Car enthusiasts are excited about the new Ford Mustang Mach-E. But many of them probably don’t know the Mach-E wasn’t originally a Mustang. It was going to be a wagon model of the Focus EV.

But the higher-ups at Ford, fortunately, gave that some thought. If you want to get people into EVs, they need to be compelling and dynamic. A wagon version of the compact Focus wasn’t going to do that job. 

The Ford team scrapped the plans and started over. The result? It might change the way you see the Ford Mustang.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

When the team at Ford went back to the drawing board, two years before this EV’s anticipated unveiling, their instructions were “Think Mustang,” Car and Driver reported. The final product clearly looks like a pony-style crossover. But can this electric pony walk the walk?

The Mach-E is all-electric. It’s a battery-powered four-door SUV that, according to MotorTrend, will have as much as 480 hp and 634 lb-ft of torque. Think about that for a moment. This is the Ford Mustang as we’ve never seen it before.

The Mustang Mach-E is the best-looking vehicle in Ford’s lineup aside from the sixth-generation Mustang the automaker has been selling since 2014. They share some styling cues, such as the roofing, signature taillights, and dash-to-axle ratio. But that’s where the similarities end.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E sports an electric platform running off either a Standard Range (SR) battery with 68 kWh or an 88 kWh optional Extended Range (ER) battery. It comes standard with a single-motor rear-wheel-drive configuration, but there’s an optional dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup.

It’s got the power

No matter which Mach-E you select, you get an EV with dynamic power. The base Mach-E Select and Premium SR models are RWD and get 266 hp with 317 lb-ft of torque. They have an estimated range of 230 miles on a single charge, according to the EPA. SR models with AWD have equal horsepower with 428 lb-ft of torque and a 211-mile range.

The Premium ER models of the Mustang Mach-E with RWD harness 290 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. They get 300 miles on a single charge. The ER with AWD gets 346 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque and has a range of 270 miles on a single charge.

The Mustang Mach-E First Edition is already sold out and matches the specs for the Premium ER with AWD, according to the MotorTrend team. There’s also the Mustang Mach-E California Route 1 ER with RWD, which will debut soon. It’s said to match the specs of the Premium ER RWS with a range of around 300 miles. 

It’ll change the way you see the Mustang

The MT team was able to test-drive a Mach-E. They explained they felt special slipping into the driver’s seat. Though it doesn’t possess a long-range Tesla Model Y’s raw power, the Mach-E Premium AWD ER’s performance was far from shabby. And it’s still all Mustang.

Like Tesla’s Model Y, the Mach-E has a one-pedal driving option in each of three driving modes. According to MT, it offers Whisper (comfort), Excite (normal), and Unbridled (sport). Each mode has its own level of off-throttle regeneration aggression.

The team found the Mach-E was easy to steer through the throttle, unlike its gas-powered kin. It boasts good stopping power, and its suspension tuning is well done. It offered a composed ride that was still athletic despite its 5,000 pounds of battery and steel. They explain it strikes a balance that Tesla hasn’t yet achieved with the Model Y. 

Starting at $43,995 before incentives or rebates, the Mustang Mach-E isn’t a bad deal if you’re looking for a premium EV but can’t fit a high-end Tesla into your budget. 

The Mustang camp will likely be divided for some time over what’s a real pony and what isn’t. Considering the new Ford Mustang Mach-E is as exciting a ride as the traditional muscle car, we’re excited to see this dynamic EV on the road.