A couple of months ago, we featured a first drive in the new Ford Mustang Mach-E. This is a big deal for Ford, as it opens the door to more fleet customers who have electric cars prioritised on their policies.

But while the version we tried was impressive, we wondered that as it was equipped with the improved traction of all-wheel drive, as well as the extended range battery, whether the entry-level model might have the same appeal.

For a little over £40,000 or 44p per mile, according to our running costs supplier KeeResources, you can have a 269hp Mustang Mach-E with a range of around 280 miles and rear-wheel drive.

The use of the Mustang name on a crossover has been controversial among enthusiasts of old cars, but in the 2020s it does seem that cars like the internal combustion engine Mustang coupé and convertible are living on borrowed time.

In any case, Ford has form on this, having modified Cougar to Kuga for its family SUV, and given the Puma name – originally used on a small coupé in the 1990s – to its award-winning compact SUV.

We could certainly live with this electric crossover having the Mustang name if it were good enough.

And, given the recent announcement on the Ford Mondeo – once a key component of the brand’s fleet offering – Ford certainly needs an alternative large car that catches the zeitgeist.

The entry-level Mach-E looks the same as the more expensive versions in the range and its interior, including the oversized 15.5in central touchscreen. We did feel it displays a bit too much at once, but mercifully retains a tactile dial for adjusting audio volume. Perhaps Ford just wanted to outdo Tesla in the touchscreen stakes.

Despite having the entry-level electric motor, 269hp and 317lb-ft of torque are enough to hustle the car along when necessary, despite it tipping the scales at almost 2,000kg.

It doesn’t quite feel like a sports coupé but, thanks to clever weight distribution and its low centre of gravity, it always feels composed and reassuring. The ride is pretty good on the 18in wheels fitted to the entry-level model too.

It has a spacious interior and a useful 402 litres of space in the boot before the rear seats are folded. There is also a handy space for storage under the bonnet, with a volume of 81 litres.

The Mustang Mach-E will surely attract user-choosers ranging from middle management to directors with its broad span of variants and pricing, as well as put Ford back on the radar of a number of fleets that might have given up on it.

For a car that is priced only marginally higher than the top Kia E-Niro, and will be a less extravagant purchase than some premium electric SUVs, the Mustang should be high on anyone’s EV list, and is one of the most appealing EVs on the market.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard Range RWD 

P11D: £40,295

Residual value: 44.9%

Depreciation: £22,211

Fuel: £1,851

Service, maintenance and repair: £2,337

Cost per mile: 44p

Range: 280 miles

CO2 (BIK %): 0g/km (1%) 

BIK 20/40% a month: £7/£13

Luggage capacity: 402 plus 81 litres

Battery capacity/power: 75kWh/269hp