The new, seventh-generation Ford Mustang has been unveiled in South Africa. Here’s what you can expect from the local model line-up.
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The year 2024 marks a significant milestone for the Ford Mustang – the Blue Oval muscle car donning this iconic moniker has graced the road for six decades! Noteworthy, too, is that, over six generations, the Mustang has been the world’s best-selling sportscar; a feat that, especially with the introduction of the much-anticipated seventh generation, arguably won’t soon be beaten. The ‘Mustang’ badge is renowned both globally and locally.
The new Mustang has officially been unveiled in South Africa, with the first of the two-strong line-up coming in the shape of the GT Fastback (the Dark Horse derivative is scheduled to make landfall in South Africa in the fourth quarter of 2024).
Related: A Look Back on 60 Years of the Ford Mustang
How much will the new Ford Mustang cost in South Africa?
Official pricing for the new Ford Mustang has yet to be confirmed. However, we expect the GT Fastback variant to be priced in the region of R1.3m and the Dark Horse in the region of R1.5m.
“The new Mustang not only delivers upon the lofty expectations that our customers had for the vehicle, but surpasses them… It adds another exciting chapter to this legendary nameplate, delivering the looks, sound and appeal of the world’s best-selling sports coupé with its even bolder styling, advanced interior, enhanced performance and engaging driving experience,” says Doreen Mashinini, general manager for marketing at Ford SA.
Both the (SA-spec) GT and Dark Horse employ Ford’s 5l, naturally aspirated V8. Locally, the ‘Coyote’ unit beating below the bonnets of these models is exclusively coupled with the Blue Oval brand’s 10-speed automatic transmission, with drive sent to the rear wheels.
The atmospheric unit has been tuned to produce 362kW (up 32kW) in the new GT and, for those wanting an additional boost in power, 372kW in the Dark Horse, which we sampled on the international launch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the home of NASCAR, in the USA. Both models produce peak torque outputs of 567N.m (up 38N.m).
Related: Driven: Ford Mustang V8 Dark Horse
A neat addition to the package, with the new Mustang, Ford has introduced a ‘Remote Rev’ functionality, which allows you to rev the car’s engine remotely via the key fob. The soundtrack is provided by a performance exhaust system, replete with active valves.
As standard, the GT ships with Ford’s Performance Pack, which, on top of the exhaust setup, adds a number of track-focused features to the package, including a Torsen limited-slip differential, Magneride active suspension, and wider rear wheels, which measure 19 inches, and tyres, and 355mm rear Brembo brakes. An electronic drift brake is also present.
Stepping inside, the driver-centric cockpit features a 12.4-inch digital instrument binnacle, sited fore a flat-bottom, leather-wrapped multifunction tiller, and 13.2-inch SYNC 4 infotainment system. Angled towards the driver, the latter, touch-enabled item incorporates (wireless) Apple CarPlay/Android Auto screen mirroring, which relays tunes via a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, replete with a subwoofer.
Related: Used Case Study: Ford Mustang for Under R800 000
Wireless smartphone charging is also included in the package, while overhead USB ports (for track cameras and other devices) are also present. There are also dual-zone climate control, and heated and ventilated front pews, which, in the GT, are upholstered in leather and, in the Dark Horse, vinyl and suede.
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