The brand new Ford Mustang is only a week away, however the long-rumoured hybrid and all-wheel drive variations are reportedly on the slicing room ground.
Three sources have advised Automotive Information the hybrid variant has been scrapped. It’s believed the all-wheel drive Mustang has additionally been cancelled.
An earlier Automotive Information report acknowledged the hybrid was due for launch in 2025, however an alleged engineer’s profile on LinkedIn indicated the Mustang was set to debut with each a four- and eight-cylinder hybrid variants.
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Present Mustang
Codenamed S650, the seventh-generation Mustang shall be unveiled on September 14, Detroit time, on the firm’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.
The brand new automotive shall be a 2024 mannequin, indicating that though it will likely be on present at subsequent week’s Detroit motor present — the primary for the reason that COVID pandemic began — the Mustang received’t hit US showrooms till a while in 2023.
Ford has teased the brand new Mustang a number of instances, together with a camouflaged take a look at its exterior and, most not too long ago, the unmistakable rumble from its V8 engine.
The seventh-generation mannequin will substitute immediately’s S550 mannequin, and can follow its tried-and-true system of rear-wheel drive, two-door our bodies, expressive styling, and loads of retro-styling cues.
The seventh-generation Mustang is broadly anticipated to function a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and a V8. If latest historical past is something to go by, there shall be numerous V8 variants all through the automotive’s lifespan.
The automotive publication believes the brand new Mustang ought to keep in manufacturing for not less than eight years, with the follow-up mannequin switching to a devoted EV structure.
Over the previous 12 months Ford has been quickly reorganising itself to be extra EV-centric. In March the automaker created three divisions: Mannequin e specialising in EVs, Ford Professional for industrial and authorities automobiles, and Ford Blue focussed on present petrol and diesel mannequin traces, akin to Mustang, F-150, Bronco and Ranger.
Whereas electrical automobiles presently solely account round 4 per cent of Ford’s gross sales globally to date this 12 months, the corporate anticipates a fast uptick.
The adoption of EVs shall be partially pushed by buyer demand, in addition to laws, such because the EU’s proposed ban on new automobiles with inner combustion engines (ICE) from 2035, and California’s ban on new pure ICE automobiles from 2035.
For these , the Mustang Mach-E has grown its US gross sales by 49 per cent this 12 months to 25,765, whereas the Mustang is down nearly 22 per cent to 29,910.
The rise for the previous could also be because of bettering provide, whereas the lower for the ICE Mustang could also be associated to the truth that the present automotive is nearing the tip of its life.
