Gallop into the sunset

The Ford Mustang brings the power and heritage of American muscle cars to Indian roads at a competitive price tag

August 31, 2016 04:48 pm | Updated September 22, 2016 04:22 pm IST - Bengaluru

Ford Mustang interior

Ford Mustang interior

We’ve had sedans, SUVs, coupés, supercars, even hyper cars but it’s only now that India finally has a ‘muscle car’ or pony car’ and with none other than the Mustang, the car that virtually started the class.

Its simple formula was its appeal – big engine in front driving the rear wheels in a two-door body that was very affordable. Today too, the Ford remains the enthusiast’s affordable car and thanks to the sixth-generation Mustang that is now available in right-hand- drive form, it is finally on sale here. Even with taxes and duties skewing prices, the Mustang is ‘affordable’ and is the lowest-priced V8-engined sportscar in India by a huge margin.

For most parts, the Mustang shape has stayed true to the original and is quite instantly recognisable. The wide, inset grille remains but this time, is flanked by narrow headlights. The bonnet is still long, the fastback roofline ends in a short rear boot, and at the rear, the vertical tri-bar tail-lights hark back to the original car.

On the inside, the plastics in some areas, like the glovebox lid, feel quite cheap and hard. You have to remember that price wise, the Mustang is a Toyota Camry equivalent vehicle in the USA. But even then, the interior quality is a let-down. Design, thankfully, is top notch and retro cool touches in the interior include the aviation-style toggle switch bank on the central console and a speedometer which reads ‘ground speed’. The front seats are large and comfortable and both electrically adjustable, the rear is quite cramped and with the sloping roof and a small quarter glass on the side, you do feel hemmed in.

Equipment-wise, the Mustang is loaded with goodies like eight airbags, heated and cooled leather seats, and a dual-zone climate control. The car also gets Ford’s SYNC2 connectivity system with an 8-inch touchscreen that comes with voice command recognition system. In keeping with the car’s sporting character, the system also has what Ford calls Track Apps. It features nifty bits like drag strip-mimicking Christmas tree countdown lights, an accelerometer that displays lateral and longitudinal g-forces and acceleration times and what is probably the most fun – Electronic Line-Lock, a setting that lets you do tyre burn outs! The car also has four drive modes – Normal, Sport+, Track and Snow/Wet – that alter steering, chassis, engine and gearbox settings.

Yes, this is a sportscar. However, like any other pony car, the Mustang, is all about high-speed cruising and better suited to turning necks than corners. This is the first Mustang to feature an independent rear suspension and while it surely is an improvement over the older car’s system, there is quite a bit of body roll. The six-speed auto gearbox too is quite slow to change gears and does not hurry through the shifts.

So, on the whole, the Mustang’s performance is typically American Muscle. Fire up the engine and you will hear a nice burble, rev it hard and it will rock the car on its suspension and stamp down on the accelerator and the car squats onto its rear and shoots forward, all massively entertaining. As a bonus, the steering is a delight and has the right amount of weight and feedback. Fuel economy, of course, isn’t going to be the Mustang’s strong point and we’re sure you’ll burn through the 60.9-litre tank just as quickly as the line-lock will burn through tyres.

The Mustang internationally has several variants and engine options. There’s a 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost, a 3.5-litre V6 and, of course, the 5.0-litre V8 which is the one we have in India in the GT trim.

At Rs. 65 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), it isn’t exactly what you’d call an ‘affordable performance car’. But then this is a fully built import that attracts massive amounts of taxes and duties and ships all the way from the US. For similar money, you can buy the Audi TT which is better built and handles well. But then, this is like comparing a boxer to an athlete. Each of these cars have their own appeal and the Mustang’s lies in its heritage, its capability to cruise effortlessly at high speeds and its ability to light up its rear tyres and your smile, with just a flex of your right foot.

Ford Mustang GT

Price:Rs 65 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Engine size:5.0-litre, V8 petrol

Power:401hp at 6500rpm

Torque:515Nm at 4250rpm

Gearbox:6-speed automatic

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