Rear-wheel drive, V8 and manual transmission – three phrases that evoke emotion in every car enthusiast. The seventh generation of the Ford Mustang debuted in 2022 in its native North America, and a few months later, Ford announced that the model will also be sold in Europe. In addition to being sold in Europe, the car also retains its most desirable modification with a 5.0-liter gasoline eight and the previously mentioned rear-wheel drive and manual gears. In Bulgaria, for the moment, only this version is sold with a power of 446 horsepower for the GT model and 453 horsepower for the Dark Horse version that we tested.
Design
The new Mustang continues the design language of its successor, but with modernized forms. In the front, the grille retains its trapezoidal shape, but has grown in size. There are three openings below it, and around the grille we also find thin LED headlights with three individual modules in each of them, where the daytime running lights and turn signals are located in the upper part. In the Dark Horse version, we can distinguish the grille with additional openings that bring air directly to the air filters, as well as additional elements around the openings and at the bottom of the bumper for improved aerodynamics and vision. The front cover features an additional cooling vent as well as stickers in a contrasting dark grey.
The sideline is largely unchanged, retaining the familiar Mustang line. The wheels are 19 inches on each of the models, and on the Dark Horse they have a distinctive design. Now is the time to mention that a convertible version of the Mustang is also available, which can only be ordered in GT trim.
As for the rear, here we can also find a reference to the previous generation of the model with the three-section rear lights, and here they now have a “running“ blinker and animation when unlocking and locking the car. At the bottom of the bumper we also find the huge exhaust tips, four in number, which are completely real. The Dark Horse version also features a tailgate spoiler.
Interior
And while on the outside the Mustang remains almost identical to its predecessors, on the inside the modernization has covered almost every aspect. The interior is completely new with huge displays measuring 12.4 inches in front of the driver and 13.2 inches next to him, working with Ford's Sync 4 system. As with most manufacturers, here, most functions are controlled by these screens, including the climate system, which is not the most convenient, especially when driving. Below the air ducts are several quick buttons, such as the one for controlling Mustang functions such as the drift mode, lunch control and exhaust system, the button for turning off the stability system, emergency, the button for ignition and the one for controlling the multimedia.
On the steering wheel we find more buttons that, like those on the Raptor, control the driving modes or individual aspects, such as the stiffness of the steering wheel. There are also the usual buttons for changing the music, cruise control and changing the display readings.
Our test car was equipped with the optional Recaro sports seats, which we personally think look much better than the standard ones. They are dressed in blue leather and have mechanical adjustment and a heating function, at the expense of ventilation and electric adjustment on the standard model. When it comes to comfort, we can certainly say that the standard seats are more comfortable for longer drives, but on the sport model we have much better side bolsters to hold you in the sharper corners.
The space for the driver and passenger is sufficient, both in relation to the legs and in relation to the ceiling. The same can't be said for the rear seats, which while they're there, we wouldn't recommend you drive anyone. The headroom is insufficient for people over 1.75, and in the presence of someone taller in the front seats, the legroom in the rear is rather a mirage. The materials in the interior are at a good level, and the version we drove features blue accents on the dashboard, steering wheel and other elements in the interior.
We can't help but mention one of the most important aspects of the interior of the new Mustang, namely the handbrake. At first glance, it looks like a classic one that is becoming rarer and rarer, but the truth is that it is actually hydraulic and allows you to control the car's skidding in a turn, while a real handbrake is actually electric and operates automatically , when you switch off the vehicle or by pushing the lever down. In the Dark Horse version, we also find a special ball on the gear lever.
The trunk has a volume of about 380 liters, which is not at all small for this class, but on the other hand, the opening of the trunk is relatively small, which makes loading bulky items a problem.
