When Ford first announced a new electric performance SUV at the Detroit Auto Show in January, a teaser video showed the Ford Explorer and Ford Mustang as its inspirations. Ford even nicknamed it the “Mach 1” as an ode to the Mustang. But Autocar reports that the new SUV will be built on the new global Focus platform.
Here’s a mandatory pause to remind you all that everything is bad; Ford plans to get rid of all of its cars and sedans other than the Mustang and the Focus Active, the world is full of crossovers, and our future holds electric performance SUVs that look like the Mustang’s bloated younger sibling.
Oh, right, back to the news. Ford’s new electric performance SUV should come around for 2020, and Ford representative Mike Levine told Jalopnik in January that the “Mach 1” nickname for the vehicle is just a test to see how customers respond to it. (Don’t pull a Mitsubishi here, Ford.)
There have been no photos or teaser images of a vehicle yet to make a judgement on size, but then-Ford executive Raj Nair said at its debut that the Mach 1 would be built on a unique platform. That is, a unique platform instead of the Mustang platform, because it’s battery electric.
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But the platform may not be all that unique, since Autocar reports that the Mach 1 will be built on the same modular “Holy Grail” platform as the new Focus. From the story:
The all-electric crossover, dubbed Mach 1 in reference to its Mustang-derived styling features, has been confirmed as a globally engineered model to be revealed next year, with UK deliveries starting in 2020.
The crossover, codenamed CX430, will be built on the C2 platform used for the new Focus and has been in Ford’s product plan for several years.
The CX430 will be additional to the Kuga and, since it is based on the front-wheel-drive C2 platform, it is expected to be conventional hatchback-like, with a slightly raised driving position.
Ford has identified ‘white paper’ models like the CX430 to replace saloons and hatches in its US line-up. Further crossovers with Mustang design cues and front-drive chassis are a strong possibility because they combine “the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as high ride height, space and versatility”.
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The story doesn’t say how Autocar got this information, and should be taken with some caution. Jalopnik has reached out to Ford for comment about the report and the platform the new Mach 1 may be on, and also if it feels sorry for having deceived us like this, and will update if we hear back.
Crossovers and SUVs with performance badges may be our imminent future, but, hey, at least a Mustang-styled SUV seems less likely to hit up the local Cars and Coffee regularly.
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