Australian buyers have always loved a big, burbling V8 engine – and nowhere is that more evident than in the Ford Mustang.
Close to 90 per cent of buyers opt for a 5.0-litre V8 in their Mustang locally, ignoring the more affordable and efficient EcoBoost four-cylinder option. In the USA, it’s a different story.
Speaking about the sales split between the V8 and the 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine, global Ford Mustang brand experience manager Joseph Bellino told Australian media it’s “at about a fifty-fifty mix right now” in the USA.
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Mustang EcoBoost
“There’s a demand for that turbocharged four-cylinder – I don’t want to call it entry level, because it’s not – but that cheaper power that you can get,” Mr Bellino said.
“10 years ago our V8s were making 300 horsepower. Now with half the cylinders and better fuel economy we’re making 315hp here in the States, people recognise that.”
It’s worth considering the market for muscle cars like the Mustang in the USA compared with Australia.
For many generations, the Mustang in North America was offered with a naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine at the bottom end of the range, before moving to the sexier V8 options higher up.
With a sharp starting price and a more stripped-back equipment list, the six was long popular with buyers who want the Mustang look and mystique… without the purchase, fuel, and insurance bills that come with a V8.
The V6 was discontinued in the US a few years into the previous S550 generation, leaving the EcoBoost as the base engine. That continues with the new S650 generation.
As for the manual? Locally, there’s strong demand for a Mustang with three pedals.
Around 50 per cent of Mustang Dark Horse buyers have stumped for the six-speed manual – an upgraded Tremec, not the Getrag for the regular GT – in Australia, and around 30 per cent of Mustang GT buyers have gone old-school and ticked the box for a manual.
The base EcoBoost and the Mustang GT convertible aren’t offered with a stick shift locally.
For all the enthusiasts who haven’t yet snapped one up, there’s good news. Ford will keep making a manual Mustang as long as there’s demand.
“We’re constantly looking at what our customers want, and making sure we do everything we can to deliver what they want,” said Laurie Transou, chief program engineer on the Ford Mustang.
“I would say what our customers want right now is a manual transmission. The pure enthusiasts love the manual transmission, and so we’ll continue to offer it as long as our customers are desiring manual transmissions and there’s a market for it.”
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