Is The New Ford Mustang Mach-E Really A Mustang?

Is The New Ford Mustang Mach-E Really A Mustang?

Some 55 years have passed since the first Mustang debuted. Today, the Ford Motor Company unveiled a risky new iteration: An electric SUV crossover that evokes picking up the kids at soccer as much as it does The Fast and the Furious. The full force of the American car maker鈥檚 storied history was on show for the launch event, which was held in downtown Los Angeles just ahead of the city鈥檚 auto show. Actor Idris Elba, who once worked in a Ford factory in London alongside his father, and Bill Ford, the great-grandson of the company鈥檚 founder, were both on hand. So was the press, influencers, Ford employees, and dealership owners. The new vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E, will go on sale in about a year. 43,000 and have a range of about 300 miles on a single charge. It鈥檚 a price that clearly takes aim at Tesla鈥檚 entry-level Model 3 and forthcoming Model Y. Many of the new Mustang鈥檚 design flourishes, too, seem to reflect the design language of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Ford has done away with fidgety knobs and dials on the interior, replacing them with large touchscreens, much like Tesla鈥檚 (barring a single tactile dial at the bottom of the center dashboard). It鈥檚 not surprising that Detroit would look to Tesla when designing an electric car. Tesla has done more to spur growth in electric vehicles than any other single car company. Musk even congratulated and welcomed Ford鈥檚 entrance into the high-end electric market, suggesting it will hopefully inspire other automakers to follow suit. To get there it鈥檚 leveraging one of the most popular names in automotive history to sell a crossover SUV that looks far more suited to a grocery store run than a racetrack. It鈥檚 less muscle car, and more clean-eating-and-regular-yoga car. Ford said the new Mustang GT model will be able to go from 0 to 60 mph in around 3.5 seconds. But in a test of the regular model at the event, which can hit 60 mph in about 5 seconds, our driver failed to reach anywhere close to that speed.

Ford is leaning on its history鈥攃oincidentally releasing the new Mustang after the film Ford v. Ferrari debuted to strong reviews鈥攖o sell its modern car. But is that going to be enough to convince prospective Tesla buyers to drop their preorders and wait for this instead? Is it going to be cool enough to swap a truck or a full SUV for a Mustang crossover? 45,000 to have some annoying group of people tell you that you鈥檙e not driving a real Mustang every time you leave the house? Ford made a conscious decision to release its first crossover vehicle under the Mustang name, rather than anything else. It鈥檚 likely presuming that this car won鈥檛 sell in high numbers, much like the Mustang itself, and aspects of the design will eventually trickle down into other electric models it produces in the future. The company is setting a tone that it now has to live up to, and by calling it a Mustang, it鈥檚 under a far higher level of scrutiny than it would鈥檝e been otherwise. The first time I drove a Chevrolet Bolt, the company鈥檚 first all-electric car, I took it for a short test drive around CES in Las Vegas. After it was over, a representative turned to me and asked me what I thought and I said somewhat reflexively, 鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 a Chevy! 鈥?They seemed disappointed in my response. Ford is using a different strategy, choosing to elevate this vehicle with new design language, new controls, and a big marketing push. The world is going electric, but only time will tell if this is the Samsung Galaxy to Tesla鈥檚 iPhone, or if it鈥檚 more of a Blackberry.

Possibly to save face, 2020 Ford Mach 1 Electric SUV backtracked on its plans, saying instead that the whole 鈥淢ach 1鈥?suggestion was nothing more than an 鈥渆valuation.鈥? Sure, Ford. It was an 鈥渆xamination.鈥?It was evident from the beginning that Ford wanted to use the 鈥淢ach 1鈥?name on the crossover prior to the general public nixed the suggestion for it. It鈥檚 hard to make out certain details of the crossover鈥檚 rear section since the teaser is so dark. That鈥檚 a Mustang style right there. Even the rounded panel that has the taillights and also stretches the full width of the crossover is something that Ford鈥檚 horse vehicle likewise has. The roofline shows up, as well, however unclear adequate to judge if it coincides fastback style that the present Mustang sports car has. Also, it鈥檚 tough to inform just how upright the angle is since we can not see its deepness, something that鈥檚 just feasible if we obtain a look at the crossover from its side profile. The fenders, as well as back wheel arcs, do reveal a version that鈥檚 not going to have any type of problems from the viewpoint of manliness.