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Ken Gratton27 Sept 2014
REVIEW

Ford Mustang 2015 Review

Legendary Pony car updated and uprated for a global audience who know their horseflesh

Ford Mustang GT and

Mustang EcoBoost Premium
Launch Review
Los Angeles, USA

Even the word 'iconic' is wanting when applied to Ford Mustang. The car that re-wrote the history books on its launch in 1964 cuts across social and economic bounds and is the very hallmark of US self worth and success. The latest model introduces major design and engineering advances and aligns more closely with other cars in Ford's product range, but retains the signature cues that have earned the original Pony Car respect down the years.

Yes, it's good... That's the verdict now we have finally tested Ford's all-new 2015 Mustang in its home market of the USA. And the verdict is nigh on unanimous.

On the roads of California the new Mustang impressed a troop of Aussies with dynamic ability that should earn praise when it arrives in Australia at some point during the second half of 2015.

motoring.com.au drove two cars: the 2.3-litre Mustang EcoBoost turbo four came with the optional Performance Pack, and the Mustang GT was V8-powered – 5.0-litres of Ford's latest. Both cars were manual, which may remain the slower-selling option in Australia, but not by much, we're tipping. There is an optional six-speed automatic transmission available, and that will reach Australia too.

The Performance Pack specified for the Mustang EcoBoost test vehicle included black alloy wheels with 19-inch Pirelli P-Zero tyres, 3.55:1 limited slip differential, uprated suspension and additional instrumentation. In addition, our EcoBoost test car came with a host of optional features: upgraded audio system, electrically-adjustable driver's seat with two-position memory, Blind Spot Information/cross traffic alert, anti-theft system, adaptive cruise control, Collision Mitigation, rain-sensing wipers, reverse parking assist and voice-control satellite navigation.

The Mustang GT V8 tested came with the same kit, minus only the Performance Pack option. But that was one big minus, as it turned out.

The upgrade pack makes a significant difference to the handling and steering of the Mustang EcoBoost, when contrasted with the standard underpinnings and the added 45kg weight imbalance in the nose of the V8 GT tested.

If it's cornering ability you want, the Mustang EcoBoost with the Performance Pack is simply THE specification to order. Yes, the ride is choppy in the pilot build cars driven, but it settles down in corners and at higher speeds.

The compensation for that choppy ride is really sweet handling. The Mustang in this configuration corners just like a good rear-wheel drive coupe should. It's instantly at your beck and call as soon as you crank on a bit of steering lock, plus there's nice steering weighting and feel being relayed back to you in the Normal driving mode. The meatier calibration in Sport or Track modes just adds to the enjoyment.

Apply power gently after entering the corner off the brakes and the 231kW/434Nm four-cylinder Mustang just tracks around, squatting a little at the rear as it passes the apex. Grip is a knock-out and even lifting off the throttle mid-corner elicits nothing more than a straightening of the line, settling down in the direction the driver wants.

A word concerning the four-cylinder's 'choppy' ride with the Performance Pack suspension... According to Lou Santora, the Program Vehicle Dynamics Engineer for Mustang, the trait is a known problem in pilot build Mustangs. Santora says it will be rectified by the time the production cars go on sale in the US.

The problem lies with 'variable' valving in the monotube dampers at the rear of the cars. Ford has sunk a boot into the bum of its OE damper supplier, and the dampers will henceforth be provided with the correct damping rate.

Right from the word go, the V8 model seemed a bit slower to turn in and more inclined to push through a corner. This is discernible through the wheel and the seat.

Nonetheless, cornering is acceptably tidy and the car's responsive V8 grunt not only helps offset the weight imbalance in corners, it also overcomes the cornering speed deficit when let off the leash in a straight line.

In other words, the V8 may not have the exit speed from a corner, but it with its 324kW and 542Nm heft it would quickly catch an EcoBoost model on the very next straight. As a bonus, the V8's ride quality, with the softer suspension, is much more composed over sharper impacts.

The EcoBoost features electronic powertrain sound tuning (like BMW's M3/M4) and as a result the engine sounds sporty by four-cylinder standards. Certainly there's much more throatiness than in the 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine in the locally-built Falcon.

