Ford won't call crossover Mach 1 after all

The company was merely testing the waters.

Ford previously suggested its upcoming electric crossover could revive the emblematic Mach 1 nameplate; it even showed the nameplate at this year's Detroit auto show. Officials in Dearborn must have heard purists howl, because one of the firm's top executive has revealed the name likely won't make a comeback after all.

"We put that out there to evaluate it. There are pros and cons. I don't want to handicap it at this point, but we got a very strong reaction from people," said Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets, in an interview with industry trade journal Automotive News. He stopped short of revealing the other names the team is considering.

The name is the tip of the iceberg representing what we don't know about the model. Ford has previously confirmed the crossover will boast up to 300 miles of driving range. It will likely ride on the modular electric car platform the firm is developing. And, its sheet metal will borrow styling cues from the Mustang. It could even preview the next-gen car's look; it will arrive on the market in 2020, about a year before the next Mustang.

While it may not wear the name of an emblematic Mustang, the crossover will receive an extra-large infusion of the pony car's genes, Ford promises.

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