Initial observations and thoughts:
1. The Name
BIG, BIG gamble taken by Ford here by naming it a Mustang. On the one hand, Mustang name-plate / brand resonates best across the world among all things Ford, and the US market in general wants crossovers and SUVs, not sedans - so this marriage seems perfect. But on the other hand, the brand Mustang represents something very pure, very emotive, very V8 muscle-car-ish - slapping the horse badge onto a crossover/SUV is sure to alienate a very large number of folks. I guess only the market will answer the question of whether this was a good decision, based on the number of people who buy this car.
Another point - would've been massively cheeky if they had opted for "Mustang Model E" - ultimate punch at Tesla after denying them the Model E name. Just kidding haha
Already seeing this hashtag trending a lot:
2. Exterior Design
I love it, overall. Striking design for a crossover, once you get over the "Mustang" name and all the sexy sedan/coupe styling that name evokes. Love the way they've achieved a coupe-like line on the rear by painting it body colour, whereas the actual roof (painted black) is a bit taller. One of my major compaints about the Model Y design is the non-boxy rear end - I like my wannabe SUVs to at least look like an SUV.
Note the dual-tone paint on the roofline towards the rear which achieves the coupe-ish effect.
3. Interior Design
Spacious as expected, love the volume knob on the center screen - there's been many studies about ergonomics issues with big touchscreen (specifically, there's no "Datum resting position" from which a user can easily reach the controls without having to look at them). With this physical volume knob approach, there's now a datum position from which muscle memory can take over for frequently used touchscreen controls. Apart from that, I like the sleek instrument cluster in front of the driver, non-intrusive yet gives the required driver information unlike some other *cough-Model3* vehicles.
Overall design-wise, I feel like they have managed to take the good bits from the Tesla design (minimalist, screen-dependent interface, OTA) and improved on all the bad things (knob on touchscreen, sunglasses holder, two screens, what looks like hopefully manual door release levers, grab handles - Tesla shockingly doesn't have any, and so on).
3. Pricing
Ford has one big advantage and one big disadvantage here. Advantage is the up to $7500 tax credit, which is like a post-dated discount (money only comes back after filing tax returns). Disadvantage is that Ford still has the dealership model, which means the prices unveiled today may or may not have a dealer markup on them when the car finally hits the showrooms. The dealing with dealerships will definitely sour the experience for many, since dealers will be less incentivized to sell an EV which doesn't require as much servicing, and thus is less profitable for them down the line. Hence I suspect there will be a markup on the initial price. Will be interesting to see what happens.
4. Performance and efficiency
Definitely not quite there yet with respect to the Tesla Model Y, but Tesla has had a tremendous head start. So I respect Ford for coming up with this design within two years - hugely commendable and a very great engineering feat to achieve 300 miles from a 100 kw-hr battery pack (that's almost Model X category but I'm okay with it). I expect performance and efficiency to get better with newer iterations down the road.
Ford is offering fast charing at 130 kW for standard battery and 150 kW for extended range battery - not as impressive as Tesla with 250 kW, but again, this is the first iteration - even Tesla had started with 150 kW, and Model S and Model X still have a 150 kW cap on supercharging speeds. Of course, the charging network is another issue altogether, but I hope that Ford's partnership with Electrify America will help in this regard.
5. Others points
Controversial door handles - TopGear said that Ford's customer surveys lead to the addition of the handle on the front door, and the rear door doesn't get any all. Apparently the "official" way to open the door is to stick your hand behind it after pressing the door release button on the B or C pillar. That said, I've always liked the PIN code thing Ford has on its cars, wish Tesla could do that - true key-less entry and drive-away, no key fob or even Phone key necessary! (According to TopGear, you can enter your 4-digit code on the B-pillar to unlock the car, then enter another 4- or x-digit passcode on the center touchscreen to start the car and drive away.)
Loved the frunk, interesting take on making it rugged and mud-friendly
Charging socket - saw only SAE J1772, don't see a CCS port - maybe the two additional pins are hidden under that small cover? Or maybe this is just a pre-production design and the production models will ship with the right charging ports (US CCS vs European CCS vs Chinese whatever)
Big glass roof - Can't tell you how much I love the glass roof on my Model 3 - the UV coating helps keep it colder in hot weather, and a properly made glass roof like the Tesla's is much safer than a metal one - pretty much all cars use the thinnest possible sheet metal for the roof.
Quick note to those used to Tesla pricing system - the trim levels have their own starting price (eg Select at $43k, Premium at $50k, California Rt1 at $52k, First Edition at $59k, GT at $60k). But all of these prices are with the standard 75 kW-hr battery and RWD. To get AWD and 98 kW-hr, its $2700 and $5000 extra respectively.
Final thoughts
I think Ford has a winner here. The purists are going to scream #notamustang all day long, but those with families and more practical needs (basically a majority of the car-buyers) are going to see this as their way to fulfill their childhood dream to own a "Mustang". For those, it adds to the appeal of the car. But for those already owning a Mustang, or in the market for one, and those who are die-hard petrol-heads, this dilutes the appeal of the car and is like a slap in the face. This, I believe, is the fundamental question with the car - one that only the market can collectively answer. I myself could see myself easily buying this if I had the money and need for a bigger car. Wishing Ford all the best for a successful product!