Was Ford Right To Use The Mustang Name For An EV Crossover?

Was Ford Right To Use The Mustang Name For An EV Crossover?

Live long enough, and you will see your '60s sports car name applied to an electric crossover. If you'd told us back in 2009 that Ford would field a crossover EV a decade later we would have believed you, because the future from the vantage point of 2009 certainly looked electric. But if you'd told us that it would have Mustang in its name and would borrow styling cues from the actual Ford Mustang, we would have probably been surprised. We've now seen the Mustang Mach-E and know its specs, but what about its identity? In the near future, telling someone that you drive a Mustang could mean a whole lot of things. But we have to wonder how this Mustang Mach-E will carve its own path, and how will it be viewed 20 years down the road. Will it face a fate similar to the Mustang II, or will it be welcomed to the family as "also a type of Mustang"? The closest parallel to this move perhaps occurred about 20 years ago, when Cadillac applied its crest to what was basically a big GM SUV; over time, the Escalade has proven that an SUV can also be Cadillac. The counterargument to Ford's use of the Mustang name is that instead of creating a new identity, a new name, new iconography and new design, Ford is mining its history to kick-start its electric car lineup. And we have no doubt that Ford's marketing and design teams went through a lot of alternatives created from scratch and did not use any Mustang themes at all. But at some point, all of those alternatives were put aside in favor of a Mustang theme.

It鈥檚 rear-wheel drive like a Mustang should be with all-wheel drive as an option. The base models will be RWD but you get the option of ordering them with power going to all four wheels. RWD Mach-Es get a single motor mounted on the rear axle. Opt for AWD and you get an additional smaller motor on the front axle. Since there is no linkage or driveshaft between the axles, drive torque from each motor can be controlled independently for improved acceleration and handling. The most powerful version of the Mach-E also gets dual motors but ditches the smaller front motor and replaces that with the bigger unit from the rear axle. The longest range Mach-E is an Extended Range model with RWD and that can take you 475 km between charges. Option it with AWD and it drops to 425 km. Standard range Mach-E鈥檚 will deliver about 355 km with RWD and 325 km in AWD trim.

AWD is available across the line; First Edition and GT Performance trims get extended range battery packs and AWD standard. The California Route 1 will come only in a rear drive configuration with the extended range battery. The base Select trim with RWD produces 255 hp and more importantly 306 lb-ft of torque from the instant you tap on the accelerator pedal. That鈥檚 good for a 0-60 mph run in the low six-second range. AWD bumps torque up to 417 lb-ft and will shave about a second of that time. Get in the GT Performance edition and things get a bit more serious. Power from the dual motors add up to 459 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque good for a 0-60 mph blast in the mid 3-second range. Dominating the cabin is that extra large 15.5-inch infotainment screen that gets an all-new version of SYNC. Making it intuitive and smart was the goal and they鈥檝e certainly done that.

Thanks to the size everything you need like vehicle settings, entertainment options, and navigation is all on screen at the same time. There鈥檚 wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto and it works in conjunction with SYNC letting you quickly switch back and forth between the systems or have them both displayed at the same time. The system operates in a similar manner to most smartphones making it easy to use without the need to refer to an instruction manual. The nav system is cloud-connected so you always get the latest maps and it will route you to your destination based on where the charging stations are located making range anxiety a thing of the past. The system will also learn the habits of each user. Things like who you usually call on the way home from work, or what radio station you listen to. It all gets stored in individual profiles that get loaded as you walk up to the car.