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According to a U.S. Patent that was filed by Ford, the next-generation Mustang will be a V8 hybrid with all-wheel drive, at least in Europe.
As first reported by the European automotive website AutoCar, Ford intends to build a European Mustang with a V8 gasoline engine driving the rear wheels and an electric motor powering the front wheels. This is all according a patent Ford filed indicating as such. But, according to AutoCar, this is intended for the European market as part of the 2022 model year.
The four-cylinder Ecoboost Mustang sold here in the United States has been discontinued in the United Kingdom because of lower fuel economy. In Europe, more so than in the United States, fuel economy is a driving influence for Mustang buyers. So a hybrid version makes a lot of sense.
According to the patent and AutoCar, “the front motor will be activated when the rear wheels lose traction. The system could offer torque vectoring, too.” This type of set up would surely boost the fuel economy of this Mustang to well over the magical 30 mpg plateau that is coveted by automakers.
What We Know About the 2022 Ford Mustang
Back in January a savvy forum reader spotted an otherwise innocuous want ad for Ford Motor Company. But a closer look revealed the job to include work on the S650 Mustang. The current sixth-generation Mustang is known as the S550. So clearly a new platform is coming. But we knew that already.
Ford announced a simplification of their modular platform system. There will only be five standard platforms of which all Ford and Lincoln vehicles will be built. This will save them a lot of money but also could drastically change the S650 platform for the Mustang, as it will share the CD6 platform. This is the same RWD/AWD unibody platform of the 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator.
On this new platform, that could mean an increase in size and weight for the Mustang. The current Mustang GT with the manual transmission is already bulky at 3,743 pounds. A bigger, SUV-type of platform could increase wheelbase and add even more weight to the Mustang.
Plus, if they do in fact add an electric battery-powered motor for a hybrid version, that too will add more weight to the next-gen Mustang. That could affect performance significantly, even if it improves fuel economy.
Will There Be An All-Electric Mustang?
I get asked this question a lot, as a Mustang historian. My answer is always an emphatic yes. Without a doubt, the future of the pony car is in electrification.
Heck, we already have seen how Ford radically and controversially created a sub-brand Mustang with the Mustang Mach-E. So hearing that an AWD hybrid based on an SUV platform is coming only makes sense.
We may not like it, and certainly the die-hard old-school Mustangers will be unhappy, the thought of an electrified Mustang, even with all-wheel drive appeals to me. The amount of torque would be so much fun. The spirit of the Mustang, somewhat diminished by the mockery of the Mach-E could be reinvigorated by a true all-electric pony car.
Count me in as someone who’d be interested in that.
The seventh-generation redesigned Ford Mustang, on the new platform is expected to be out for the 2022 model year. A hybrid version could happen in the U.S. (to be determined). If it goes over well in Europe, you can count on it arriving on our shores too here.
As I reported last week, Ford is eliminating the Mustang GT350 in favor of a new Mach 1. Gone also is the Bullitt Mustang. Dropping certain products doesn’t mean the iconic Mustang is coming to an end. To the contrary, while Ford creates a new platform, it shows they’re investing in the Mustang. Can General Motors say the same thing about the Camaro?
Ford is not opposed to changing up their top sellers. I wrote about the coming 2021 Ford F-150 Hybrid and how torquey and fun it should be.
What say you? Would a hybrid Mustang with a V8 engine excite you? What about an all-electric one? Are you worried about the weight and size increase affiliated with a new platform? Leave your comments below.
Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.
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