Ford Mustang-esque Electric SUV Won’t Be Called Mach 1

Ford's initial idea didn't ma(t)ch fans' opinions.

By: Angel Sergeev

Aug 29, 2018 at 5:41am ET

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Ford really wants its fans to be very excited about the company’s future. While all sedans will be killed, including the Fusion, about a dozen new vehicles will be released in the United States to fill every possible crossover, SUV, and pickup niche. One of the new machines will be a performance-oriented electric SUV planned for 2020, which - thankfully - won't get the famed Mach 1 name.

When it was announced for the first time, it was teased the model could possibly get the Mach 1 moniker. However, a strong negative response from fans in the United States has forced Ford to think of another name. A final decision hasn’t been taken yet, but it’s probably safe to assume the storied Mustang badge won’t be used on a high-riding vehicle.

"We put that out there to evaluate it," Ford's president of global markets, Jim Farley, commented to Automotive News in a recent interview. "There are pros and cons. I don't want to handicap it at this point, but we got a very strong reaction from people."

For the electric SUV, Ford wants to mix a Mustang-inspired design for the front end with EV performance and high levels of practicality. This should be achieved using a brand new modular platform for electric cars, one of a total of five architectures Ford will use in the future, and an efficient electric powertrain with a range of 300 miles (483 kilometers) between charges.

"Mustang has a soul. It's a balance of performance and design," Mustang's chief designer, Darrell Behmer, commented. "If you can capitalize on the cachet and let that rub off on the rest of the portfolio, it's a good thing."

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It was just yesterday when we shared spy photos possibly showing a prototype of the SUV EV. The trial car looked weird in many ways and even featured a tailpipe, but it could be part of a clever disguise to throw us off the trail.

Source: Automotive News via Motor Authority