Ford Mustang (sixth generation)

The sixth generation Ford Mustang (S550) is the current iteration of the Mustang pony car manufactured by Ford. In departure from prior Mustang models, the sixth generation Mustang includes fully independent rear suspension on all models, as well as an optional 2.3L EcoBoost turbocharged and direct injected four cylinder engine. The new Mustang was introduced as a 2015 model year vehicle, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Ford Mustang, which was revealed as a 1965 model year vehicle on April 17, 1964.

The sixth generation is also the first Ford Mustang to be marketed and sold globally, and represented the first time that factory right hand drive Mustangs were produced in addition to the left hand drive models. This is part of the "One Ford" business plan, which also applies to the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion/Mondeo, Escape/Kuga, Edge, Ford Transit Connect, and Ford Transit, as well as other models.

Background

The sixth generation of the Ford Mustang debuted on December 5, 2013 with same-day media events in Dearborn, Michigan, Los Angeles, California, New York City, New York, Barcelona, Spain, Shanghai, China, and Sydney, Australia. The 2015 Mustang marks the 50th anniversary of continuous Mustang production, which began in March 1964 in advance of the debut of the original Mustang at the 1964 New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964 in Flushing, Queens.

Development of the 2015 Mustang, codenamed "S550", began in 2009 under chief engineer Dave Pericak and (from late-2009) exterior design director Joel Piaskowski, shortly after the updated 2010 model year Mustang went on sale. In December 2010, an exterior design theme proposal by Kemal Curic from Ford's Cologne, Germany design studios was selected by design management. Curic (also responsible for the 2011 Focus (2012 in the US) and the 2014 Mondeo/Fusion) relocated to Ford's design studios in Dearborn in January 2011. During mid-stage development, Curic's original exterior design proposal was eventually rejected by Ford executives, resulting in rapid design changes. After reviewing 3 different exterior theme proposals (A, B, and C) in design clinics in September 2012, the final exterior design (Theme A) was approved by Ford management, with the final design freeze occurring in December 2012, 20 months ahead of originally scheduled August 2014 production. The interior design program began in the spring of 2010, under Doyle Letson. By late 2011, a final interior proposal was settled on and was a combination of Themes A & B. In June 2012, the final interior design was frozen. The first test mules in 2010 model year bodies were spotted earlier in June 2012, and the first S550 prototypes were built five months later (exterior design freeze) in May 2013.

Engines

At launch, three engines were available: a standard aluminum 3.7 L "Cyclone" V6, an optional 2.3 L EcoBoost turbocharged, direct-injected I4, or a 5.0 L "Coyote" V8. The 2.3 L EcoBoost engine is new to the Mustang, having debuted in the 2015 model year Lincoln MKC crossover. This four-cylinder includes improvements over earlier versions. The 2.3 Ecoboost engine also marks the return of a 4-cylinder engine in the Mustang, which were standard in cars produced from 1974 to 1993, as well as in the "SVO" turbocharged models from 1984 to 1986. The Cyclone V6 was discontinued after the 2017 model year, leaving only the 2.3 I4 as base engine, similar to 1987-1993 models.

The Shelby GT350 version uses a modified version of the Coyote engine, code-named the Voodoo, that features a displacement of 5.2 liters with flat-plane crankshaft instead of the traditional crossplane.

As of MY2016, export-spec models are available in EcoBoost and GT specifications only, also in slightly different engine tunes. Per Ford's claims, combined fuel economies of the Fastback under the Euro 6 emissions standard are 10.2 km/L and 7.8 km/L respectively.

Transmission

UK-bound right-hand drive models are available in both automatic and manual transmissions, but as of June 2016, Asia-bound right-hand drive models are only offered with the six-speed automatic which, along with the EcoBoost or GT Performance packages (standard on base specs), comes bundled with the 3.55:1 limited-slip final drive ratio. Nevertheless, a limited number of such manual transmission models, particularly on the GT, may be offered towards the end of the year.

Body

Bodywork

This generation of Mustang has been influenced on the front end by Ford’s Evos concept  which was featured in the Frankfurt auto show in 2011. The rear famous “vertical bar” style taillight will continue, however will be lit by LED, and will illuminate sequentially when being used for turn signals.

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Interior

The new Mustang’s interior body style resembles that of an airplane cockpit boasting an increased body width, and a larger cabin similar to the Ford GT. This gives more room in the back of the vehicle for rear passengers. “The changeable ambient lighting continues, but it will spread beyond the dials, cup holders, and speakers to other points within the cabin, something also found in European luxury cars like the new S-class.” 

A metal tag on the dashboard bears the Ford Mustang "Running Horse" insignia.

Technology

Standard features for all 2015+ Ford Mustangs include: proximity key entry with door-mounted touch sensors and keyless entry, push-button start system, an A/M-F/M stereo with single-disc CD/MP3 player, color LCD display, the Ford SYNC System with Bluetooth hands-free phone and A2DP wireless stereo audio streaming, USB/iPod and 3.5-millimeter auxiliary audio input jacks, a cluster-mounted central color LCD driver's information display screen, electronic traction control system (ETCS), electronic stability control system (ESCS), antilock braking system (ABS), front and side-mounted SRS airbags, automatic 9-1-1 call for airbag deployment, and a rear backup camera system.

Optional features include SIRIUS-XM Satellite Radio, the MyFord Touch (2015) or SYNC 3 (2016+) touch-screen multimedia infotainment system with eight-inch color touch-screen LCD display, smartphone integration, app integration, support for Apple carPlay and Android Auto (late launch), SIRIUS-XM Travel Link, HD Radio, and a microSD card slot, plus enhanced voice control. GPS navigation is available, as is a nine-speaker premium sound system, or a twelve-speaker Shaker Pro surround-sound system. 2017 brought Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support to Premium models with SYNC3.