The wraps have come off the new Ford Mustang, with the seventh-generation pony car gaining evolutionary styling changes and an overhauled interior, and thankfully retaining the option of a V8 engine…

Meet the new Ford Mustang. Seemingly riding on an updated version of the outgoing model’s platform, the seventh-generation Mustang likewise uses tweaked versions of its predecessor’s petrol engines. The big news, of course, is the fact the familiar 5.0-litre V8 powerplant lives on.

As with the sixth-generation Mustang, the newcomer will be available in coupé and convertible body styles, with the engine line-up again comprising the aforementioned V8 and an updated version of the turbocharged 2.3-litre, 4-cylinder engine. Manual and automatic transmissions will be offered, depending on the market.

Though the Blue Oval brand has yet to confirm peak power and torque outputs of either of the engine options, it does promise the fourth generation of its Coyote 5.0-litre V8 (which, for the record, makes 330 kW and 529 Nm in outgoing SA-spec form) will deliver the “most naturally aspirated horsepower of any Mustang GT” thanks to a new dual air-intake box and dual-throttle body design.

The 6-speed manual gearbox lives on the new Ford Mustang (in some markets, anyway).

In North America at least, the V8 lump will again be offered in conjunction with a 6-speed manual transmission (complete with a rev-matching function), though customers will have the option of specifying a 10-speed automatic transmission if they prefer two pedals to three. From what we understand, the manual cog-swapper won’t be available with the EcoBoost unit.

The new Mustang will feature six drive modes (normal, sport, slippery, drag, track and a customisable setting), while a Performance Pack will be optional in some markets. The latter adds a range of track-inspired features, such as a front tower brace, Torsen limited-slip differential, active suspension, wider rear wheels and larger brakes (390 mm front and 355 mm rear Brembo items), plus the option of Recaro seats and an active exhaust. In addition, the GT Performance Pack includes brake ducts and an auxiliary engine-oil cooler.

The seventh-generation Mustang furthermore gains a quicker steering ratio along with a “segment-first” electronic drift brake to “unlock the rear-wheel-drive drifting capability” of the new model. Called the Performance Electronic Parking Brake (with the “visual appeal and functionality” of a traditional, mechanical hand brake), this feature ostensibly allows novice drivers to learn and improve their drifting skills.

A look inside the new Ford Mustang’s cabin

The pair of screens can optionally be connected behind a single piece of glass.

While the exterior design changes are fairly subtle (Ford calls them “edgier”), the Dearborn-based firm has made significant alterations to the Mustang’s cabin, rolling out what it describes as a “fighter jet-inspired digital” interior and the “most technologically advanced, driver-centric cockpit of any Mustang to date”.

In standard form, the facia features a pair of curved displays, with Ford promising the 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster is highly customisable. Interestingly, the digital instrument cluster can be optionally configured to flow into a 13.2-inch SYNC 4 centre stack behind a single piece of integrated glass angled toward the driver.

The American automaker has ditched some physical buttons (such as those for the radio and climate control) and integrated them into a digital display. Other changes inside include a new flat-bottomed steering wheel, which Ford says “provides more space when getting seated”. The company has also introduced something it calls Remote Rev, which – as the name suggests – lends the owner the ability to rev the car’s engine remotely using the key fob.

In North America, upholstery choices include cloth, Micro Suede vinyl inserts, synthetic leather upholstery and leather seat inserts. Top-spec models offer a leather-trimmed steering wheel as well as a choice of colour accent stitching and a unique upholstery perforation across the seat inserts. Other features and options include wireless smartphone charging, new overhead USB ports and a B&O sound system.

Of course, there’s plenty of safety kit on offer, from speed-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist to evasive steer assist and reverse brake assist. The Performance Package, meanwhile, adds active pothole mitigation, which monitors suspension, body, steering and braking input and adjusts suspension response accordingly.

The exterior styling of Ford’s fresh-faced Mustang

Note the less aggressive front styling of the EcoBoost model on the left.

Ford claims the new model’s upper grille design shape was influenced by the original 1960s design, while the roofline and shortened rear overhang also remain true to the proportions of the first generation.The extended rear deck houses a fresh tri-bar lighting arrangement as well as a redesigned diffuser. The V8-powered GT is differentiated from the 4-cylinder model by larger, more aggressive grille openings. The apex model’s aerodynamics are optimised further with the addition of new bonnet vents and a redesigned front splitter.

In its domestic market, the new Mustang will be available in a choice of 11 exterior colours, including two new shades (Vapor Blue and Yellow Splash). Customers also can choose from three Brembo brake calliper hues (black, red or blue), while newly designed alloy wheels range in size from 17-inch items to 19-inch versions (with the option of upgrading to 20 inches on the GT).

“Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company. “Ford, however, is turbocharging its ICE growth plan, adding connected technology, opinionated derivatives, and hybrid options to our most profitable and popular cars – all in the Ford Blue family – on top of investing $50-billion in electric vehicles through 2026.”

The new Mustang will be built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, with sales in the United States commencing in 2023. Though right-hand-drive production has been confirmed, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has yet to indicate exactly when it plans to launch the new Mustang locally.

The Mustang’s (short) modern history in South Africa

Back in August 2014, Ford announced its engineers had finished construction of the very first right-hand-drive sixth-generation Mustang, confirming the production version would be exported to more than 25 right-hand-drive markets, including South Africa.

In December of the following year, the Mustang officially launched locally, with the range comprising six derivatives. There were fastback and convertible body styles, manual and automatic transmissions, and 4-cylinder and V8 engines. In July 2019, the refreshed Mustang arrived, with the line-up gainingBullittspecial edition. TheMach 1followed in 2021, before theCalifornia Specialarrived in 2022.

The outgoing Mustang range in South Africa – representing the only truepassenger car from Fordstill offered locally – currently comprises just three variants, all powered by the V8 engine: a fastback, a convertible and the aforementioned California Special.

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