Ford has taken the wraps off the latest seventh-generation S650 Mustang, with a revised pair of powertrains, brand-new styling package, updated interior technology and the confirmation of a fire-breathing Mustang Dark Horse flagship variant headlining the unveiling.
The Mustang’s latest styling package casts a very familiar shadow, although most of the edges have been sharpened up alongside a slimmer set of headlights either side of the angular front grille, giving the bonnet more of an aggressive bulge, while V8-powered GT variants gain a black air intake at the front.
At the rear the Mustang’s iconic muscular stance remains very much on show with the wide wheel arches, with the tailpiece receiving a new angled design that the tri-split lights are incorporated into.
The seventh-gen Mustang range will come powered by the same 2.4-litre turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, with the company’s flagship fourth-gen 5.0-litre Coyote V8 continuing. Ford says the V8 will be the “Mustang GT’s most powerful 5.0-litre Coyote V8” ever.
Ford also took the time at its unveiling to confirm the Mustang Dark Horse performance flagship, which is powered by a V8 that Ford’s chief engineer says boasts 368kW of power.
There’s no word just yet as to power outputs for the rest of the range, although Ford has confirmed that a six-speed manual with rev-matching remains available for the V8-powered GT, atop a ten-speed automatic option. That means Ford has ditched the six-speed manual for the four-cylinder EcoBoost Mustang.
The size of the brake discs have been upgraded over the previous Mustang, with braking power supplied by a set of six-piston Brembo calipers up front and four-piston calipers for the rear.
The company says that revisions to the Mustang’s six drive modes have resulted in its most dynamic version yet, while there’s a new electronic drift brake and a new feature that allows owners to rev the engine remotely with the key fob.
Inside, Ford has paired a 12.4-inch and 13.2-inch screen together that feature a number of customisable driving clusters and graphics, depending on the drive mode, while the GT gains a seamless display arrangement that stretches to the middle of the dash.
The steering wheel now features a flat-bottomed design, while the rest of the cabin retains a similar design and packaging approach to the outgoing Mustang.
Ford remains tight-lipped on a number of key powertrain and performance hardware details for the seventh-generation Mustang, but says that we’ll get a clearer picture ahead of its official launch in Australia in late 2023. Production will take place at Ford’s Flat Rock plant in Michigan.
