By Paul Gover.
The Ford Mustang is more than a car.
It’s a reminder about all the goodness from the 1960s in America, about the old-school appeal of a V8 engine, and about cars which will eventually drive into the history books as electrification takes over.
In many ways, the Mustang is also a reminder of the Ford Falcon that was one of the pillars of Australian motoring for many decades. It’s not particularly adventurous in its engineering, but it gets the job done without any fuss or bother.
In 2019 that has also included dominating on Australia’s touring car racetracks, not that the old ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ mantra still works in any way.
But the Mustang works because it is a car that looks different, drives well, and is a winner on the smiles-per-mile – or should that be kilometre? – scale.
It’s the first Mustang with right-hand drive from the factory in Detroit and there was a time when there was a two-year waiting list for the car.
The wait is over but the ’stang has still had an update for 2019 that brought a much better digital dashboard, including a big speedometer read-out, new seats and improved cabin quality, a touch more suspension refinement and some other small improvements.
Still, the basics are the same and the top seller is the V8 coupe with a 10-speed automatic gearbox. There is also a four-cylinder EcoBoost turbo engine, but it’s largely ignored, although the convertible sells well at the right times of the year.
Driving the Mustang is a solid reminder of the Falcon, but with all the improvements that could have given the Aussie Ford a longer life. It’s much more refined, it’s pretty quiet, it stops well and has good grip in corners.
The driving position is good, although the cupholders are only really good for holding your smartphone, and infotainment system is very good, and the car turns a lot of heads.
It can be tough to get in and out of the back seat, but the Mustang has only ever been a 2+2, and there is compensation in a roomy boot.
Fuel economy is good considering the engine, and the auto makes a real contribution on that front, and the early two-star ANCAP safety score that worried some people is now a three-star rating.
But all the technical stuff fades away when you slide into the Mustang, push the start button, and hear the unique throb of the V8 engine. For some people, that’s all it takes and all it needs
THE BASICS
Ford Mustang
Price: from $62,990
Power: 339kW/556Nm
Position: two-door coupe
Plus: styling, V8 engine, solid and sensible
Minus: quality below European standards
THE TICK: Yes
