Monday, 21 November 2016

Nix the Six: 2018 Ford Mustang May Drop V-6, Add 10-Speed Automatic

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2015-Ford-Mustang-V6-PLACEMENT

Currently, the Ford Mustang‘s V-6 engine is restricted to a trim level that doesn’t offer many options, and Ford may kill it off altogether for the 2018 model year according to a forum post on Mustang6G.com. The information supposedly comes from a dealership employee, who perused the 2018 Mustang’s order guide and found that the V-6 engine order code was marked as “invalid.” Dropping the 3.7-liter V-6 would leave the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder as the standard engine, with the 5.0-liter V-8 as an upgrade.

This would seem to go along with Ford’s big push for its turbocharged EcoBoost engines across the lineup, even if some might bemoan the loss of the naturally aspirated V-6. The two engines aren’t separated by much in terms of performance, with the 300-hp V-6 car and the 310-hp four-cylinder car both going from 0–60 mph in 5.5 seconds in our testing. By pricing the EcoBoost a bit higher, and by offering a Performance package and a new Power Pack only for the EcoBoost Mustang, however, Ford has clearly indicated where its priorities lie.

2015 Ford Mustang 3.7-liter V-6 engine

Other interesting tidbits from the order guide include two enticing new options: a 10-speed automatic transmission and MagneRide adaptive dampers. Beyond that they’re listed among the 2018 Mustang’s optional extras, we don’t know more about these additions, although we can assume that the 10-speed is the same Ford/General Motors transmission already in use in the 2017 Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. As for the MagneRide dampers, they may be part of an upgraded performance package meant to do battle with the Camaro 1LE.

We likely won’t hear any official word on the possibly V-6–less 2018 Mustang for a few months now, but we do know it’s likely to have some visual changes as well. And, of course, a new Mustang GT500 variant will be big news as well for power junkies.

2015-Ford-Mustang-V6-EEL


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