2024 Ford Mustang Show Source: Ford DETROIT — Ford Motor has always considered the Mustang to be in a league of its own. That may soon prove true, with the seventh generation of the famed American pony car. The Detroit automaker on Wednesday unveiled the redesigned 2024 Mustang hardtop and convertible with two gas-powered engines. Meanwhile, the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro — the car's largest rivals — are expected to go electric in the coming years. Ford officials say redesigning the iconic car without any type of electrification is part of its "Mustang family" strategy that includes the all-electric Mustang Mach-E crossover that went on sale in late 2020. "We know customers do want that internal combustion and some of them want the electric and we offer both in that Mustang family," said Jim Owens, head of Mustang marketing, during a media briefing. A planned hybrid variant was scrapped, according to a report by Automotive News, likely making the Mustang the last gas-powered muscle car from the Detroit automakers — a narrowing of the segment that seemed far-fetched even a few years ago. 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Source: Ford Dodge this summer announced its four-door Charger and two-door Challenger muscle cars would drive into the sunset at the end of next year, to be replaced by a new all-electric vehicle. Chevrolet is expected to end production of the gas-powered Chevy Camaro in the coming years as part of General Motors' plans to exclusively offer EVs by 2035. That means gearheads who still thirst for the roar of a V-8 engine in a sporty American coupe will have just one option: the Mustang, which has dominated in sales over the Camaro and Challenger with the current, sixth-generation car. Sales of Detroit sports and muscle cars have been declining for years. Mainstream two-door sports coupes such as the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro fell 32% from 2015 to 2019 — the last year of sales before automakers were stymied by ongoing global supply chain problems, including a shortage of semiconductor chips. "Some of our competitors are talking about not being in internal combustion engine sports car business, and what we are so proud of here today is that we are already expanding that family," Owens said. Owens and other Ford officials declined to comment on whether the seventh-generation Mustang would be the last to feature a traditional internal combustion engine. Ford on Wednesday also revealed a new high-performance Mustang model with a V-8 engine called "Dark Horse." The 2024 Mustang, which will be produced at a plant in metropolitan Detroit, will go on sale in the U.S. next summer. Ford did not announce pricing for the vehicle, but the current generation starts at $27,470. 2024 MustangThe exterior of the 2024 Mustang should look familiar to fans of the car. It's an evolutionary change from the sixth-generation edition, but with characteristics that are a bit more muscular. "We're adding a modern edginess to heritage-inspired design," said Chris Walter, Ford Mustang design manager. The front and rear of the vehicle are redesigned, but the silhouette and overall dimensions of the car are similar to the current-generation Mustang, which was last redesigned for the 2015 model year. 2024 Ford Mustang Source: Ford Both the four-cylinder and V-8 engines are updated from the current Mustang. Ford did not release performance specifications, but they'll likely be better than today's vehicles. The V-8 GT models will be offered in both manual and automatic transmissions. The current 2.3-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivers 310 horsepower and 350 pounds-foot of torque, while the Mustang GT's 5.0-liter V-8 produces 450 horsepower and 420 pounds-foot of torque. The top speed ranges from 121 mph to 180 mph, depending on the model. The most obvious changes to the seventh-generation Mustang are on the interior of the vehicle: most notably, a 13.2-inch center touchscreen and an accompanying 12.4-inch driver information cluster. The screens can be customized by owners. Two other new additions include an available "Electronic Drift Brake" for easier drifting and a "Remote Rev" feature with the ability for owners to rev the car's engine remotely using a key fob. 2024 Ford Mustang Source: Ford 
For many enthusiasts, part of the Ford Mustang's appeal is the tremendous amount of aftermarket support that the model benefits from. While third-party companies will sooner or later get their hands on the seventh-generation model, the scope of modifications that can be performed to the four- or the eight-cylinder engine will be reduced because Ford has made the car's ECU more difficult to tune. Ed Krenz, the Mustang's chief engineer, told Ford Authority that the new model unveiled in September 2022 will be "much more difficult" to tune than its predecessors. He explained that's due to the Fully-Networked Vehicle (FNV) electrical architecture that the Mustang is built around. This system enables over-the-air software updates, among other features, but it also complicates the task of tuning the ECU. Krenz noted that the Mustang's electrical system is encrypted, and it's programmed to shut down if it detects what's referred to as a "break." If that happens, it either turns off entirely or disables certain components or functions. That's bad news for both hackers and tuners. That doesn't mean that Mustang owners will be stuck with the stock output. Ford Authority added that the Blue Oval is open to the idea of letting trusted tuning companies dial in more power. None were identified by name, but Shelby is one of the firms that comes to mind. And, owners who want more horsepower and torque may be able to get both directly from the source when the time comes. For example, Ford Performance just announced a calibration kit that increases the 2.3-liter-powered Bronco's output by around 30 horsepower and 60 pound-feet of torque when burning premium fuel. Ford isn't an exception to the rule; tuning the eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette is equally difficult due to ECU-related constraints. Ford Mustang Information
Whats new about the 2024 Mustang?New for the 2024 model year is the Mustang Design Series, providing further customization options straight from the factory. The Bronze Design Series Appearance Package adds Sinister Bronze alloy wheels with bronze badges, and is available on both EcoBoost and GT models, with or without the optional Performance Pack.
How much will 2024 Mustang be?2024 Ford Mustang Price
We expect the 2024 Ford Mustang to start around $30,000. For reference, the 2022 model starts at $27,470. The Chevy Camaro starts at $25,000 and the Dodge Challenger kicks off at $30,430.
Is the 2024 Mustang the last one?2024 Ford Mustang revealed, one of the last V8 powered cars
2024 Ford Mustang makes its world premiere, deliveries to commence in the summer of 2023 in US. The new generation Mustang comes with a new design direction and offers latest tech.
When can I buy the new 2024 Mustang?Ford says the Mustang will go on sale in the U.S. in summer 2023, presumably making it a 2024 model year vehicle.
|
