Ford readies all-new Mustang

Next-gen version will retain a V8 but gain two electric motors for all-wheel drive

- FELIX PAGE

Ford has given a first look at what is expected to be the most radically reinvented iteration of the Ford Mustang since its launch in 1964, as road testing for the company’s seventh-generation four-seat sports car gets under way.

Given the bulky camouflage of a prototype spotted in Michigan and the fact that the current car is only just turning seven, a launch is some way off and could be tied into the Mustang’s 60th anniversary celebrations in 2024. But it is clear that Ford will seek to evolve, rather than overhaul, the Mustang’s characteristic cab-backward silhouette and muscular design cues.

Visible details include new lights at the front and rear and a sharper front grille, but it will be the changes underneath the skin that most tangibly differentiate the Mk7 Mustang from its predecessor.

Ford is expected to bring the Mustang into the electrified era with a new petrol-electric drivetrain centred on its trademark V8 petrol engine.

To be sold alongside the all electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV, the S650-generation Mustang is expected to retain the current car’s 5.0-litre naturally aspirated Coyote V8, but this time with a pair of electric motors installed for reduced emissions, increased power and zero-emissions running capability.

The new drivetrain layout was alluded to in patent filings (see box, top right) in 2017, when launching a hybrid Mustang was a higher priority for Ford than the Mach-E.

Essentially, the Mustang is set to become four-wheel drive, with the rear axle powered by the V8 and two electric motors used to drive the front wheels – either independently in EV mode or alongside the petrol motor in dynamic driving situations.