Ford Mustang Ecoboost 2016 Review

The Ford Mustang is so close you can almost taste it... And although I resisted the urge to lick the car, a short drive around Ford's test track at its immense Lara proving ground left me wanting more. Its handsome design is backed up by involving drive dynamics and it just 'feels' good to sit in. Except for a few quibbles in the cabin, this sub $50K entrée sampling of a right-hand drive Mustang tastes real good!

When the Ford Mustang originally launch in 1964, it was dubbed a 'pony' car and became a sales (and cultural) sensation by offering accessible, affordable performance wrapped in a muscular but attractive design.

But is the pony car ethos retained in today's sixth-generation Mustang? After driving the entry-level Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fastback auto, priced at $48,490 and finished in 'Triple Yellow', I reckon it does.

After popping the long driver's door and slipping easily into the leather sports seat, I feel instantly comfortable but supported. The low-slung car means you sit close to the road, adding a sense of drama to proceedings. And with the seat's lateral bolsters gripping my torso securely and a long bonnet in front of me, it feels good.

The instrument panel keeps to the Mustang's roots (read: it ain't flashy) with deep-set dials and the words 'ground speed' above the speedometer. The SYNC infotainment system is excellent and the large 8.0-inch touch-screen is big and easy to read.

Oh, and all models come standard with plenty of comfort toys, from dual-zone automatic climate-control to remote keyless entry and even heated and cooled seats! Show offs are going to love this car.

Fit and finish appears generally good throughout the cabin although the quality of the plastics covering the transmission tunnel and glovebox are best described as robust – and worst described as cheap.

A quartet of silver toggle switches controlling car functions look great but feel flimsy and it will be interesting to see if they stand the test of time. Manipulating the air vents doesn't result in tactile bliss either.

Thumbing the starter button, the 'Stang comes alive with little fanfare so naturally I expect to be underwhelmed by the 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder hiding under the bonnet.

It might be sacrilege to tradition Mustang owners, but the four-banger's 233kW and 432Nm outputs provide ample grunt and decent throttle response in this big coupe.

If the 306kW V8-powered Mustang GT, which almost nine out of 10 Aussie buyers have opted for thus far, is a heavyweight boxer then the EcoBoost turbo four-pot is a middleweight champ and still likes a bit of biffo.

Ford reckons it'll go from 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds, which is a second slower than the V8, but my gut tells me it's more of a mid-six car. We'll test it independently soon after its official launch here in January 2016, so stay tuned.

Perhaps its best attribute is the sound – it's surprisingly sonorous with a touch of lumpiness... but is it real?

One of Ford's technical staff insisted the gravelly engine sound is not electronically generated, despite several reports from the US that suggest it is. Our source maintained the Mustang uses a pipe that channels powertrain noise "passively" from the engine bay into the cabin. My take? It sounds synthesised.

It was difficult to appraise the six-speed automatic in this short test, but the fact it didn't offend or even attract attention could be seen as a good thing.

All Mustang models sold in Australia are fitted standard with the Performance Pack, which adds 19-inch alloy wheels and more firmly-tuned suspension via 'heavy duty' front springs and a K brace.

Fastback models also get a beefier rear sway bar, and this clearly does its job because the car sits flat through corners - real flat - and the rear-drive coupe begs to be pushed hard.

Fitted with 255/40 R19 tyres, there's plenty of grip and tipping the Mustang into corners is an exercise in satisfaction, thanks to well-sorted electric power steering that provides a genuine connection between car and driver.

Indeed, there's an eagerness about this beast that's endearing; it feels alive and enthusiastic.

"Don't go over 80km/h," cautioned the Ford staffers, "and no hooning". Killjoys...

As I touch 120km/h punching out of a long sweeping bend at the proving ground (I was watching the road not the speedo – honest, Ford), I'm getting excited about this car's potential and imagining it at full tilt on a larger (unrestricted) racetrack. And perhaps with more boost...

That this aluminium engine is shared with the more powerful 257kW Ford Focus RS suggests the hot powerplant's twin independent variable camshaft timing and twin-scroll turbo would happily agree to a bit of tinkering.

I can't talk about the brakes (352mm front, 330mm rear) because I didn't drill them particularly hard and ride comfort is difficult to gauge on a smooth private road. But if this short test tells me anything, it's that right-hand drive Australian Mustangs are well sorted and shaping up to be more fun than an adults-only session at Wet'n'Wild.

It mightn't surprise you to hear the back seats are a joke with nary enough room for a bag or two, let alone a full-size human, but when you're sitting in the driver's seat you probably won't care.

Those who have pre-ordered their Mustang have plenty to be excited about. The rest of you will have to wait until 2017, but the wait will be worth it. Either way, I reckon the novelty will last for years to come.

But if you can't wait that long and your Ford dealer says you can have a four-cylinder turbo Mustang in three months, you'd be mad not to consider the deal.

If the entry-level Mustang is this good, we're beside ourselves in anticipation of a supercharged 500kW Mustang with a six-speed manual.

2016 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fastback pricing and specifications:
Price: $48,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 233kW/432Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 225g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (NHTSA)

Also consider:
>> Chevrolet Camaro
>> Dodge Challenger
>> BMW M235i (from $77,500 plus ORCs)