Say hello to the 2024 Ford Mustang. Dodge may have just put the pin in its V8-powered muscle cars, but Ford is far from done selling its fire-breathing coupe as the Mustang enters its seventh generation.
Rumors of hybrid powertrains circulated for years in the run-up to the unveiling of this Mustang, but in the end Ford puts trusted engines under the hood of this new pony car. A redesigned 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is the Mustang’s base engine, and an updated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 continues to power the GT. In typical Ford fashion, power figures for both aren’t disclosed at the car’s initial unveiling, although a Ford engineer announced during its debut that it should produce 480 horsepower. Officially, however, Ford only says that the 5.0 will produce more power than the current cars’ 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission now with rev-matching technology will be available for the GT, but the EcoBoost won’t be automatic until 2024 – Ford tells us the manual drop on the four-cylinder was just too low to justify offering it again . The 10-speed automatic transmission on the previous Mustang has been carried over with some changes to the oily parts and new tuning for improved performance.
The performance boost for the 5.0-litre V8 will largely come from a new twin-throttle design for more air intake, a new exhaust manifold for better airflow, a longer exhaust camshaft to handle the increased airflow, and the addition of port injection in addition to direct injection. (the previous gene was direct injection only). As for the EcoBoost, Ford says it features a new twin-scroll turbocharger and high-speed wastegate for improved response, a new modular power cylinder architecture (we’ll see this in Ford’s four-cylinder turbocharged line), and similar to the 5.0 , now has both port and direct injection.
And if that wasn’t enough for you, there’s the Dark Horse – a new performance model that will spawn track and race variants of the seventh generation pony car.
Okay, but what about that new design? We suspect it will polarize, as it is (literally) much sharper than before. The EcoBoost and GT have differentiated front-end designs. You’ll notice that the GT’s grille is larger than the four-cylinder, and it also has those odd-looking pods in it. Functional hood vents are prominently placed on the GT, but are not found on the EcoBoost. All Mustangs get the new tri-bar LED headlights, and Ford says it has optimized the roofline to allow easier entry and exit with a racing helmet on.
At the rear, we notice how high the black plastic creeps up against the bumper – it’s not as bad as the WRX’s plastic stock, although it does remind us of that look. Ford was completely absorbed in the rear with its sharply angled styling and pointed appearance. The three-bar taillights carry over, but they’re made to be even more showy with the intense angularity. In the same way as the sixth generation, all GTs get a quad-tip exhaust and EcoBoost models get a dual exhaust. The ends are framed by a new rear diffuser design that Ford says improves the aerodynamic balance of the rear.
In addition to the Coupé, Ford today unveils the Cabrio. There are no major changes to the design or functionality of the hood with this new generation as it is still electrically operated using a central locking mechanism with a single handle.
When it comes to the design details, Ford says wheel sizes range from the basic 17-inch wheels to optional 20-inch wheels on the GT (standard with 19s). You can choose between three caliper colors – black, red or Grabber Blue – and 11 exterior paint colors. Many of the exterior colors are carried over from the previous generation, but Vapor Blue and Yellow Splash are new. Ford tells us that Vapor Blue is meant to bear a vague resemblance to the spectacular Mystichrome paint of yore.
If you want even more customization, Ford offers “Mustang Design Series” options, the first of which is a Bronze Design Series Appearance Package that adds bronze wheels and badging to the exterior.
The chassis under all these new bodies is a revised version of the sixth generation car. Ford tells us it made some changes to increase structural rigidity, but didn’t go as far as throwing numbers at the wall. Some material changes have been made to several suspension parts, with Ford opting for lighter aluminum this time. A new, faster-ratio steering rack and new mechanics aim to both speed up response and give more feel. There’s enough here to make us think the new Mustang will be a better handler, but the jury is out on how much better – Ford made the most significant change to an independent rear suspension design in the last generation, making the Mustang transition to more of a sports car than a muscle car.
Only one ‘Performance Pack’ will be offered at launch on the seventh-generation Mustang, but it’s a similar package to the previous car. Opt for the package on the EcoBoost or GT, and you get a front tower bracket, Torsen limited slip differential, wider wheels and tires and bigger Brembo brakes. Exclusive to the GT are brake channels, improved engine cooling and an additional engine oil cooler. Fortunately, Ford continues to offer its MagneRide active suspension as an option on top of the Performance package. Additional options include Recaro seats and Ford’s active exhaust system. Engineers tell us that the volume allowed on the exhaust system for the GT is maxed out this time around, so expect an even louder roar for the seventh-generation GT.
Inside, this Mustang is drastically new and different. Ford threw out the playbook and decided to go all-in on screens. The base model has two freestanding screens: a digital instrument panel and a touchscreen infotainment system. Step up to the Premium trim and this becomes a gigantic monolith of screens separated by a gloss black partition – the central infotainment measures 13.2 inches, while the cluster measures 12.4 inches. The vast majority of your car’s controls can be tampered with within these screens, as Ford removed most of the physical buttons for the radio and in-cab climate controls from the previous model. Ford claims this is what Millennials, Gen-Z and traditional Mustang buyers want, but you might as well interpret it as a cost-cutting measure.
The steering wheel gets a new flat-bottomed design and the base seats get better quality fabric than before. Ford will also offer Micro Suede vinyl seats and ActiveX upholstered seats on the EcoBoost, while the GT will be available with genuine leather inserts.
Technology abounds, with those new screens using Sync 4 software with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. A wireless phone charger is available in the center console. An optional B&O audio system delivers better-sounding tunes, and the cab is dotted with customizable mood lighting. Driver assistance technology in the form of Ford’s CoPilot360 will be standard, with notable features including adaptive cruise control, lane centering, evasive steering assist and even automatic rear brake assist. If you get the performance package with active dampers, you also get “Active Pothole Assist”, a feature designed to save your wheels and tires by adjusting the suspension damping to better respond to potholes in real time through monitoring of the suspension, body, steering and brake inputs. Hopefully it will save some bent wheels and blown tires, while making the ride smoother.
The cluster screen uses Unreal Engine 3D creation seen in video games to display and animate designs and driving mode visuals. It even has some epic gauge settings – for example, there’s a Fox Body setting that mimics the gauge display of Fox Body-era Mustangs. Now that’s cool. Other intriguing new performance technology includes a new “Performance Electronic Parking Brake” for drifting which we will explain in a separate post. In addition, a new “remote-rev” feature is coming on automatic Mustangs that can be activated via the key fob.
Ford says the 2024 Mustang will initially go on sale in the summer of 2023, with further assembly at Ford’s Flat Rock, Michigan plant.