn鈥檛 bring anything new here, but it鈥檚 completely different compared to the Mustang or any other Ford available right now. The instrument cluster also ditches the conventional layout of the Mustang with a display showing analog dials under a hood. The dashboard is completely flat in this area and features a free-standing screen. The display is long and flat, so it doesn鈥檛 affect visibility through the windscreen. The "Mustang" logo on the steering wheel is basically the only feature that you鈥檒l also find in the Mustang pony car. So why is Ford doing it? Well, it鈥檚 easier to sell a crossover like this as a Mustang. It鈥檚 fully electric, a first for Ford, and it鈥檚 entering a tough market dominated by Tesla. Dropping a Mustang badge on its back seems like the easiest thing to do in terms of marketing. The same goes for the "Mach" badge. Fans have been clamoring for a modern version of the Mustang Mach 1 for years now, but Ford had no answer for the request. Now we know why.

The Lincoln Continental is merely the new MKS, on CD4. It was not developed as a Continental. A new Town Car on Aviator's CD6 was in development for MY 2021, cancelled in 2017 by Hackett. As was a new MKZ, while the Fusion went to C2. You can see what happened now to sedans. I digress, back to Ford trucks. I said last year (and early this year), that the P702 F-Series had just completed the design phase, as had the U725 Bronco program. Also mentioned in late December and early January 2019, P703 Ranger was in the process of final design selection. It fell on deaf ears in general, because what people cannot see, they just don't believe. And also, that their styling freezes were so recent, that they were not going to be shown at any 2018 dealer conferences. Indeed I have been proven right once again, as by unauthorized P703 clay proposal photography leaking out from a clinic shortly after my commentary.

U725 was teased as a shadow behind new C2-based compact Bronco (CX430), P702 F-150 was finally shown to dealers earlier this year and first units were built April 22 at pilot plant, ahead of MY 2021 launch. Dealers in March, were shown the new U725 Bronco, which looks very similar to the R concept and a modern rendition, of the original late 1965 namesake. I have seen the vehicle quite a bit and other upcoming Fords obviously. You think the Baja version is production ready? It's a mock-up for marketing purposes. Who cares how long Ford has been working on it? That is not a measure of when the car is ready to be introduced. Car companies carefully choose when they are ready to introduce their vehicles. I think it's fair to assume that they choose the car show based on 2 main factors: (1) the importance of the show, and (2) if the car is nearly ready.