After a successful career of almost two-and-a-half years on the market, the sixth-gen Ford Mustang is getting its awaited facelift for the 2018MY.
The mid-life refresh brings on a tweaked face for the 2018 Ford Mustang, courtesy of the new headlights, redesigned front bumper, a wider front grille and a resculpted bonnet that’s 20mm lower. At the back, we see new C-shaped rear light clusters, the diffuser that is now finished in black, and in the GT, a small rear wing.
The big news is that Ford is ditching the 3.7-litre V6 option from the range as it was already the weak member of the sales chart, with the company focusing instead on the 2.3-litre EcoBoost and the 5.0-litre V8 versions which now gain a new 10-speed automatic gearbox option.
The manual gearbox that’s paired with the 5.0-litre V8 has also been upgraded with a twin-disc clutch and a dual-mass flywheel while the new ten-speed automatic is said to offer faster shift times and responses than the outgoing six-speed automatic.
The V8 engine itself is also getting a refresh, gaining a direct injection and port fuel injection which makes it more frugal and more powerful at the same time but Ford hasn’t provided any figures yet. The 2.3-litre EcoBoost is also going to offer more torque than before.
Other revisions include the addition of an optional digital cluster with a 12-inch screen instead of the traditional analog gauges, offering three separate views –normal, sport and track mode. A new active valve exhaust system allows the driver now to adjust the soundtrack of the V8-equipped versions while Ford has also given the 2018 Mustang a range of active safety systems such as Pre-Collision Assist with pedestrian detection, distance alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and Driver Alert System.
The new Ford Mustang also benefits from new shock absorbers, a new cross-axis joint in the rear suspension which allegedly increases lateral stiffness and new stabilizer bars to further sharpen the car’s responses and handling character. MagneRide adaptive dampers are also available as an option for the first time.
Finally, the interior now features “improved touch points” which is another way of saying softer plastics at the driver’s immediate vicinity, and visual cues aiming to give a more premium look. These include a new hand-stitched wrap with contrast stitching and padded knee bolsters in the center console, with the door handles, rings and bezels now finished in aluminum.
Ford will launch the new 2018 Mustang in North America this fall, so stay tuned for the full details.
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