A four-pot engine may not sound right in a Ford Mustang, but it’s here for a reason.
What’s new?
After sampling Ford’s updated Mustang in V8 GT form earlier this month, it’s now time to get behind the wheel of the EcoBoost version featuring a 300hp 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine.
Like in the V8 GT, the EcoBoost gets a 10-speed automatic transmission shared with the Ranger pickup and Everest SUV, as well.
Due to its lesser performance and image, the Ecoboost omits the rear spoiler, sporty exhaust and mix-sized tyres of the V8 GT. But what it gets in return is autonomous braking at low speeds and pedestrian detection.
There’s a 1.2 million baht price difference separating the two Mustangs from each other with bigger bro asking for 4.799 million baht. Can the EcoBoost be the one at 3.599 million baht?
What’s cool?
While the two Mustangs are almost the same in appearance, a couple of people liked the EcoBoost’s more restrained appearance because the car’s shape can be truly relished.
Jump inside the EcoBoost and you won’t feel shortchanged for that 1.2 million baht price reduction. It basically has all the gadgets and features, like the digital instrument panel, seen in the V8 GT.
And while it’s hard imagining a Mustang without proper V8 performance, the EcoBoost isn’t a slouch at all. Thanks to the turbo, oomph is readily available at all times, be it in city or highway driving.
OK, the EcoBoost will never feel as quick as the V8 GT when driving flat out, but it still feels quicker than the similarly priced 252hp BMW 430i Coupe. And because its heart is a four-potter, the EcoBoost has a lighter front end than the V8 GT contributing to more agile handling.
Like in the V8 GT, the EcoBoost has a “dragstrip” mode to provide some pitching sensation of the front end when accelerating hard from standstill. Very gimmicky but it’s fun.
What’s not?
You’ve guessed it right: the biggest disappointment is the lack of V8 drama, be it for aural or adrenaline-pumping reasons. It’s like a pussy cat sitting under the bonnet of the EcoBoost.
And even if the profile may look classy, the quad exhaust pipes of the V8 GT make the EcoBoost look sterile in comparison.
While a firm chassis setup is understandable for a sports car with big performance, the ride feels slightly overdone at times in the EcoBoost taking away some real-world driving comfort.
Buy or bye?
It’s quite simple here. If you’re a genuine fan of what the Mustang can do on the move, the V8 GT is the one to go for. Period.
But if you’ve always had a soft spot for what the Mustang looks like on the catwalk, the EcoBoost is really all you need because it’s still a reasonably quick car, significantly cheaper in price and more economical on fuel.
And because the EcoBoost would be attracting style-led buyers, its driving aids should help for less-focused drivers.
Arguably, it appears the two Mustangs can co-exist in showrooms.
Mass-market brands aren’t without reasonably-priced sports car icons. There’s the 370Z Fairlady from Nissan which is now aging terribly in its current generation.
While Mazda has yet to revive a successor for the legendary RX-7 (and, more recently, the RX-8), Toyota has already confirmed a modern-day replacement for the Supra.
Thanks to a collaboration with BMW, Toyota will be using the German’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine in the MY2019 Supra.
A recent media drive in camouflaged prototypes of the Supra featured it. In fact, past Supras had always been about an inline-six (developed by Toyota back then).
An interesting thing to monitor with the Supra is whether it will additionally get four-pot power for a lower price point and more sales.
The new Z4, which shares the mechanical underpinnings with the Supra, has also been engineered to take a smaller 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol-turbo unit.
The Ford Mustang isn’t the only one to provide shelter for such a small engine. The Chevrolet Camaro has a 280hp 2.0-litre turbo four-pot to choose from apart from six- and eight-cylinder motors.
It’ll also be intriguing to see whether the Supra will be priced competitively under five million baht on Thai shores given Ford’s aggressive pricing strategy for the Mustang.
