ARCADIA, Calif. – “All-new” was mentioned a lot during the press launch of Ford Mustang 2024, but that is stretching the definition of the word “all”. 2024 Mustang based on the previous one generationAt its foundation, many of the dimensions are actually the same, and the available tools are derived from their predecessors. It looks like the 1971 Mustang, has changed dramatically but retains the original Falcon-derived platform and is considered the first-generation Mustang. Similar intragenerational changes occurred for 1987 And 2010.
Honestly, it’s just a matter of semantics, marketing, and economic realities of redesigning the internal combustion car in a market hungry for SUVs and at the dawn of the EV era. The important thing is that this is a new Mustang, with fundamental differences, improvements and additions that set it apart from its predecessor. The biggest addition is Drifting brakes are super fun, which we’ve dedicated an entire section to, while the biggest differences and improvements are found inside. Since this is a Mustang review, save that for next time and pop the hood up instead.
Mustang GT 2024 has a modified version Ford‘Coyote’ V8 5.0 liter. Important upgrades are the dual throttle body sensing system and dual air intakes that draw air through special holes hooked into both sides of the grille. That’s why there are fang-like elements and why EcoBoost doesn’t have them. The GT now makes 480 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque in standard form, up from 450 hp and 410 lb-ft. Opting for an active-valve exhaust increases output to 486 hp and 418 lb-ft, while New Mustang Dark Horse that we didn’t push for 500 hp and 418 lb-ft.
Note that our GT driving impressions are coming tomorrow morning due to Ford having a separate reporting ban for EcoBoost and GT.
The base 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder features a new twin-scroll turbocharger, a new modular power-cylinder architecture, and an added port-through fuel injection system to work alongside the existing direct-injection system. The result is 315 hp – 5 hp more than the previous standard EcoBoost but 15 hp less than the discontinued “High Performance” variant. It produces the same 350 pound-feet of torque as both.
Don’t let those numbers wash you away. The 4.6-liter V8 engine of the 2005 Mustang GT, the first classic, produces just 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to the wonders of modernity and turbocharging, you can now do better with a half-cylinder. This is purely a performance engine, one that gives the Mustang powerful acceleration and makes the tires smoke, especially when drifting. brake. A four-cylinder Mustang can still be a fast and fun Mustang.
Does it sound good? Oh damn no. There’s still cognitive dissonance over hot-hatch engine noise in the Mustang, but the available active-valve performance exhaust system does its best to eliminate that with deep, ubiquitous bass that ramps up when you select Sport or Track modes. Honestly, the car sounds better outside, which might be a reason to consider switching or using the new Remote Rev function that lets you rev the engine using the key fob. You want to be silly? The 2024 Mustang will make you silly.
The six-speed manual transmission can no longer be paired with the EcoBoost – the number of people choosing it is too scarce to justify. As a result, a 10-speed automatic transmission is required, but unfortunately, none of the transmission settings are smart enough to shift up and down when you’re driving it like a fast and fun Mustang (like when braking around a corner). Reaching for the gearshift paddles is often a sign that a performance car’s automatic transmission isn’t up to the task and that of a Mustang EcoBoost isn’t. Worse yet, paddle shifters aren’t standard – they’re included in the Performance package. We were missing them during our test drive up and down the Glendora Mountain Road, and that was frustrating. It’s not clear how the 10-speed automatic is mated to the V8-powered GT, as we can’t exactly test that combination.
Ford was also keen to point out the new Mustang’s customization potential, but the custom drive modes didn’t meet their requirements. For example, we couldn’t pair Track mode’s most powerful transmission setting with less aggressive, more road-friendly Sport elements. Worse yet, you can’t pair the softer MagneRide suspension setting (an option in addition to the Performance Pack) with the most aggressive throttle, transmission, steering and stability/traction settings – which is often done on the real road and sometimes the track. More suspension compliance is a boon when it comes to bends and bends in between.
