Sharpen Those Barbs: Ford Mach E(?) Revealed in Spy Shots

We’re a pretty non-judgemental bunch here at TTAC, and that goes double for our readers. And yet it’s sometimes hard to keep those opinions bottled up deep inside, where unexpressed feelings can wreak havoc on health and marriages.

This is why the most talked-out vehicle vehicle in autodom right now, one that sees its public debut on Nov. 17, is worthy of your scrutiny. It’s the Mach E, or something like that — Ford’s upcoming electric crossover.

How much Mustang do you see?

The spy photos, we don’t have. But others do, and you can see a gallery over at Motor1.

While camo is heavier on the rear than the front, hiding what appears to be a set of Mustang-inspired tail lights, there’s plenty to look at here; far more than we’ve seen via carefully concealed renderings issued by Ford.

The automaker is eager to tie the model to the Mustang via a strand of design language and, quite possibly, a bastardized name that calls up memories of the brawny, fuel-sucking Mach 1. Ford’s going all-in on the tenuous connection, perhaps having decided that highlighting muscle is a better way to get noticed than advertising virtuousness.

People are getting sick of that.

The vehicle in the spy shots certainly appears less Mustang-y than the side-on rendering released last week (see above), but that’s what front- and rear-quarter angles gets you. Blame a two-row crossover cabin and the need for four doors. From the rear, dare I say it, there’s a hint of HR-V, at least when camo’d up. The front fascia seems to be of the solid variety, with Ford leaving a suggestion of a grille, rather than going the Audi or Mercedes-Benz route in offering a distinct faux front opening for its EV crossover.

Offered with rear- or all-wheel drive and three choices in battery size, the Mach E offer drivers up to 300 miles on a charge, Ford claims. L.A. will be the venue for the Blue Oval’s first ground-up EV model, and you can bet we’ll have pictures once the thing goes live. That said, a great many of you probably have no intention of every sitting behind the wheel of one, let alone opening your wallet for one. That’s the hurdle Ford is up against.

[Image: Ford]