A 300hp 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Package Should Be a Big Hit - Relatively Speaking

Had the idea of a 4-cylinder Ford Mustang been offered up in the mid 1990s, it would have been considered nothing shy of blasphemy but over the past few years, advancements in Ford’s EcoBoost program have made it very clear that the Motor Company can produce a small and efficient yet very powerful engine. Even though the Ford Mustang SVO used a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in the 1980s to offer similar power to the 5.0L V8 of the same era, there are still skeptics who believe that a modern 4-cylinder Mustang is doomed to fail. However, with rumors suggesting that the 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost model will offer at least 300 horsepower along with more potential power through aftermarket modifications than your typical entry level V6, there seems to be a much greater chance of acceptance for the EcoBoost Mustang.

There are and always will be those individuals in the muscle car world who believe wholeheartedly that the Ford Mustang should only be offered with a high performance V8 engine but with somewhere in the area of 50% of Mustang buyers opting for the V6 engine, it is clear that not every Mustang buyer is worried about big power. Automakers refer to these consumers as “image buyers” – they want the look of the car but they arent concerned with racing or being able to outrun everything on the street. In many cases, folks are buying the V6 Mustang because they love the look of the car and with 305 horsepower from the 3.7L V6, the “base” Mustang still offers plenty of driving excitement while also offering better fuel economy than the 5.0L V8. Provided that the EcoBoost 4-cylinder option in the 2015 Mustang packs around 300 horsepower, it will be offering very comparable power figures to those of the V6 but there is a very good chance that the EcoBoost engine will offer much better fuel economy than the V6. This means that those image buyers can have the look and feel of the 2015 Ford Mustang while still having similar power to the previous (and perhaps 2015) V6 but they can have even better fuel economy.

The 2014 Ford Mustang with the V6 engine packs 305 horsepower and 280lb-ft of torque while also offering 31 miles per gallon on the highway with the optional automatic transmission. The 2.3L EcoBoost engine that is expected to be offered in the 2015 Ford Mustang has already been revealed under the hood of the new Lincoln MKC with 275 horsepower and 300lb-ft of torque. It seems also guaranteed that Ford Motor Company would give the Mustang more power than a sporty little crossover with the same engine so with the horsepower of the EcoBoost Mustang climbing up around the 300 mark, the torque output could climb into the range of 315-325lb-ft. Those figures would give the EcoBoost 2015 Mustang a decisive advantage over the V6 models in terms of power but more importantly to some buyers, the EcoBoost will very likely offered better fuel economy than that of the 3.7L V6. Should that be the case, a great many of those image buyers could find the EcoBoost option to be the most attractive of the three choices as they will be able to flex some American muscle while still getting great fuel economy.

Aside from those buyers who want the most efficient 2015 Ford Mustang possible, there is also the performance crowd who will flock to a turbocharged 4-cylinder pony car. These folks have traditionally gone for sport compacts because those were the only vehicles that offered a turbo-4 drivetrain and it is that crowd which has made it very clear that you can get real performance from a small engine. While the 2015 EcoBoost Mustang might not steal much business from the likes of the Mitsubishi Evo or the Subaru STI, the EcoBoost Mustang will have the same advantage of simple performance upgrades that can make a big difference in terms of power output. Mind you, I wouldn’t expect to see the EcoBoost Mustang become the bestselling model and in all reality, it could be the least popular of the three but with 300 horsepower, 300lb-ft of torque and fuel economy figures that would make it the most efficient pony in the stable – the EcoBoost Mustang stands a very real chance of succeeding in a big way.