On 15th April, 1964, Ford launched the first Mustang and ended up selling more than 22,000 of them on the first day. What followed thereon transformed the Mustang brand into a global muscle-car icon and finally the Mustang is in India. Since the 6th-generation Mustang is the first one ever to be made in right-hand drive configuration, Ford India has launched the car at a price of Rs 65 lakh and invited us to drive it at the Buddha International Circuit (BIC). Here’s our brief Ford Mustang review.
Design
The latest Mustang blends modern performance-oriented design brilliantly with the retro character of its predecessors. A low-slung design reflects dynamism while the long bonnet with bulges indicates the massive engine nestled within. The slim and aggressive-looking headlamps flank a familiar Mustang grille and the flared-up rear wheel arches and sharply raking roofline enhance the Mustang’s go=fast visual appeal. At the rear, the highlight is the tail lamp cluster, which with its triple vertical bars are similar to what older Mustangs had.
Interior
Quite frankly, we didn’t have enough time to go through the details inside the cabin on the track. However, the little time we spent inside it, things seemed pretty much in place. Quite frankly, do not expect the Mustang to have quality and detail-levels matching that of Germans around the Rs 70 lakh mark. What the Mustang offers is similar to its exterior design, a mix between old-school and modern school design and the cocktail is certainly good. Equipment list is decent with 8 airbags, dual-zone climate control, electrically-adjustable front seats with heating/ cooling, ABS with EBD and ESC. An 8-inch touch screen acts as the interface between the occupants and the vehicle. This unit comes equipped with SYNC2 and if drag racing is your poison, it can also measure your acceleration times.
The front seats are large and offer good lower support and great side support and owing to their size, which might have been decided keeping average Americans in mind, will comfortably seat people of various sizes. The rear seats however seem to be a novelty item as almost no adult can possibly fit into that tiny pocket of space. But the seats aren’t what you’d buy the Mustang for. You’d buy it for what follows and most probably you might end up loving it.
Driving Experience
This is the single-largest reason why people buy muscle-cars and while Ford does have an extensive lineup of engines globally for the Mustang, Ford India fortunately decided to bring in the biggest one. In the engine bay, sits a tightly-packed 5 L Ti-VCT V8 engine, developing 395 hp and 515 Nm of torque. The engine is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
The aluminium block and heads help keep the engine weight low and coupled with other light-weighting methods on the vehicle, the Mustang weighs 1,770 kg wet. That may not sound too light but given the muscle-car positioning and the Mustang’s history, this is significantly lighter.
The Mustang responds well to throttle inputs and flat-out acceleration is brisk for the vehicle’s weight. On the back straight of the BIC, the Mustang effortlessly touched a shade over 230 km/h. That is the point when one realizes the effectiveness of the brakes, which do a great job of scrubbing speed. The engine although great is limited in exhibiting its maximum potential due to a slow gearbox, which takes some time to respond to pedal inputs. The engine emits a deep burbling sound when idling and under acceleration the sound is pleasant but feels restrained for the engine’s size and power output.
That brings us to the handling, which was put to good test through the corners of the circuit. The Mustang for the first time in its history comes equipped with an independent suspension at the rear. The car is also equipped with a limited-slip differential to aid the handling of this rear-wheel drive car. Through the corners, the Mustang holds its line impeccably well and the tyres offer impressive grip. There wasn’t enough time to switch off the traction control or try out various modes so the performance of that remains to be tested in the real-world for a later time. The steering is direct and offers good feedback, improving confidence in the car’s abilities. What did bother us a bit though was the body-roll, which was quite a bit while cornering hard.
Round-Up
Our drive was limited to the track so it isn’t possible to talk about practical things such as ride quality, drivability and more. The Mustang lives up to the character it’s known for and is a thoroughly enjoyable car on the track and should be fun on the road as well, although limited by the gearbox’s abilities.
Ford India has done a great job of pricing the Mustang at Rs 65 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi and that price there isn’t anything that comes close to it in terms of power output or raw character. Yes, the rear seats are pretty much useless and the cockpit doesn’t feel exactly plush. There is a lack of finesse to its driving and smoothness to its operation but that is why it’s called a muscle car. In case you plan to book one, the firs lot of Mustangs to be imported in India is already sold so you’ll need to wait until more of them land on our shores.
