The seventh-generation 2024 Ford Mustang places a renewed emphasis on interior quality and a complete overhaul of the infotainment suite.
The 2024 Ford Mustang uses evolved sheet metal and boasts a suite of advanced technology and features aimed squarely at enthusiasts. But some things, well (hopefully), some things never change. There’s still an available 5.0-liter V8, a six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and all the attitude that has made the Mustang iconic.
The base 2.3-liter turbocharged engine and the aforementioned 5.0-liter remain as part of what, on the surface, appears to be a holdover powertrain lineup. But there’s more going on under the hood than meets the eye, despite Ford refusing to release power, torque or fuel economy for either engine. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost is “all new” according to Ford, while the 5.0-liter represents the fourth generation of the popular Coyote V8, now featuring dual airboxes and dual throttle bodies.
Transmission-wise, the 2024 Mustang four-cylinder is now an automatic, only after only 10 percent of customers raised their hands for the EcoBoost/six-speed combo in the later years of the sixth-generation Mustang. But while the 10-speed transmission is now standard there, the manual will remain the base gearbox in the V8-powered Mustang (accounting for more than 40 percent of GT sales). And as previously reported, both gearboxes send power to the rear axle only.
Along with the revised powertrains is some new enthusiast-focused technology. One of the most fun will likely be remote engine revving, which allows customers to start their car and rev the engine via a key fob. The new electronic drift brake is just a bit more practical. Developed with noted Mustang fan and drift master Vaughn Gittin, Jr., it looks like a traditional mechanical handbrake, but according to Ford it can make novice drifters look like a pro. There aren’t many details on how it works, but we hope to give it a try.
Mechanical changes aside, there’s no shortage of upgrades elsewhere. We’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to judge the exterior. But there’s a renewed emphasis on customization. Ford will offer 12 different wheel designs, multiple caliper colors for the Brembo Performance Pack brakes, and the typical rugged selection of Mustang exterior paints. A bronze design series is a refreshing change from the usual black accent packages, coloring the badging and wheels in the rich hue.
The cabin adopts finer textures and finishes on the leather and plastic, with a broader focus on material quality across the board. A choice of seat upholstery, the choice of colored or asymmetrically striped seatbelts and available accent stitching add a welcome dose of style. But the interior design sees even more substantial changes, with a flat-bottom steering wheel and slab-style screen taking center stage on most models.
A 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster above the steering column is connected to a 13.2-inch touchscreen that’s angled toward the driver. The software is a combination of Ford’s cute and fast Sync 4 system, but runs the Unreal Engine. Like the GMC Hummer EV, Unreal gives the Mustang stunning infotainment graphics with great animation thanks to an impressive frame rate. Within the Sync screen, there are new and more varied options for the MyColor system, and drivers can also move auxiliary gauges there instead of keeping them in the instrument cluster.
The 2024 Ford Mustang will hit dealerships in the summer of 2023, while we’ll get our first shot in late spring of next year. Before then, expect plenty of updates on the seventh-generation Mustang, including technical specs and full pricing details.
