Detailed: 2018 Ford Mustang confirmed for mid-year launch

Kevin J Lee February 12, 2018 New Car Price, News 4,732 Views

Ford Australia has confirmed the facelifted and more powerful 2018 Mustang will arrive in Australia mid-year, bringing refreshed styling and promising great on-road performance and more features.

“The updated model offers customers a raft of new features for greater capability of Australia’s best-selling sports car, which has shown how much Mustang resonates with the Australian lifestyle,” said Graeme Whickman, Ford Australia President and CEO.

For 2018, Ford has given the Mustang a more athletic stance and aggressive detailing for a “menacing” and confident look without diluting the classic visual drama the Mustang is famous for.

It has a lower, remodelled bonnet and grille and a new position for the bonnet air intakes that deliver a leaner look and more refine aerodynamics. The updated model will also gain all-LED headlights, including the signature tri-bar lighting, for the first time in Australia.

The rear of the car gets revised LED taillamps for a more technical look, plus a new bumper, fascia and available performance spoiler. The V8-powered Mustang GT boasts a quad-tip exhaust as standard, along with a black rear diffuser.

Mustang EcoBoost now features a fresh alloy wheel design, while for a different look, the 19-inch Lustre Nickel alloy is available as a factory option. The GT carries over the mesh design from the current model, while also offering an optional five-spoked 19-inch forged alloy.

There are also new exterior colours, including all-new signature Orange Fury as well as Kona Blue and Royal Crimson, along with Over the Top (OTT) stripe packages.

The 2018 Mustang offers more factory options than ever before, including a new single-wing rear spoiler which is also part of the US-market Mustang Performance Pack.

Increased personalisation extends to the 2018 Mustang’s new cockpit, which now features improved touch points and visual cues for a more premium look and feel. The centre console adds a new hand-stitched wrap with contrast stitching and padded knee bolsters while door handles, rings and bezels are finished in aluminum.

Restyled seating surfaces feature new patterns, while there’s also six-way leather-upholstered Recaro sports seating as a factory-fitted option. All Mustangs feature an instrument panel with an updated Mustang badge, while there’s a new key fob design.

New technologies for Mustang include a customisable 12-inch all-digital instrument cluster inspired by the Le Mans-winning Ford GT racecar that offers three separate views.

Mustang owners can customise the displays for Normal, Sport and Track modes and choose settings including colour and gauge layout.

In conjunction with the new display, all-new Mustang MyMode with memory function allows customers to save their favorite drive settings, including suspension and steering preferences, for next time they get behind the wheel.

The new Mustang is so customisable that even its engine note can be adjusted. Delivering an audible experience like never before, an all-new active valve exhaust system is standard on all GT models, with a fully variable soundtrack to match the entire acceleration range. Four modes are available: Normal, Quiet, Track and Sport, tailoring the exhaust note for every occasion.

The all-new electronic control system includes unique tunes for different drive modes and features real-time adaptive shift scheduling to ensure the right gear at the right time. Steering wheel-mounted shift paddles allow drivers maximum manual control, while Track Apps record the action behind the wheel.

On all models, new shock absorbers is said to make for better ride control, while a new cross-axis joint in the rear suspension leads to increased lateral stiffness, and innovative stabiliser bars bring sharper response and handling.

For the first time, MagneRide damper is offered as an option for the Mustang. Previously exclusive to the Mustang Shelby GT350, the MagneRide damping system allows automatic adjustment of each corner – up to 1,000 times per second.

The 2018 Mustang also benefits from a vast array of Ford Driver-Assist Technology (DAT) such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane-Departure Warning and Lane-Keeping Assist. Mustang also benefits from Auto-levelling headlights, as well as automatic high beam.

Ford SYNC 3 is standard on 2018 Mustang, which includes Emergency Assist. Emergency Assist automatically calls emergency services for faster response times in the event of a road traffic collision. SYNC 3 also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as an 8.0-inch full-colour reversing camera display.

The 2018 5.0-litre V8 Mustang GT has 33kW more power than its predecessor, delivering a peak of 339kW and 556Nm of torque, a jump of 26Nm, while the EcoBoost delivers 224kW and 441Nm of torque. The pair of engine is paired with a new 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission.

Meanwhile, the manual transmission has also been upgraded for optimal torque. For the V8, the manual transmission has been totally redesigned to include a twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel to increase torque capability and deliver more efficient clutch modulation.

2018 Ford Mustang Line-up (Excluding on-road costs)

Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fastback (manual) $49,990

Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fastback (automatic) $52,990

Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible (automatic) $59,490

Ford Mustang GT Fastback (manual) $62,990

Ford Mustang GT Fastback (automatic) $66,259 incl LCT

Ford Mustang GT Convertible (automatic) $74,709 incl LCT

2018 Ford Mustang – Key Factory Options

OTT Stripes – black $650

OTT Stripes (Fastback only) – white $650

Single-wing rear spoiler (Fastback only) $750

Recaro leather seats (Fastback only) $3,000