The Mustang name has history, and the decision to call its four-door electric crossover the same didn’t come lightly at Ford. However, once Ford decided to call it a Mustang, the team worked hard to create a product that lived up to the iconic nameplate. Ford documents the Mach-E's design process – from the rightfully canceled compliance car to the final, electrified, four-door product.

The Mustang name influenced every part of the Mustang Mach-E design process, starting with the exterior. The team could pull from over 50 years of design history to turn Ford’s compliance EV into something special. Every detail and decision was scrutinized, including the use of the iconic Pony emblem. Ford is taking a risk with the name. It has history and baggage and it brings certain expectations with its performance and driving experience.

The same careful thought process dictated the interior, too, as Ford designers blended iconic Mustang cues like the double-brow dashboard with the high-tech interior EV customers expect. There’s a massive touchscreen display dominating the center console with software unlike anything Ford’s revealed before.

The performance was another area that needed to meet the Mustang standard, and the Mach-E delivers with the GT trim. It offers 459 horsepower (342 kilowatts) and 612 pound-feet (830 Newton-meters) of torque. The range is 250 miles with a sprint to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) happening in the mid-3-second range.

Gallery: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

95 Photos

Not all Mustang models are fast, though, with the entry-level model delivering 255 hp (190 kW) and 306 lb-ft (414 Nm) of torque and an estimated 0-60 time that’s slower than the all-new Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid’s 5.8-second sprint. Ford will offer the Mach-E with an assortment of power outputs and ranges.

The decision to call its first four-door fully electric SUV a Mustang is a gutsy one, but one Ford did not make lightly. We won’t know how the name will affect the new model. We’ll have to see if consumers flock to it because it’s a Mustang or because it’s a crossover. But you can bet Ford is proud of the name.