Ford teased a new electric crossover based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform a month ago, and now we have the first spy shots of said vehicle testing.
In case you missed it a few years ago, Ford and VW inked a deal to cooperate on a number of things, including the joint development of some electric products. One of the reported line items in the deal is that Ford would license Volkswagen’s MEB electric car platform for use in cars with the Ford badge on them. The electric SUV you’re looking at here is the first product from this partnership, and it’s the best look we’ve had beyond the previously released shadowy teaser.
Its proportions suggest this SUV will be most similar in size to, and use the platform of, the VW ID.4. That’d put it in the same category as the Mustang Mach-E, so Ford will find itself with a couple compact electric SUVs in Europe soon. And yes, this SUV appears to be bound for Europe at this time, not the U.S. The spy shots taken here are from Ford’s European development grounds, and all communications from the company about the electric SUV so far have come from Ford of Europe.
As for what we’re seeing in the spy shots themselves, this SUV is much blockier and has much more upright proportions than the Mach-E. The more traditional SUV shape certainly does a decent job of differentiating it in the lineup, but we’ll see about that once all the specs and pertinent info comes out. Expect the Mustang Mach-E to be marketed as the sportier, sleeker electric SUV, and this MEB-based crossover to fulfill the role of a more practical vehicle.
The front end has what looks like a rounded-off grille look. We can see part of the front DRL signature that was fully visible in the teaser. A small glimpse of the rear lights is visible, too, though it hardly reveals anything. The angular and chiseled rear hatch shape is perhaps the most intriguing design angle revealed in these shots. Its side design is largely visible here, as the wrappings are skin-tight for the most part, giving us a decent idea of what to expect once they come off.
Look out for a reveal of this new VW-based Ford EV this year, and don’t expect the wait to be too long.
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Source: www.autoblog.com