A new Mustang is coming. Long live the V-8.
The seventh generation of Ford Motor Co.'s iconic muscle-car figures to be a headliner for the 2022 Detroit Auto Show when it debuts Sept. 14. And unlike its Dodge and Chevrolet segment competitors, expect the 2024 pony car to continue to feed gas-powered red meat to its legion of fans — including a howling, 5.0-liter V-8 option under the hood.
While the Chevrolet Camaro is due to sunset in 2024 (complete with Heritage Edition farewell package, according to press reports) and Dodge is waving goodbye to its gas-powered Challenger and Charger beasts (even the legendary V8-fired Hellcat) the same model year due to crippling government fines, Mustang will continue to fly the flag for the affordable pony car segment it created in 1964.
Mustang, one of Ford's iconic vehicles along with the F-150 pickup and Bronco SUV, is the Blue Oval's performance halo.
That performance has inspired a quiet, electric, Mustang Mach-E SUV, but the sports car will continue on its rib-rattling, piston-pounding ways. We know that not only from spy shots with quad tailpipes sprouting out the rear of the 'Stang, but from Ford's motorhead CEO himself.
"Mustang is the world's best-selling sports car because there's one for everyone — from an EcoBoost convertible to 5-liter V-8 GT fastback coupe," said Jim Farley as he rallied the Mustang faithful ahead of the new coupe's evening reveal Sept. 14. "Now it's time to. . .welcome the next chapter in Mustang's legacy."
Farley's remarks were accompanied by an audio clip of the V-8 mill.
That powerplant is likely to be based on the same 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 found in the current GT. That engine already felt the pinch of federal regulators for the 2022 model year when its output was reduced 10 horsepower to 450 ponies.
But without Camaro and Challenger coupes in the market, Mustang stands to pick up sales above the 52,414 units it sold in 2021. Challenger outsold Mustang in 2021 with 54,314 units on the strength of its iconic V-8 mating call, while Camaro sold 21,893 cars. Some Mustang customers may also gain from the Charger sedan's (the only four-door in the segment) demise, which leaves 78,389 in sales on the table.
The so-called "Ecoboost," turbocharged, 2.3-liter inline-four cylinder engine is also expected to carry over in entry-level Mustang models. Shared with Ford's ferocious, European Focus RS, the 310 horsepower/350 torque engine also has been popular in the Mustang's High Performance model. Both engines should be mated to a six-speed manual and 10-speed, automatic transmission.
Beyond the oily bits, expect the exterior to get an evolutionary update from the radical, sixth -generation car that remade the face of Mustang in 2015. Look to the interior for the biggest change in the new coupe.
Electronics are reshaping vehicle interiors, and the new Mustang is no different. It will likely get a bigger, more exotic instrument display and console touchscreen. Expect them to be run by Ford's SYNC 4 system (which debuted in the Ford F-Series trucks) which brings more computing power and nifty features like wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and split screen usability.
The new, 2024 Mustang likely will debut in just the Ecoboost and GT trims, with the former expected to start just below $30,000 in keeping with the brand's affordable reputation that has made it the world's best-selling sportscar across 144 countries. Past generations have primed enthusiasts to expect high-powered, higher-priced variants like the Shelby GT350 and GT500 (which can crest $80,000), not to mention stylish trims like the Bullitt and Mach 1. The first Mustang hybrid may be one of those special models.
