We've known for a while Ford was making an all-electric Mustang-inspired crossover, and while at first we were unsure we were on board with the idea, it has grown on us over time.
It’s Ford’s first proper and properly engineered series all-electric vehicle, a far more convincing attempt at making a pure EV after the lackluster Focus Electric. It was supposed to be revealed in two days’ time, on November 17th, but got leaked online on the dedicated Mach E forum.
When Ford announced this Mustang-inspired EV crossover was going to be called the Mach E, fans weren’t especially pleased about it. Then Ford stopped calling it the Mach E in subsequent teasers, and we thought maybe it had dropped the name - but no, the actual production vehicle is called the Ford Mustang Mach E, so as not to leave anybody in any doubt about its Mustang inspiration.
Before we discuss technical aspects, we need to talk about the way it looks. It has Mustang-esque front and rear fascias, but the bit in between looks like no Mustang we’ve ever seen. It actually looks a lot like the Tesla Model Y, although it does have sharper lines where in the Tesla you’d find rounded shapes - it is definitely the most similar looking Model Y rival.
The Mustang Mach E has really bold rear flanks, that make it stand out, as well as a steeply raked fastback-style rear screen. It doesn’t ride especially high on its suspension, and it looks more like a tall hatchback, rather than a proper off-roader - in fact, because it doesn’t have any unpainted plastic body cladding around the wheel arches, it looks like a strictly on-road type of vehicle.
Photo: Mach E Forums
If you view its front end from a side perspective, the hood line and the shape of the headlights really mimic what you see on the actual Mustang, even if the front section is nowhere near as long since it doesn’t have to hide a longitudinally-mounted V8 engine.
It’s not a bad looking design, although it’s not really a Mustang - it just has Mustang elements pasted on. That being said, it does have plenty of cool details, like the absence of visible door handles, or the rear light clusters that are even cooler than those of the muscle coupe.
Its interior surprisingly different to that of the Mustang. We were honestly expecting a more retro approach to the dash design, but Ford seems to have gone the exact opposite way, making a super clean, minimalist interior dominated by a huge portrait-style infotainment screen in the middle.
The screen setup appears very similar to what you might see in a Tesla, with the tall center screen complimented by an additional one in place of where you might expect the gauge cluster to be. It’s thankfully not like the Model 3 and Model Y whose speed is displayed in the corner of the center screen, a solution some buyers aren’t really happy with.
Photo: Mach E Forums
Performance and range are hugely important for a vehicle like this and the Mustang Mach E does well in this respect. The range of the base rear-wheel drive model with the standard battery pack is estimated at 230 miles and it has a starting price of $43,895- this version is called Select.
Next up is what Ford calls California Route 1, a rear-wheel drive-only trim which for $52,400 ups the estimated range to 300 miles. Further up the range is the $60,500 GT model that only has an estimated range of 235 miles, yet it has a target of around 3 seconds form naught to 60 mph.
Specs for the latter have not been revealed, but the base model has 255 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque, there is also a 282 horsepower version with the same torque figure, and the top of the range all-wheel drive powertrain has 333 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque. Ford has yet to say how much power the top tier GT model makes in order to achieve the aforementioned sprint time.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a nice looking crossover, it has a modern interior that, at least in these first photos, looks like that of a Tesla, and it has competitive range and performance figures to boot. If it also drives as well as Ford says it does, then it could quickly establish itself as one of the favorites. If it doesn't drive as well as we expect something badged Mustang to do, then it will probably be bashed into oblivion by journalists and this will affect its image, credibility and ultimately sales.
It will be made or broken by its driving dynamics and this would not have been the case if Ford had not made it Mustang-inspired. It's not a bad decision on the Blue Oval's side, but at the same time it puts extra pressure on its shoulders. We're now eagerly awaiting first drive impressions to see how it all panned out.
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