New Ford Mustang production to start in March 2023

A new report out of the US has seemingly confirmed the next-generation ‘S650’ Ford Mustang will enter production in March 2023 – news that dovetails nicely with our previous coverage of local Mustang supply forecasts.

The ‘confirmation’ was made by the Autoline Network YouTube channel, which cited AutoForecast Solutions – a US-based automotive database – and echoed previous speculation surrounding electrification, specifically hybridisation.

According to several reports by Ford Authority, all-wheel drive is anticipated to feature somewhere within the next-gen Mustang range, while the first electrified variant could launch as soon as 2025.

In contrast, other reports suggest that hybrid tech will be applied to both the turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine and the booming 5.0-litre Coyote V8, and that the new Mustang’s underpinnings will be an evolution of the current S550 rather than an all-new architecture.

If these timeline predictions prove true, the Blue Oval’s all-new pony car could be on Aussie soil by the end of next year – broadly in line with what local dealers told carsales back in November as Mustang wait times blew out beyond six months and possibly into the next generation.

More weight is added that argument when examining the local 2021 and 2022 Ford Mustang line-ups and some of the other prospective variants that could find their way Down Under.

Last year the Blue Oval launched the limited-run Ford Mustang Mach 1 before then replacing it in the 2022 model year with the cosmetically-enhanced GT California Special; a variant fast-tracked from the US within two months of its Stateside reveal.

The track-only ‘Line Lock’ burnout function has also been added to the MY22 range as standard.

Combine the arrival of the new flagship and inclusion of the Line Lock function and it becomes clear Ford is trying to maintain interest in the aging S550 Mustang, which arrived in Australia in 2015, not only to drive sales and revenue but also to help exhaust the remaining production run.

Releasing special-edition, limited-run and up-specced variants late in a model’s lifecycle is hardly a new practise within the industry, where some of the more recent examples include the 2021 Subaru WRX STI EJ25 Final Edition, 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition and 2021 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara Horizon.

As we’ve previously reported, expect a few other jazzed up Mustangs to emerge before the end of the year, including the Stealth Edition Appearance Package for the 2.3-litre High Performance variants.