Finally, Ford’s Mustang’s in SA

VERY time we redo the Mustang, we have the eyes of the world on us,” says Ford’s product development vice president, Raj Nair. And he’s right. Sort of. This car’s been made nonstop since 1964, and every time it’s completely ‘redone’ it goes under intense scrutiny from hoards of Mustang fundis from around the world. But his statement might be more appropriate if he had said “eyes of the lefthand-drive world” because until now it’s been unavailable in right-hand-drive markets like ours.

The sixth-generation Mustang you see here, is the first ever which comes from the factory with a steering wheel on the other side. Our side. And to be completely honest, most South Africans couldn’t care less how much better it handles than the previous versions; or how much softer to the touch its interior is; or if it adheres to five decade-long design hallmarks. At least not as much as we do with other automotive icons like Porsche’s 911, BMW’s 3 Series, and Toyota’s Hilux which have been sold here all along.

All we care about is that the car we know so well from famous movie chase scenes, is finally, officially, for sale on local soil. Like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Burger King, and iStores, it’s something we’ve until recently only fantasised about, and now that it’s arrived we’re going to queue up to see/sample/have it.

Was it worth the wait? That’s a really tough question. If we strip away all the idyllic history and romance, and look at the Mustang for what it is – a two-door, four-seat, sportscar – it’s got some serious competition from other cars of the same genre. In truth it’s nowhere near as refined as an Audi A5 or BMW 4 Series, and clients moving out of those cars might be disappointed in the Mustang’s relatively plasticky interior.

The cubbyhole door on one of the launch vehicles I drove in Cape Town last week came out of its hinges, and some parts of the dashboard are flimsier than what I’d expect from a car in this class. A set of aluminium toggle switches in the fascia does make up for some perceived quality shortcomings, and so does a full-colour 8” touchscreen (identical to what’s in the latest Ranger) above it. Here you can pair smartphones and even voice-control some features, but satnav is notably absent.

The thing is, it’s impossible to not be at least a little charmed by this prancing pony badge, and rose tinted glasses will come as standard issue for those familiar with Eleanor, Steve McQueen and a dude named Carroll. And, if we had had the previous version, we’d know that this new Mustang is indeed a massive improvement.

From the outset the sixth Mustang was designed to handle, and for the first time in history it comes with a fairly complex independent rear-suspension system. I drove it on a variety of roads around Cape Town and for the most part it seems up to the task. At normal cruising speeds it soaks up ripples comfortably, like a true GT car should. It’s a relatively big vehicle, and it feels that way from behind the wheel but it’s still happy bombing into corners and flicking left and right with pace. Only extreme pressure in bumpy bends will expose choppiness and the fact that it’s not quite as sharp as its German rivals.

In its home American market there’s an entry-level V6 option, but here we’ll get the Mustang’s upper two engine flavours – a 2.3-litre turbo (Ecoboost) and a full-fat 5-litre V8. Both come with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, as well as Fastback (coupé) and convertible body styles.

The 5.0 GT, as it’s badged, is endowed with a healthy 306kW and 530Nm, though it’s a little more easy going in nature than it looks on paper. A deep American V8 burble fills the cabin, but it seems to enjoy the lower end of its rev counter, dishing up heaps of low rpm torque. I drove the automatic version, and while it can be woken with typical old-school kickdowns for short bursts, it inevitably reverts back to lazy mode regularly.

The V8 comes with a drag racing-derived ‘line lock’ function, which locks the front wheels to make tyre warming burnouts easier. I tried it, and it works great… but then it doesn’t really struggle to smoke rear rubber without it either. Manual versions also get a launch control feature, and Ford claims 0-100km/h takes only 4.8 seconds. We’ll test that figure when we do a proper road test next year.

The turbo four-cylinder is a revelation. There’s less power to play with (233kW and 430Nm) but there’s still plenty of giddy-up and go – 0-100km/h happens in 5.8 seconds in this guise. The 2.3 package feels lighter and nimbler, and I’d name it the better handler of the two. Just be prepared to explain your way out of its lack of exhaust noise when fellow road users inevitably ask you to rev the engine for them.

The brakes in both derivatives are sharp, but in the 2.3 they’re too sharp. In stop and start traffic, where I spent a good portion of the launch route, they work like an on-off switch