New Ford Mustang Australian release date set for late 2023 alongside New Zealand

John Law

Contributor

Ford Mustang expected to hit roads in Australia and New Zealand by late 2023, with the option of Ecoboost and 5.0-litre petrol V8 to remain

The seventh-generation Ford Mustang is set to arrive in Australia and New Zealand in late 2023 to replace the current sixth-gen Mustang.

Despite rumours of hybrids and AWD the new ‘S650’ Mustang will – initially at least – pack rear-wheel drive, the option of a burly 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine and six-speed manual transmission.

Ford Mustang 2023 5.0-litre V8 engine — Fear not Mustang fans, the might 5.0-litre V8 will live on

Ford will continue to offer the ‘Ecoboost’ 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder as the price leader in the Mustang lineup. Both engines are anticipated to increase in power and torque. Exact figures will be confirmed later.

All Mustangs will continue to be built in its Flat Rock production facility in Michigan, USA, as has been the case since the fifth-gen ‘S197’ was released in 2005.

Will Australia get every Mustang feature the USA does?

One headline-grabbing Mustang feature is the ‘electric’ handbrake, though this is not confirmed for the Australian market.

The clever electric handbrake may not make it to Australia, to be confirmed

Although it appears there’s a traditional handbrake lever, there is no physical connection. Instead, pulling the handbrake electrically actuates rear brake lock-up in the track drive mode. This was developed in collaboration with famous drifter Vaughn Gittin Junior – it remains to be seen if this novel approach will pass strict ADRs.

Otherwise, Australian Mustangs will likely be very similar to North American cars. Without strict emissions laws in place, it’s likely we’ll get the option of V8 and turbo-petrol four-cylinder powertrains.

Inside, the new Mustang gets a revamped interior with a 13-inch display powered by the Unreal Engine. In the centre, there’s a 12.3-inch touchscreen running Ford’s Sync 4 infotainment software.

Ford Mustang 2023 grey driving shot — The new Mustang strikes a very similar silhouette to the outgoing vehicle

The Mustang is not sitting on an all-new platform, and you can tell from the appearance. The ’Stang retains its long-bonnet, short boot silhouette though its much angrier new fascia and new wheel designs definitely sharpen the Pony Car’s appearance.

Aside from the V8 GT and Ecoboost mustang, it’s also likely Ford will develop higher-powered variants down the line. These could include Mach 1, GT350 and GT500 badges.

A hybrid Mustang has been ruled out for now, however in the future Ford may look to integrate electrification to broaden the Mustang’s appeal globally.