New Ford Mustang to debut this year

Ford will begin the official reveal campaign for its all-new Mustang in Dearborn next week, before the company’s flagship sports coupe makes its global debut in December – a month ahead of its public premiere at the Detroit motor show in January and its Australian release in 2015.

However, only a small number of media outlets – excluding motoring.com.au, the editorial channel of Australia’s largest online automotive network -- have been invited to next week’s sneak-peek and all of them have signed confidentiality agreements not disclose details until the embargo lifts.

Given that’s more than a month away and information about important new models has a history of leaking out early, rest assured we’ll bring you the first details and images of the sixth-generation Mustang as soon as it breaks.

Reuters has reported the new Mustang – Ford’s first completely overhauled pony car since 2005 -- will make its formal debut in December, several months before the model celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The original Mustang was introduced at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964, and the final production version is expected to appear at next year’s New York motor show on March 27 – three weeks after its 50th birthday.

Ford has confirmed the new Mustang, codenamed S550, will be a global model built in left- and right-hand drive for markets including North America, Europe, Japan and Australia, where sales will commence within two years.

The original Mustang featured on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines and found more than half a million customers in 1965, its first full year on sale. More than 8.5 million Mustangs have been sold since then, but the outgoing Mustang’s retro design has attracted fewer buyers than its predecessor, with just 82,995 customers last year and sales falling a further 11.5 per cent to September this year.

Based on a new rear-wheel drive platform incorporating independent rear suspension for the first time, the 2015 Mustang is expected to ride on the same wheelbase but offer redesigned suspension, steering and brakes, bringing significant weight reductions. The latter will be aided by new engines, including V6 and V8 power and, for the first time, a turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder from the Focus ST. In 2.3-litre form, the latter is expected to produce about 260kW and could be priced from under $50,000 if it is sold here.

However, at this stage it’s not clear if the circa-335kW 5.0-litre V8 version – or the rumoured near-500kW supercharged 5.8-litre Shelby GT500 range-topper – will be sold outside the US.

Manual and automatic transmissions will be available, perhaps including a new eight-speed self-shifter being co-developed by Ford and General Motors.

Renderings of the next Mustang (including this one from Chazcron, published by MustangsDaily.com) have already begun appearing, suggesting a modern take on a time-honoured muscle-car that could include design cues from Ford’s striking EVOS concept of 2011.

Ford Australia last sold the Mustang a decade ago, after converting a small number of V8-powered models into right-hand drive between 2001 and 2003.

The Mustang is Ford of America’s direct rival for Chevrolet’s Camaro, which was engineered in Australia and based on the same platform as the Holden Commodore, but there are no plans to introduce the Chevy coupe here.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...

Don't forget to register to comment on this article.