Ford Motor Co. (F) unveiled Tuesday at an intimate event in New York City the all-new 2018 Ford Mustang, a sleeker, curvier design of the iconic muscle car that the automaker promises has better performance than previous models.
The 2018 Mustang has new front-end styling and is lower to the ground. The all-body design refresh, especially the new grille and headlights will split opinion. Up close, the bodywork is a notable step up from previous model years.
For the 2018 model year, Ford has dropped the 3.7-liter V6 opting to focus on the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four cylinder, which provides more torque and better fuel efficiency than its predecessor.
Ford isn’t turning its back on the V8 5.0-liter engine for its quintessential American muscle car. The GT variant of Mustang will have the V8 as well as more low-end torque and power in high rpm ranges—though no word from Ford yet on the number of horses in its marquee pony.
Both the four cylinder EcoBoost and V8 are available in 6-speed manual and a new 10-speed automatic. While muscle car purists will opt for the manual, sports shifting modes on the 10-speed will keep the engine singing at higher rpm ranges before shifting up.
The 2018 Mustang will be available this fall with pricing to be announced.