Now, nostalgia is a hell of a drug, so when I first laid eyes on Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E at the 2019 LA Auto show, my reaction was a resounding and heartfelt “hard pass.” With its crossover styling, the Mach-E certainly didn’t look like any Mustang of my youth and, given its whisper quiet EV propulsion system, sure as hell didn’t sound — or smell — anything like the carbureted 255 HP, 4.7-liter Windsor V8 I remember from my childhood.

Still, the Mach-E has already won the title of 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year and saw pre-orders for its “First Edition” sell out almost immediately after its debut, so clearly the EV crossover has piqued the interest of American automotive enthusiasts.

I’ve just spent a week behind the wheel of the 2021 Mach-E in an effort to find out.

The Mach-E’s interior is surprisingly sparse.

The Mach-E’s interior may be sparse, but it is spacious with plenty of leg and headroom to accommodate up to five adult humans.

You do have three drive modes to choose from: Whisper, Engage and Unbridled — and they all generally work just like they sound.

This driving mode will gently press you back into your seat when you stomp the accelerator, and the EV’s instantaneous access to 100 percent of its torque is lovely when beating other cars off the stop line and getting up to 60 MPH in just over 3 seconds, but overall the Mach-E just doesn’t have that same bone-rattling, suck-the-fillings-out-your-molars raw power that I expect from my muscle cars.

I mean, just look at the Chevrolet Impala.

It used to look like this but ended up pared down to this when the final vehicle rolled off its assembly line in February, 2020.

For what it is, Ford’s first purpose-built EV, a five-seater crossover packed to the gills with modern styling, technology and accoutrements, the Mach-E is a sure bet.

But as the heir to the Mustang crown, or even just as an EV “sports car,” nah, this ain’t it.