2015 Ford Mustang GT, EcoBoost Models Pack 3 Steering Modes, 4 Drive Modes

Back in January, we talked about the steering and drive mode switches in the 2015 Ford Mustang GT and as more information is surfacing on the upcoming next generation pony car, it is all but official that the 2015 Mustang in GT and EcoBoost trim will have 3 steering modes and 4 drive modes.

While Ford Motor Company still hasn’t dropped all of the specific details on the 2015 Ford Mustang, information has continued to trickle onto the internet from a variety of sources. The latest news comes from a variety of sources who have had a chance to ride in the 2015 Mustang with the new 2.3L EcoBoost engine. Those models were equipped with the 3 mode driver selectable steering system as well as the 4 mode drive mode settings with steering options included Comfort, Normal and Sport while the 4 drive modes will be Snow/Wet, Normal, Sport and Track.

These different steering and drive modes seem to be fully independent so a driver of the 2015 Mustang GT or EcoBoost could pick the Track drive mode and Comfort steering – provided that is what they like the most.

We haven’t driven the 2015 Ford Mustang yet (no one officially has driven the new Mustang thus far), but based on what we know about the drive mode systems and steering mode systems as use in all sorts of other vehicles, we can make some guesses as to what we can expect in terms of the basic function of these high tech performance features. Both of these systems are controlled via a cool switch panel located on the base of the center stack, as shown in the image above in the 2015 Mustang GT.

The steering modes of the 2015 Ford Mustang GT and EcoBoost models will give the driver their choice of Comfort, Normal and Sport. Comfort likely requires the least amount of driver input while Sport requires the most driver input – while also offering the most feedback to the driver. Sport will likely give the driver the most connected feel with the Mustang and Normal steering mode will be a balance between the softness of Comfort and the stiffness of Sport.

The drive modes of the 2015 Ford Mustang allow the driver to pick between Wet/Snow, Normal, Sport and Track with the system adjusting the stability control, traction control, throttle response and shift points (automatic only) of the S550 Mustang with either the 5.0L V8 or the 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder. Wet/Snow will likely dial back the throttle response to help cut back on wheel spin in rough conditions while also easing back on the sensitivity of the traction control system to let the wheels spin just a bit to help the Mustang dig out of the snow. Sport mode will likely sharpen the throttle response, increase the shift RPM in automatic models, vastly cut back the action of the throttle response and allow more yaw (vehicle angle relative to the direction of the car) while Track mode will offer the sharpest throttle response and shift points while possibly disabling traction control completely and allowing the most yaw before the stability control engages.

In many cases, a true Track mode will disable all of the helpers such as traction control and stability control, but in speaking with a few people familiar with the Mustang project, it seems as though Track mode will not be a full assist-off mode.

While it would seem most likely that anyone who has their 2015 Ford Mustang GT or EcoBoost model in Track mode would also want the most connecting steering feel possible, but it seems that the driver will be able to select any pairing for a total of 12 possible drive/steering mode configurations. Some other automakers tend to limit the pairing options when both a selectable drive and steering mode are offered – but Ford seems to have made the good move to make these two features independent of each other to offer the most comfortable driving experience possible.