Arguably one of the most famous nameplates in the world, the Ford Mustang is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
Ford has marked the momentous occasion with the launch of the seventh-generation ‘Stang, which this week touched down on South African roads.
The Blue Oval gave select media a taste of the grand tourer in the picturesque landscape of the Western Cape with mountain passes and open roads aplenty, exactly the environment for which it was bred.
Despite unapologetically gaining mass and size, the Mustang is as visceral and emotional as it has always been, whilst being more capable than any that came before it.
A sense of occasion
The seventh-generation Mustang has lost none of the sense of occasion of its predecessors.
Its low horizontal brow instils a sense of aggression and emphasises the width of the two-door, while the multi-section LED light clusters at the front and rear add a contemporary touch whilst clearly taking inspiration from the Mustangs of old.
The sharp lines combined with a long bonnet and fastback silhouette yield a muscular and simultaneously sleek aesthetic that can be understated in the right colour, and in your face in another.
It rolls on fetching 19-inch alloy wheels, both as standard and as an option, with surprisingly high-profile tyres installed to bolster comfort as well as tyre durability.
The star of the seventh-generation show is the 5.0-litre, naturally aspirated, Coyote V8 engine sat below the stretched nose.
Ford has fettled with the trusty powerplant to make it generate a healthy 328kW and 540Nm, in the process helping the new Mustang GT become the most powerful of its kind ever produced.
Acceleration is smooth and brisk in a way only a big-displacement motor can achieve and it’s as eager to unleash its horses when going 60km/h as it is when going, well, let’s just say a lot faster than that.
Something to keep in mind for those interested in the new Mustang – Ford warned that its speedometer under-reads by about 1%, so when it says you’re going 120km/h, you’re actually doing closer to 121.2km/h.
Like before, the engine is matched with a peach of a 10-speed automatic gearbox and power is delivered to the tarmac through the rear wheels only.
The transmission is relaxed in the Normal driving mode but becomes significantly more violent with its shifts, both down and up, when Sport or Track is selected. It’s a clever box, too, not requiring much intervention from the driver to stay within the preferred rev range.
Also included is an electronic drift brake that brings the drifting capabilities of a mechanical handbrake coupled with the safety of an electronically monitored system.
In South Africa, the Mustang gets the Performance Pack as standard which is an optional extra in other markets.
This particular add-on brings a host of performance-oriented features such as a front suspension tower brace, a limited-slip differential, MagneRide active suspension, wider rear wheels and tyres, and larger 390mm front and 355mm rear Brembo brakes.
It also adds brake ducts for enhanced cooling and a standard auxiliary engine oil cooler.
As a grand tourer, the two-door shines on straight, desolate tarmac, but no longer is it averse to taking on twists and turns partly thanks to these additional fittings.
In the dry and the wet it devoured winding mountain passes as effortlessly as it did open roads, tacitly suggesting that it has more to give than what we could extract from it.
Perhaps on a closed-off racetrack you can find its limits without being punished too harshly, though on public streets, this should be difficult to do.
Of course, it’s no Mustang without a hearty exhaust, a box that’s checked and then checked some more on this latest evolution.
Ford has “dialed up the raucousness” on the new ‘Stang’s active valve performance exhaust, and you certainly notice it regardless of the valve settings.
A deep rumble is ever-present, turning into a monstrous scream at higher revs. Even in good neighbour mode, the pipes won’t let you forget what you’re driving.
Open the large, weighty doors and you’re greeted by a cabin that is quintessential ‘Stang.
The basics are covered with a curved screen comprising a 12.4-inch digital driver’s display and a 13.2-inch infotainment centre with cool graphics and extensive functionality.
It also comes with an excellent 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system that can just about drown out the exhaust, alongside nice quality-of-life touches such as soft leather padding on the door armrest and sides of the transmission tunnel.
A personal favourite is the configurable gauge cluster that can be themed according to the generation of Mustang you prefer.
You can have the speedometer and rev counter look like the classic 1967 model, the Fox body from ’87, or the SVT Cobra from ’99, among several other layouts.
Cost-cutting was achieved through the somewhat liberal application of plastics for the controls and cosmetic highlights, coupled with faux-carbon wrappings on the centre console and dash.
Gone are the aeronautically-inspired toggle switches of its forebear that sat below the central screen, replaced with rubber buttons that are presumably more cost-effective to install and replace.
Even so, it offers modern amenities that will make your daily travels that much more pleasurable, such as heated and ventilated leather seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and a comprehensive suite of driver aids.
One thing to point out, the rear seats are still cramped and better suited for young children on short drives, or in our case, backpacks.
However, should you want to employ the fastback as your trusty steed on a road trip, space should be less of a concern than where you’re going to refuel the V8 beast. Ford assured us that the cavernous 381-litre boot can accommodate two golf bags without needing to unpack them.
In closing, the seventh-gen muscle car stayed true to the essence of Mustang.
Gorgeous bodywork with a ferocious engine at a (relatively) competitive price, it has it all. And now it’s competent on curvy roads, too.
Ford Mustang
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