Drive and technical characteristics
We've come to the most interesting part, namely what exactly is under the hood of the Mustang and how it feels on the road. As we have already revealed, the 5.0-liter eight is without any electrifications, mild hybrids and other such European fads, which certainly pleases us, and not only us. Here is the moment to quote my friend's words, which certainly made me feel proud to have put some gasoline in her blood as well, namely – “I can listen to this 8-bit all day and I won't get tired of it”. To be honest, I didn't get bored either, and every drive started with opening the exhaust valves. Coming back to the technical characteristics, the car is available with a six-speed manual transmission as well as a ten-speed automatic transmission. We can't tell you anything about it in the way of feeling, but we can tell you more about the one with three pedals. The gears are extremely shallow with a short throw of the gear lever, making shifting extremely easy, even in the more aggressive driving or track driving we were able to experience. One of the car's hidden trump cards is that it forces itself on downshifts, which, in addition to helping you keep the optimum revs in sporty driving, also allows you to hear the sound of the eight in calmer urban driving.< /p>
The suspension on the test version was adaptive or so-called by Ford – Magneride. In Standard mode, the dampers are relatively soft, or at least as soft as they can be for a car in this class, while in Sport or Track modes, the dampers firm up and let you feel every bump. Ford revealed to us that this type of suspension follows the road and when one of the tires hits a pothole, if you happen to find one on Bulgarian roads, the car stiffens the suspension to reduce the load on the tire. In corners, the car feels stable in terms of suspension, but we can't say the same about the transmission of torque from the rear wheels to the road.
With its 543 horsepower and 540 newton meters, the rear “ran“ with every sharper or even less sharp throttle input, regardless of the driving mode you are in or whether the stability systems are on or off. The only solution we found to this “problem” was the slippery road mode, which makes the car much more sluggish on throttle, but when you get to higher revs, it can definitely surprise you again.
When driving normally in the city, there are a few things you have to take into account. Firstly, that the car is almost 2 meters wide and passing on some of the narrower streets can be a problem, and secondly, that the long front end and low ground clearance can be a problem on bumps or entering underground garages. The lack of a front-facing camera can also be a problem in some situations.
The car also has all modern safety systems, such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping system and others, and we can note another minus, namely that the system that monitors whether you keep your hands on the steering wheel works quite well badly and can often screech even with your hands on the steering wheel.
In relaxed driving, the car has enough torque to shift gears at relatively low revs, and you can comfortably drive in a higher gear, even at low speed. This also has a positive effect on fuel consumption, as we were able to achieve values of around 11 liters per 100 kilometers during a leisurely long-distance drive.
At the same time, we had the opportunity to drive the car on a track, where this cost can even triple, but it is unlikely that future owners of this type of car will be particularly interested in this fact.
While driving on a track, we also felt the full potential of the car by participating in two disciplines – drag and specially made track for technical driving. Here I can proudly state that I was able to take first place on the technical driving course and finish second in the drag race after losing in the final.
Although the improvised track did not allow the development of serious speed, we were still able to test the Mustang in this light. The car feels well balanced in terms of weight, which is around 1,800 kilograms. The nature of the naturally aspirated eight and revving it up at higher revs, past 4k in this case, is something that is lacking in a lot of cars today and allowed us to get through the course without many gear changes potentially slowing us down. On the dredger, we also used the built-in lunch control, or function that allows you to set the perfect revs for starting from a standstill. Here again the short travel of the gears helped. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes around 5.2 seconds if you manage to find the perfect grip, and top speed is just over 260 km/h. The brakes are Brembo six-piston calipers up front, and they also have a special feature that locks the front wheels if you decide to spin only the rear tires and do a burnout.
Conclusion
The new Mustang has built on its predecessor in terms of the technology and features it offers, while still retaining the classic recipe for fun. The car can be a good everyday car if you don't mind the fuel consumption, but we'd rather describe it as a good weekend car. Of course, all this comes at the corresponding price, which in our country starts at a little BGN 118,900 for the GT coupe with a mechanical transmission and reaches BGN 154,100 for the Dark Horse version with an automatic transmission.