According to Rachel Schermaier, Mustang integration engineer, engineers who tune the vehicle’s suspension and dynamics want a “choice of experience” for owners and clearly don’t allow for the level of mix and match settings that other cars offer. There’s very little you can do to change Sport and Track modes, which makes the six (!) custom presets pretty redundant. However, Schermaier pointed out that the Mustang is now capable of software updates over Ford’s Power-Up network, opening the door for a less-managed experience in the future.
More tolerable is the minimal difference in ride modes – all of which are characterized by enough tension in the middle, surprisingly light when cornering (which is fine) and perhaps a bit slow despite the new rack being a 3% faster rate. Ford is right to not play video games here and equate unnecessary weight with sportiness.
Driving up the Glendora Mountain Road in northeast Los Angeles, a Mustang EcoBoost Coupe with stock suspension managed to pull through tight, technical corners at brisk pace without feeling like a hippo out of the water. The composure has improved for 2024, and the fixed suspension’s handling is pleasing on the part of the company. For now, opting for the Performance Pack and its expensive MagneRide dampers are no longer necessary, but the ability to boost the suspension even more firmly is an upgrade (even if it’s sometimes stiffer than you’d like). If anything, it would be nice if magnetic dampers could offer a more comfortable cruise setting alongside sturdier max dampers. It will definitely be appreciated in the Mustang convertibles, which is not suitable for Performance Packs and MagneRide. The wobble and wobble (aka cow cap shake) is constant, and although we didn’t get a chance to test the convertible with the base suspension, it looks like it would be the better option.
While the exterior is an evolution of the previous model – and like the 1971, not necessarily better – the interior is a radical departure from the Mustang. For the first time in 30 years, the interior of the Mustang doesn’t feature a classic-inspired double-layer design. There are two giant screens, optionally connected by a piece of glass, that wrap towards the driver in a more cockpit-like design. That’s clearly a start, but I still see some Mustang DNA here, just not from where you’d expect: Mustang II (The crowd gasps.)
However, the gauge cluster may resemble the third-generation Mustang or the Fox Body as its true name suggests. The 12.4-inch dashboard display offers six designs: Attractive and functional casual, BMW-like gruesome “Sport,” giant Lincoln-like “Track” bar graph, Lincoln-like “Calm” and a “Fox Body” design that mimics BMW’s gauges. car model 1987-1993. Come to think of it, this couple seems to be in line with my previous observations about their comparable generational lineage. The Fox Body Gauge glows green at night just like the original and cannot be further customized. All other designs are up to your stylistic liking thanks to about 30 color Can be applied in two-tone combinations. Coupled with a separate choice of ambient light, things can get tricky.
As for the 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, it runs on the existing Sync 4 architecture, but features a completely new look and widescreen orientation. Ford has ditched most of the physical entertainment systems and climate controls because replacing them with touchscreen controls is “popular in research with traditional Millennial, Gen-Z, and Mustang drivers.” Sure. Fortunately, the climate controls and a host of menu icons remain mounted on the screen, even when using Apple CarPlay. As far as the all-screen interior, this seems to be one of the best. It really looks sleek, too.
A wireless charging pad is now available, and a USB port has been added behind the rearview mirror for surveillance cameras “and other devices”.
The rest of the cabin is done efficiently. The standard seats are flat, uncomfortably soft with no power recline; attractive Recaro options with even fewer power adjustments. The back seat is best suited for backpacks and small dogs. The trunk is surprisingly spacious. However, there seem to be more soft-touch points, especially on the center console, and interior color and material choices have been expanded for more customization. The Carmine Red leather interior of a test car looks exceptional.
Any new Mustang is bound to be a huge deal, that’s it, but in the end it works as it should. If you were expecting Ford’s iconic muscle coupe to turn into, oh, I don’t know, the perfect all-electric four-door SUV for the modern American taste, that ship has set sail and angered everyone who still wants their Mustangs to look, feel, and sound like this one. They won’t disappoint, and even the novel, high-tech interiors don’t lose their heritage. It may not be all new, but that’s not a bad thing either.
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