Ford Mustang 2018 Review: Greatly improved performance

First introduced in 1964, up to now, the Ford Mustang has gone through six generations with uninterrupted improvements over years, growing a respectable number of loyal customers around the world. As claimed by Ford, the Mustang was entitled the world’s best-selling sports car in the past two years with a total of more than 150,000 units sold globally in 2016 alone. And for 2017? Let’s wait and see!

Meet the 2018 Ford Mustang

In January 2018, the facelift version of the sixth-gen Ford Mustang made it global debut with a handful of refinements, including stronger engine, more advanced features and improved handling, not to mention a host of aesthetic as well as technology refreshments so as to bring Mustang owners with a variety of customization.

Ford Mustang has gone through six generations with uninterrupted improvements over years

Ford Mustang 2018 specs

Before getting a closer look at this iconic sports car through our Ford Mustang 2018 review on Philkotse.com, here is a brief spec sheet for the high-end GT model:

At first glance, you can immediately notice that the new Mustang 2018 now owns a more athletic appearance thanks to the redesigned hood and grille. In detail, the hood vents have a new lower position while the grille is also made lower and wider, creating a leaner and more aggressive look for the pony car. Worth mentioning is that for the first time, the new Mustang comes equipped with an all-LED front lighting system, including low- and high-beams, turn signals, signature lighting, and repositioned front fog lamps.

The 2018 model now owns a more athletic appearance

In comparison with the noticeable refreshments up front, the changes at the rear seem to be more subtle.

While the Ford Mustang 2018 GT variant gets quad-tip exhaust, the EcoBoost counterpart can be distinguished thanks to the twin-tip one. Both variants are revised with concave signature tri-bar LED taillights, higher rear spoiler, refined license plate recess, and a creased trunk panel painted in black.

The GT variant can be differantiate with the EcoBoost counterpart by quad-tip exhaust

Regarding the overall dimension, the new Mustang measures 4784mm long, 2080mm wide, 1381mm tall and a wheelbase of 2720 mm.

Ford Mustang 2018 GT vs. Ford Mustang 2010

As mentioned earlier, the US carmaker has decided to offer 2018 Mustang owners with more customization by adding a dozen of wheel choices which includes the new signature Orange Fury color. In terms of size, the Mustang still features a set of 19-inch alloy wheels.

Ford Mustang 2018 front fascia vs. Ford Mustang 2017 front fascia

>>> Related: FORD MUSTANG 2013 FOR SALE

The all new Mustang now offers its occupants with even more premium ambiance

General speaking, the Ford Mustang 2018 interior looks basically the same as its predecessor. However, there are still some interesting refinements coming from the upgraded interior materials, aluminum door handles, bezels, and rings and especially the nice hand-stitched center console with contrast stitching and new padded knee bolster. Other updates include restyled seats with new patterns and color choices plus newly-added Mustang badge on the instrument panel area.

The new pony car also gets restyled seats with new patterns and color choices

In terms of cargo capacity, the Mustang provides up to 383-litre of space to carry your luggage.

Along with a number of improvements for infotainment system (to be discussed below), the all new Mustang now offers its occupants with even more premium ambiance.

When it comes to infotainment system, there is a new 12-inch LCD screen in the dashboard which is customizable to fit one’s preferences. In particular, it can be set to offer three separate views, namely Normal, Sport, and Track. Mustang owners are also enabled to save their favorite drive settings, for instance, steering and suspension preferences by using the MyMode feature.

There is a new 12-inch LCD screen in the dashboard which is customizable to fit one’s preferences

Furthermore, the Mustang 2018 is loaded with the FordPass app and SYNC Connect 3 as standard. In detail, the FordPass app allows remote control via smart devices for certain functions of the car such as scheduling next service appointment, looking for a parking space in advance, checking if doors are left unlocked and more.

Speaking of safety features, this new version of Mustang is offered with a wide range of Ford driver-assist technology, including:

• Pre-Collision Assist with pedestrian detection
• Lane-keeping assist
• Lane-departure warning
• Distance alert
• Driver Alert System.

>>> For further reference: Camaro vs Mustang: A specsheet battle of two long-time rivals

The new output figures on both the EcoBoost and GT model are, above all, the most significant improvements of the updated pony car.

The Ford Mustang 2018 EcoBoost is now driven by a 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 314 PS and 475 Nm of torque, which is a considerable enhancement compared to the outgoing 434 Nm output.

Meanwhile, under the hood of the top-spec Mustang GT is a thoroughly reworked 5.0-liter V8 engine which is capable of dishing out 460 PS and 569 Nm of torque, eclipsing the already good performance of 435 PS with 542 Nm of torque in the previous model.

This significant increase in pulling power is made possible thanks to the car’s low-pressure port fuel injection and high-pressure direct injection technology. Another update for the top-spec model is an active valve exhaust system.

The new output figures are the most significant improvements of the updated pony car

In addition to a new compression ratio of 12:1 (previously 11:1), the Blue Oval also gives its iconic car new 10-speed automatic transmission and Drag Strip Mode. The new gearbox is expected to further enhance performance and responsiveness while the Drag Strip Mode helps obtain maximum acceleration for straight-line driving. According to the US automaker, the 10-speed gearbox can offer low-speed tip-in response, reduced shift times and substantially minimized friction losses.

In more detail, while EcoBoost-powered model is said to sprint from 0 – 97 km/h in less than 5 seconds, the V8-driven sports car is able to accelerate from 0 – 97 km/h in under 4 seconds.

“Typically, when you shift gears, you give up time. In Drag Strip mode, the engine torque doesn’t drop when you’re shifting. You get peak engine torque and horsepower straight through thanks to our new Ford-built 10-speed transmission,” said Mustang Chief Engineer Mr. Carl Widmann.

Ford Mustang 2018 GT Performance Pack Official Review and Dyno Results - Hot Lap

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For 2018, the handling and ride control of the Ford Mustang also get greatly improved due to new shock absorbers, new cross-axis joint in the suspension at the rear as well as new stabilizer bars, not to mention the optional MagneRide damper technology included in the Mustang Performance Package which is responsible of optimizing handling under different situations.

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Although the Ford Mustang 2018 release date was on January 18, 2017, not until the end of this year will it officially go on sale in the US with other markets including the Philippines to follow soon afterwards. Can't wait for this cool pony car to arrive in our shores! So stay tuned and don’t forget to visit our page at Philkotse.com for most updated car news.

While eagerly waiting for this updated iconic sports vehicle, let’s refer to the latest price list of Ford Mustang in our country:

>>> Browse our list of Ford Mustang for sale at affordable prices

>>> Or visit our list of Ford Mustang 2022 price Philippines

To sum up our Ford Mustang 2018 review, let’s take a look at our brief of what’s hot and what’s not about this 50-year-old sports car. Please note that this is not a specific pros & cons review for the latest model but the Ford Mustang in general.