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A more technologically advanced interior, "edgier" exterior and new engine options are among the highlights of the next-generation Mustang that Ford Motor Co. unveiled at the Detroit auto show Wednesday with enthusiasts on hand to mark the next chapter of the iconic pony car.
The Dearborn automaker revealed the seventh-generation Mustang with an event at Hart Plaza that served as the culmination of a "Stampede" of roughly 1,000 Mustangs driving from Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn.
The event also included a few surprises: the introduction of a new Mustang performance series called Dark Horse that features a 500-horsepower Coyote V8 engine and manual transmission, as well as racing variants. It's Mustang's first new performance series in more than two decades — and Executive Chairman Bill Ford announced the pony car would be making a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
The next-gen Mustang, redesigned for model year 2024, marks the latest chapter in a storied history that dates to the vehicle's launch in 1964. The redesign is Mustang's first since the sixth generation launched in 2015 as a global product for the first time.
The continuation of the internal combustion engine in Mustang reflects a broader strategy within Ford to offer a variety of options to customers even as the auto industry moves closer to an electric future. Top executives told Ford dealers this week that they see plenty of room for growth in the years to come in Ford Blue, the new business unit dedicated to the company's legacy ICE products.
"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," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement Wednesday. "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 seventh-generation Mustang is slated to go on sale next summer. The vehicle, which is assembled in Flat Rock, comes in a variety of combinations: convertible or coupe, manual or automatic transmission, and powered by either a V-8 engine or a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Pricing information for model year 2024 will be released closer to the vehicle's launch.
Some of the most significant changes from the current generation Mustang are related to technology in the vehicle's "fighter jet-inspired cockpit." The cockpit features two customizable displays. The vehicle's 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, for example, can be customized to display animated designs and visuals tied to the car's drive mode.
"We're taking advantage of every pixel," Craig Sandvig, Mustang's interaction design manager, said in a statement. "We can be creative in showing the necessary driving information and give the driver control of selecting colors, classic Mustang gauges or even a 'calm' screen where only minimal details are displayed." The digital instrument cluster can be configured to flow into a 13.2-inch center stack powered by Ford's SYNC 4 infotainment system. That center stack is behind a piece of glass that's angled toward the driver.
The cockpit has a new flat-bottomed steering wheel designed to provide more space when drivers sit down. And a new feature allows drivers to rev the car's engine remotely using the key fob. The center console has an available wireless phone charging pad, and new overhead USB ports have been added above the cockpit. The vehicle will join the all-electric Mustang Mach-E in having the capability to receive wireless software updates.
The Mustang's exterior has been redesigned with what designers described as an edgier look and wider stance, and with design cues calling back to the original Mustang. Designers sought to add a "modern edginess to the heritage design," said Mustang design manager Christopher Walter. "We're setting out to appeal to our broadest base to date."
The seventh-generation's Mustang "low, horizontal brow across the front emphasizes overall frontal width, while the upper grille design shape is influenced by the original 1960s design," Ford said in a news release. "The Tri-Bar LED headlamps continue the Mustang's lighting signature. Its sleek roofline, broad sprinting stance and shortened rear overhang are also true to the authentic proportions of the first generation, while the widened rear haunches point to the power over the wheels in true Mustang style."
"Both the EcoBoost and Mustang GT have unique styling cues that deliver on their promise of Mustang Performance," Walter said in a statement. "The new Mustang is more chiseled and edgier, leaning into Mustang's classic brawniness and timelessness."
The new generation will have 11 exterior color options, including two new ones: Vapor Blue and Yellow Splash. One of the Mustang's most iconic elements is its growling, rumbling engine, known for a distinctive sound that owners often customize. With the next generation, the GT model will have a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engine that is slated to deliver "the most naturally aspirated horsepower of any Mustang GT," according to Ford.
One of the Mustang's most iconic elements is its growling, rumbling engine, known for a distinctive sound that owners often customize. With the next generation, the GT model will have a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engine that is slated to deliver "the most naturally aspirated horsepower of any Mustang GT," according to Ford.
News credit: The Detroit News
The event also included a few surprises: the introduction of a new Mustang performance series called Dark Horse that features a 500-horsepower Coyote V8 engine and manual transmission, as well as racing variants. It's Mustang's first new performance series in more than two decades — and Executive Chairman Bill Ford announced the pony car would be making a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
The next-gen Mustang, redesigned for model year 2024, marks the latest chapter in a storied history that dates to the vehicle's launch in 1964. The redesign is Mustang's first since the sixth generation launched in 2015 as a global product for the first time.
The continuation of the internal combustion engine in Mustang reflects a broader strategy within Ford to offer a variety of options to customers even as the auto industry moves closer to an electric future. Top executives told Ford dealers this week that they see plenty of room for growth in the years to come in Ford Blue, the new business unit dedicated to the company's legacy ICE products.
"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," Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement Wednesday. "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 seventh-generation Mustang is slated to go on sale next summer. The vehicle, which is assembled in Flat Rock, comes in a variety of combinations: convertible or coupe, manual or automatic transmission, and powered by either a V-8 engine or a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Pricing information for model year 2024 will be released closer to the vehicle's launch.
Some of the most significant changes from the current generation Mustang are related to technology in the vehicle's "fighter jet-inspired cockpit." The cockpit features two customizable displays. The vehicle's 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, for example, can be customized to display animated designs and visuals tied to the car's drive mode.
"We're taking advantage of every pixel," Craig Sandvig, Mustang's interaction design manager, said in a statement. "We can be creative in showing the necessary driving information and give the driver control of selecting colors, classic Mustang gauges or even a 'calm' screen where only minimal details are displayed." The digital instrument cluster can be configured to flow into a 13.2-inch center stack powered by Ford's SYNC 4 infotainment system. That center stack is behind a piece of glass that's angled toward the driver.
The cockpit has a new flat-bottomed steering wheel designed to provide more space when drivers sit down. And a new feature allows drivers to rev the car's engine remotely using the key fob. The center console has an available wireless phone charging pad, and new overhead USB ports have been added above the cockpit. The vehicle will join the all-electric Mustang Mach-E in having the capability to receive wireless software updates.
The Mustang's exterior has been redesigned with what designers described as an edgier look and wider stance, and with design cues calling back to the original Mustang. Designers sought to add a "modern edginess to the heritage design," said Mustang design manager Christopher Walter. "We're setting out to appeal to our broadest base to date."
The seventh-generation's Mustang "low, horizontal brow across the front emphasizes overall frontal width, while the upper grille design shape is influenced by the original 1960s design," Ford said in a news release. "The Tri-Bar LED headlamps continue the Mustang's lighting signature. Its sleek roofline, broad sprinting stance and shortened rear overhang are also true to the authentic proportions of the first generation, while the widened rear haunches point to the power over the wheels in true Mustang style."
"Both the EcoBoost and Mustang GT have unique styling cues that deliver on their promise of Mustang Performance," Walter said in a statement. "The new Mustang is more chiseled and edgier, leaning into Mustang's classic brawniness and timelessness."
The new generation will have 11 exterior color options, including two new ones: Vapor Blue and Yellow Splash. One of the Mustang's most iconic elements is its growling, rumbling engine, known for a distinctive sound that owners often customize. With the next generation, the GT model will have a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engine that is slated to deliver "the most naturally aspirated horsepower of any Mustang GT," according to Ford.
One of the Mustang's most iconic elements is its growling, rumbling engine, known for a distinctive sound that owners often customize. With the next generation, the GT model will have a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engine that is slated to deliver "the most naturally aspirated horsepower of any Mustang GT," according to Ford.
News credit: The Detroit News