Mustang's EcoBoost engine – a larger direct-injected and turbocharged four – is exceptionally quiet at idle or when cruising, but delivers a beefy blast when the throttle is opened up and the engine is operating in the mid-range. There is admirable torque from low revs to hold higher gears, but it is equally at ease delivering refined performance approaching the redline.

The V8 is the 'killer app' of engines in the new Mustang line-up. Simply, it generates serious muscle and will effortlessly perform in a way that the EcoBoost won't. (There was no opportunity in California to drive the entry-level V6, but variants powered by that engine aren't headed our way.)

The V8 takes acceleration and aural excitement to a whole new level. It has the herbs to spin a wheel on launch, but its forte is higher in the rev range, despite being a slightly undersquare engine, with the bore and stroke measuring 92.2x92.7mm.

There are concessions to be made with the V8 though. It uses more fuel, of course, and it adds that extra weight over the front wheels.

All this V8 praise is not to say the EcoBoost is a dud by any means. But it is an engine that will appeal to those who are open-minded about the merits of four-cylinders. Think of it as a drastic overhaul of the 2.0-litre SOHC Pinto engine from the Escort/Cortina era. There's that same note, like a Weber downdraught working overtime.

Both cars driven in California were manuals, and both were left-hand drive. Even taking into account an unfamiliar right-handed shift it's my opinion that the lever is considerably lighter and more precise than manual Tremec transmissions used locally.

In other respects the Mustang's driving position is up to scratch, although the exterior mirrors are tiny – like VE Commodore small.

Instruments are fairly easy to use after brief study. Controls, likewise are well located and functionally straightforward. The dash is presented in a stylish way that hints at aviation heritage ('GROUND SPEED' in the speedo dial, for instance), yet it's modern and far from dull in the selection of trim materials.

Debate surrounds the story that 1964 Mustang was named in honour of the P51 fighter plane that bore the same name during World War II. Stephen Ling, marketing executive for Ford in North America, insists the car was named after the horse, not the plane, which is why the car's logo is a galloping horse, not an attacking fighter aircraft. Hard to argue with the logic, but some of Ford's interior designers seem to disagree nonetheless.

The Mustang bears a plaque on the passenger's side of the dash, telling the front-seat occupant that the car has been in production since 1964 – which is perhaps a subtle dig at today's Chevy Camaro.

Additional instrumentation is part of the Performance Pack option in the Mustang EcoBoost tested. The three extra gauges are arrayed across the dash above the centre fascia and include a clever combination gauge that on the overrun tips the needle anticlockwise for a manifold vacuum reading, or – under load – winds the needle clockwise for a turbo boost figure.

The Mustang's front seats are softly sprung, in the 'V shape' so beloved by Americans. Unfortunately they're a bit soft in the side bolstering and lack support – particularly in the four-cylinder Mustang, capable of achieving reasonably high g in corners.

Rear-seat accommodation is no place for adults or older teens. Getting in is hard enough, climbing out is an endeavour best left to a circus clown – one with particularly flexible joints and chiropractic insurance cover.

Once back there, adults of average size will find their chin is resting on their chest, such is the marginal headroom, and there's negligible legroom if the front seats are set back far enough to accommodate anyone over about 170cm tall. The Mustang is very much a 2+2...

Luggage space is much more generous. Ford claims that the boot will accept two golf bags even with the subwoofers back there; I have no reason to doubt that.

But golf bags? In a car like the new Mustang? Wouldn't track days be a Mustang owner's principal recreation at weekends? The latest model is certainly capable enough...

2014 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Premium and Mustang GT pricing and specifications:
Price: from around $50,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol (EcoBoost) and 5.0-litre V8 petrol (GT)
Output: 231kW/434Nm (EcoBoost), 324kW/542Nm (GT)
Transmission: Six-speed manual (six-speed automatic optional, not tested)
Fuel: TBA
CO2: TBA
Safety Rating: TBA

What we liked:    
>> Unforgettable looks
>> Charismatic V8 power
>> Finely honed cornering dynamics    

Not so much:
>> No rear-seat space of any consequence
>> Small exterior mirrors
>> Ride needs to be reassessed on Aussie roads

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Written byKen Gratton
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
74/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
16/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
12/20
Safety & Technology
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Behind the Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
17/20
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