Ford Mustang

NEW MUSTANG – ICONIC, POWERFUL AND DYNAMIC

Pinch yourself. Ford's Mustang really is available here in the UK in right-hand drive, full factory guise. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

Prepare to re-set your views on sports coupe value for money. The sixth generation version of Ford's iconic Mustang gets proper right hand drive engineering and the choice of both coupe and Convertible bodystyles. It goes large on power too, bringing a super-sized 418PS powerplant in full-fat 5.0-litre V8 guise or one with 314PS in more economical 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbo form. With prices from around £30,000, similarly powerful European performance cars look hopelessly over-priced.

Background

It's almost a national pastime to take pot shots at American sports coupes. The specialist magazines tend to dismiss them as crude, lumbering fuel hogs that couldn't get out of their own way if they tried. Historically, some of that has been down to jealousy. Traditionally after all, many US sportscars haven't been sold here in right-hand drive form, leaving the 'experts' yet another reason to bitterly snipe away at Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs and Vipers to their hearts' content.

And then this happened. Ford announced it was going to make the Mustang in right-hand drive and offer it for sale in the UK. Yep, in the same dealer where you can buy your Fiesta, you can now buy a five-litre V8 Mustang. Suddenly American sports coupes aren't stupid any longer. We suspect this one in particular might actually be quite wonderful.

Driving Experience

The Mustang offers a choice between two very different powerplants. While there will be many who don't see the point in choosing anything other than the 5.0-litre V8, Ford predicts a good take-up of the 2.3-litre Ecoboost turbo four. With UK pump prices being what they are, you can see the logic. It's not exactly limp-wristed either. With 314PS to call upon, it'll get to 62mph in a mere 5.5 seconds in six-speed manual guise. There's also a six-speed auto option. In isolation, that would be a very tempting proposition. Look at the ballistic 418PS V8 version though and your resolve might weaken. This demolishes the benchmark sprint in just 4.8 seconds and sounds immeasurably better.

Design and Build

Buyers choose between fixed-top or Convertible bodystyles and it's the coupe that most distinctively retains the characteristic fastback shape the Mustang has always had, a look which first debuted way back in 1965. Half a century later, this version of the car was unveiled in December 2014. It's still a fundamentally simple piece of styling, more modern and less aggressively surfaced than its predecessor, with flowing curves replacing wedgy angles. Its stance is more purposeful, with this sixth-generation car being lower and wider than before. It's still a fairly conservative all-steel unitary creation and it is a bit disappointing that it's slightly heavier than its predecessor. Still, Ford reckons that's purely down to higher equipment levels and better safety provision. Like for like, the latest Mustang would be slightly lighter than the car it replaced.

Market and Model

The Mustang has always been a blue collar icon of value for money in the USA and Ford is just as keen for the car to be seen that way here. You might not initially think that when first faced with the Blue Oval brand's price list, which at launch saw prices pitched in the £31,000 to £40,000 bracket. In terms of performance-per-pound though, that's still represents an awful lot for your cash though. Essentially, the choices here are simple. 'Fastback' coupe or Convertible bodystyles; 2.3-litre turbo four cylinder or 5.0-litre V8 GT power; and six-speed manual or six-speed auto transmission. That's it. No fancier trim levels, no all-wheel drive option: you get it as it comes.

It's also worth pointing out that Mustangs aren't sold at every one of the Blue Oval maker's dealerships. You'll find this sportscar only in the showrooms of the company's premium 'Ford Store' locations. At this model's launch, there were 70 of these, enough, says the brand, to ensure that 90% of the population will be with an hour's drive of one.

Cost of Ownership

If you hold great store in miles per gallon figures, don't ever, ever take a test drive in the 5.0-litre V8 Mustang. It'll ruin you for the Ecoboost model. The 2.3-litre car returns an economy reading that is actually quite impressive for such a big, powerful, petrol-engined car, getting 35.3mpg in manual guise and a less rosy 28.5mpg if you choose the automatic, respective emissions figures being 179 and 228g/km. Choose that heavy hitting V8 instead though, and you'll emit 306g/km, while if you can get the fuel meter to average anything into the twenties, you have more restraint than we could manage.

Summary

The Ford Mustang might not seem an instant fit for a UK market where we like our sporty cars to be light and nimble, but it's hard to argue with the sort of value for money it delivers. After all, even the 2.3-litre EcoBoost version sounds as if it's going to be quick and this will be the car that will appeal to most UK buyers. The monster 5.0-litre V8 model seems a bit of an indulgence but it certainly has its own charisma and if that thirst for fuel can be offset by reserving it as a weekend toy, then it's not difficult to see this car chalking up a few orders, especially when Ford is asking around £33,000 for one. But it's a Mustang and the people who'll love the thing would have it no other way.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Ford Mustang

PRICES: £30,995 - £39,995

INSURANCE GROUP: 41E-46E

CO2 EMISSIONS: [EcoBoost manual coupe] 179g/km

PERFORMANCE: [V8 manual] 0-60 4.8s / top speed 155mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: [EcoBoost manual coupe] (combined) 35.3mpg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Seven airbags, stability control, ABS with EBA and EBD

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4784/1916/1381