2018 Ford Mustang facelift – Australian debut mid year

Ford Australia has announced that the facelifted S550 Ford Mustang will go on sale Down Under in the second half of the year. The sixth-gen pony car gets a fair number of upgrades and revisions for its mid-cycle action (MCA) makeover.

Exterior-wise, the update introduces a redesigned grille and lower, remodeled bonnet as well as a new position for the bonnet air intakes. The entire model line-up also comes with all-LED front lighting as standard – besides LED projector main units, the front LED turn signal and foglamp cluster also go the LED route.

At the back, there are revised LED taillamps, a new bumper and a performance spoiler. The exhaust tip layout has also been reconfigured, with dual tips for the EcoBoost and a quad-tip exhaust for the GT, along with a black rear diffuser.

The Australian-spec Mustang EcoBoost features a fresh alloy wheel design, with a 19-inch Lustre Nickel wheel 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.

The interior gets 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, and there are also six-way leather-upholstered Recaro sports seats as a factory-fitted option.

Aside from an 8.0 inch display for the Sync 3 infotainment system, there’s a new 12-inch digital LCD instrument cluster offers customisation of the display for Normal, Sport and Track modes as well as colour and gauge layout settings, and a MyMode function allows favorite drive settings, including suspension and steering preferences, to be stored. Elsewhere, an active valve exhaust system, standard on the GT, allows the exhaust note to be adjusted.

As before, 2.3 litre EcoBoost and 5.0 litre V8 models will be available in that market, in fastback and convertible body styles. Output is up on the 5.0 litre Coyote, the Oz version offering 454 hp and 556 Nm (pre-facelift, 435 hp and 542 Nm), slightly less than the North American version.

As for the EcoBoost, listed power output is lower at 300 hp, but reports indicate that this is due to a new measuring system that has come into place, and that on a rolling road the output doesn’t lose out to the pre-facelift. Torque has been marginally increased to 441 Nm (from 434 Nm previously).

Automatic versions of the Mustang EcoBoost and GT are now equipped with the automaker’s 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, the 10R80 replacing the previous 6R80 six-speeder. Compared to the old unit, the new 10-speed offers quicker shift times, better low-speed tip-in response and significantly reduced friction losses.

The Getrag MT82 six-speed manual transmission for both engine options 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.

Upgrades to the chassis offer improved ride and handling. New shock absorbers offer better ride control, while a new cross-axis joint in the rear suspension increases lateral stiffness and new stabiliser bars bring sharper response and handling. The Mustang also gets a new MagneRide damping system as an option.