Ford Mustang Ecoboost

Dressed to impress, but fails the cylinder count

- Trent Giunco

IT WAS AN ORDINARY Monday night, just a quick trip to the supermarket before heading home. Ahead of me as I walked to the car park was a family. Mother and father were reluctantly squabbling in public as their young son walked within earshot, unaware of the escalating feud.

He was transfixed on a red Mustang – ‘my’ Ford Mustang. “Dad look, it’s a Mustang”, said the boy, grabbing his father’s arm for attention. Literally pulled out of his confrontation, the response was short, but cutting. “Mate, it’s not even a V8.” Despite the authoritative response from his elder and a two-door coupe sans 5.0 badging, it didn’t stop the beguiled boy watching wide-eyed as I drove away.

That’s the visual appeal of the iconic ponycar. The current design (with updates in line with the GT) is such a successful throwback to the past while still being bang-on in a modern context. Yet unlike America, where the fuel crisis meant four-cylinder Mustangs have been a thing since the ’70s, we’re yet to fully grasp the notion of a ’Stang with only “half an engine”.