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Best New Mid-Sized SUVs for $40,000The Seventh-Gen Mustang Debut Mixes Old and New
The new Ford Mustang offers a muscular new look, more power, and plenty of enticing new tech. We’ve got all the latest on the upcoming seventh generation.
The Last Roundup?
The seventh-generation Ford Mustang debuted last night, offering up more than a few surprises in the process. The new Mustang balances old and new, tradition and innovation for a car that is both familiar and strikingly new. While Dodge has made it plain that this will be the final internal combustion monsters before the switch to electric propulsion, Ford demurred on the question of electrification with the new Mustang. If this seventh generation does indeed prove to be the final one before going full EV, the new Mustang makes for one spectacular last hurrah.
One Beefed Up Pony Car
The all-new S650 Mustang is more of an evolution than revolution, tugging and pinching the prior generation’s body into a more aggressive, substantial-looking car. Sharper lines and a boxier look feel modern without straying into the digital. A new grille, front splitter, and triple element headlights make for an intimidating visage up front. The new Mustang also features a lower belt line and wider hips than before and marry well with the fastback slope of the roof. Triple taillights, a Mustang signature, are still around back, along with a rear spoiler. In all, the new Mustang looks meaner and more substantial than before while retaining all the essential Mustang elements.
Under the Hood
The slick new look of the Mustang wouldn’t amount to much if Ford wasn’t delivering where it really counts, under the hood. Here Ford has chosen to improve on what’s been working rather than pour a lot of engineering dollars into something new for what will probably be the final fully internal combustion Mustang. It makes sense then that Ford will offer updated versions of their 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder and the 5.0L Coyote V8.
Ford wasn’t explicit in the numbers for these two engines, but it did go so far as to say the 5.0L in the new Mustang GT will offer more than 480 horsepower. The current version of the EcoBoost Mustang offers 330 horsepower, so we can reasonably expect at least that much in this new generation. For transmissions, the GT will offer the choice of either a 10-speed automatic or a six-speed manual while the EcoBoost will be limited to the same 10-speed automatic. A limited-split differential will come standard with performance versions getting an upgraded Torsen LSD.
The coolest feature on the new Mustang is an electronic “drift brake.” That’s right, Ford is offering the requisite equipment to drift your new Mustang right out of the box.
The Dark Horse and Racing Variants
The new Mustang won’t be limited to its two principal trims, either. The primary performance variant will be the new Dark Horse that includes nifty new badging and replaces the current Mach I. The Dark Horse differentiates itself from the GT with a unique grille, larger front splitter, and a Gurney flap to the rear spoiler. The Dark Horse will run the same 5.0L Coyote V8 but tuned for additional output over the standard GT that Ford says will come in around or above 500 horsepower. The choice of a 10-speed automatic versus a six-speed manual is here too, but the Dark Horse, in its case, gets access to a special Tremec manual.
The Dark Horse is just one in a series of performance variants. Racing focused iterations will include a GT3 and GT4, as well as cars intended for NASCAR and NHRA, and a track focused Dark Horse R.
Interior Features and Release Info
Where the seventh-generation Mustang advances the most is in its interior, where things are decidedly more modern. Gone is the double bubble dash and in its place is a new digital display. Comprised of a single continuous pane of glass, the Mustang’s new display encompasses a 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster and a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen. The latter operates via Ford’s latest Sync 4 system. Meanwhile, the digital gauge cluster offers customizable display modes that include a version patterned after the Fox -bodies of the late-1980s. Overall, the new Mustang’s interior evidences a higher quality of materials and finish than has been typical in generations past.
Pricing has not yet been released. Based on the current generation’s pricing, expect the EcoBoost Mustang to start around $29,000 and the new Dark Horse to run about where the Mach I is now, $57,000. We can expect so see the new seventh-generation Ford Mustang to hit dealerships sometime next summer.
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