Pretoria - Ford’s facelifted Mustang has taken its time getting to South Africa, but the perked up pony car has finally landed, flaunting sharper styling as well as stronger engines, new cabin tech and a halo flagship model called Bullitt.
As before it’s available in tin top Fastback as well as Convertible body formats and you can tell 2019 models apart by their more angular headlights and sharply sculpted front bumper, as well as their lower bonnets, restyled rear bumpers and 3D-effect taillights with sharper vertical ‘claws’. Depending on the model, Ford also offers new 19-inch wheels in multiple finishes.
As mentioned, Ford has added a ‘movie star’ to the range in the form of the limited edition Bullitt, which pays tribute to Steve McQueen’s legendary car chase in the 1968 movie Bullitt.
Apart from its own unique design touches inside and out (read more
) the Bullitt gets an uprated version of Ford’s normally aspirated 5-litre V8 engine, which is good for 338kW and 529Nm and can only be had with a good ol’ fashioned stick shift. But hurry, only 50 of these have been allocated to South Africa.
The normal Mustang GT models also get an upgraded engine for 2019, now featuring direct injection, and in this case the 5.0 V8 is tuned to 331kW (up from 309kW) while peak torque matches the Bullitt at 529Nm.
And don’t look for a stick here Steve, the GT models instead get a new 10-speed torque converter automatic gearbox as standard, and the same applies to the revised 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol models. While the 2.3 has the same 213kW power output as before, it does have 11Nm more twisting force, now rated at 441Nm.
Inside, the new Mustang gets a customisable digital instrument cluster, while infotainment is via Ford’s latest Sync3 system with satnav, ‘conversational’ voice command as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The system also includes a 10-speaker B&O premium audio system.
Also standard is dual-zone climate control, partial leather seats (with electric adjustment upfront), Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keeping Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control - the latter available on a Mustang for the first time.
Watch this space later next week for the full report and driving impressions.