Ford Mustang India V8 Review, First Drive

Ford Mustang India V8 Review: The sports car is the best seller worldwide and will certainly do so in India as per premium car standards

Enchanting –

• One of a kind aesthetics and exhaust note
• Superlative chassis, brakes, engine
• Surprisingly comfortable and practical
• Priced quite well

Unsatisfying –

• Missing features
• No manual gearbox with a muscle car!

Muscle cars have been the go to choice when you want straight line performance when you talk about the past. Then came everything else. The sensible European saloons who try to mimick the idea, make it more sensible but never tarnished the muscle car concept. I think that is how I should start writing about the one most iconic cars of all time, the Ford Mustang GT. The pony car, as it is also called has come of age well. The part muscle and in today’s age called as the affordable sports car has significantly improved in the way the car behaves the philosophy behind has changed, but minutely. One Ford initiative by the American manufacturer was the best thing to happen to every Ford enthusiast in the world.

We, the enthusiasts, almost get everything Ford builds everywhere in the world. Ford India, based in Chennai, is little more orthodox in getting us something things, but not all. The Mustang GT is one thing we got some time back and we are all happy about Ford’s decision. Adding all the aforementioned things made us yearn to drive the Mustang all this while. Ford India let us spend some quality time with it and we came back happy, despite giving it back. How? let’s find out!

Styling

The design is, basically, flat line everywhere, but the elements shout as loud as drum rolls. The front is extremely captivating with a large gaping grille and bumper. The low stance and the long bonnet gives the driver and people on the road something to stare at indefinitely. The side profile is of a coupe with the window and roof line is very low and small. Both, the side skirt, lends it a look like a fish with gills.

There are also random creases on the rear panel and main door make it look sharp. The overall metal used in the car depicts that it is very chunky and heavy and the feel is the same too. The headlamps and tail-lamps have three slashes as elements which make it stick to the tradition of the past. Our test car had a yellow color with black wheels which looks surreal and spot on at the same time. We can go on and on but it is best described as the best Mustang to date with proportions done just right and the reason why were stalked beyond safe measures at times on the roads of Mumbai.

Interior

Interior is a unique place to be in as the seating is just right, the view outside is spot on. There are just the right amount buttons and features to play with but the interior isn’t special and quality could have been better all around too. Fully electric ORVM and automatic ORVM, reversing camera, parking sensors at the rear, steering mounted controls, storage space for things the glovebox, below the center armrest and two large cup holders with a manual handbrake can be seen.

Seats could have been fully electric because you cannot adjust recline electrically, there are no front parking sensors and navigation on offer. Boot space in the Indian Mustang is occupied with a large and full-size spare wheel. Seats in the back are not even children friendly. There are HID lamps, LED tail-lamps, projector beams, automatic headlamps and wipers in the feature list.

Leather seats are used to make the cabin experience more premium. The same can be seen on the top of the dash. The passenger side has a badge saying, Mustang – Since 1964. The toggle switches control the driving modes, steering feel and even, surprisingly, the hazard light button. The Sync system as always work brilliantly with the phone and the music system by Shakers was good too (only used when the car was below 1500 RPM).

Engine

Let’s begin with the most important of the engine is how this motor sounds. Rev it idle, the bark from the engine just spreads in all directions. The V8 motor is as raw as it gets in today’s age. The exhaust note is a proper roar and is just about loud at the same time. Redline it and the engine revs cleanly, smoothly all the way till redline while making a lot of noise by muscle car standards of 2018.

Sure it can be louder, but it is upto to you if you want to get an aftermarket exhaust. The burble which starts from 1500 to 2000 RPM from the flat crank V8 is just a delight to your sense and automatically brings a grin to your face.

The 400 BHP and 515 Nm of torque are intoxicating. The car does 0-100 km/hr in under 5 seconds. The 6-speed gearbox is relatively smooth and fast but could have been more refined and seamless. The power is instant (snaps fingers) the car picks up the pace from 1500 RPM and runs all the way till 7000 RPM. The mid-range and top-end power is there in abundance. It reaches 220 km/hr on an empty stretch in no time if you floor it.

The tyres, no matter how good, do a proper race launch and the tyres will spin too. The track app mode is there to use a line-lock feature where it locks front differential and spins the rear tyre to heat up the tyres. Sports, comfort and normal modes make a lot of difference in the way the car behaves for both steering and engine. Sport mode makes everything very aggressive, the power delivery is instantaneous and if kept while stuck in traffic and forgotten about, it can be a pain for the driver.

We got at max 5 km/l and the worst we could see 2.3 km/l. The overall range is limited to just 200 kms as the tank reaches half, the warning light pops up. Overall, the highlight of the entire package, an engine which outshines every single fault in this car and is just steps away from being worshipped as an automotive god.

Ride and Handling

Dynamically, the heft can be felt while changing lanes. Body roll is well controlled. Ride quality can get choppy, but it is still great by sports car standards. Ground clearance was good enough to clear most Mumbai’s speed breakers.

Steering weight can be controlled and so is the feedback with the toggle switch and leaves less room for to complain as it can feel artificial at times. Brakes are fantastic with superb pedal bite and outrageously good stopping power. Overall, not the most agile car, but safe, stable and enough fun in the corners, when you exit any corner especially, it puts a smile on your face because it is rather tail happy with good tyres and traction control on.

Ford Mustang India V8 Review, Verdict

The Mustang in its sixth generation is said to be ahead by leaps and bounds. For us, it still has the raw character inside out which makes it a very special car. The price is good, but could have been better making it an affordable sports car to buy. Sure, not entirely practical as you can get 5 km/l at max or seats and boot which are left unused. This then is the car for a person who wakes up 3:30 am in the morning, awakens his neighbour’s dog and tries as silently as possible to get out of the garage.

He floors it on an empty stretch and the enjoy the V8 to awaken your senses because why do you need caffeine? when you have a V8 that will fill you with joy and thunder! Then why did we come back happy and not sad after giving the car to Ford, because it left an impression and such a loud one, that we can never really forget. Nevertheless, an opportunity to drive it once again? I will have to take permission from my bank manager!