Today, Ford unveiled the new 2015 Mustang—the very first model to be available globally. Slated for a fall 2014 release, the car is wider and lower to the ground than its predecessors, with options packages calculated to make it more appealing to sports car fans in Asia and Europe, according to Ford.
The Mustang and its arch rival, General Motors’ Camaro, have defined the US “pony car” category for over 40 years. These affordable sports cars are well-positioned for the global market because their iconic designs carry more cachet than their relatively low prices suggest. The Mustang is recognized the world over from numerous films and television appearances including 1968’s “Bullit,” starring Steve McQueen and Will Smith’s “I Am Legend” in 2007. One Ford official called the Mustang, “an American automotive icon that symbolizes optimism and freedom.”
The car is expected to have around a $50,000 price tag and offer three different engines: EcoBoost, standard, and GT. The EcoBoost design provides a new, more efficient engine for the Mustang, allowing it to wring an estimated 305 horsepower from a 2.3 liter V6 engine.
As of last month, Mustang sales are down 7.7% this year, so a successful world launch will be critical to the car’s future. The unveiling was carried out simultaneously in Barcelona, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, Sydney, and Dearborn, Michigan, near the Flat Rock plant where the car is produced. The Mustang faces an uphill battle in global markets where there are steep gas taxes in Europe and tax penalties on sports car owners in China.
Here are photos of the new model:
