It’s been a week since Ford unveiled the 2015 Mustang to the world, and as expected the big news is a 300-plus horsepower, 2.3 liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine option. But the 2015 Mustang is so much more than a new engine, encompassing a whole new tech on the pony car and adding more standard technology than any other car in the Ford lineup.
Already there is talk of the future of the next-gen Mustang, and with increasing fuel economy and emissions standards all over, the global pony car might go in some uncharted territory. GoAuto reports that Ford’s chief of global powertrain engineering already let it slip that all options, including diesel, hybrid, and electric drivetrains are being considered for the Mustang.
Bob Fascetti revealed that all options are being considered for the Mustang, which will be sold in markets like Europe, Australia, and China. Many of these places have some serious limitations on engine sizes and emissions, driving the cost of an already-imported Mustang sky-high. The only way around these onerous penalties is to utilize some kind of more fuel-efficient drivetrain.
That’s the idea behind the 2.3 liter EcoBoost, though even that might not be enough. Some other options are a small turbodiesel engine, which could provide lots of low-end torque and over 40 mpg, though top speed would be limited. A plug-in hybrid with a “boost” feature using the electric motor, combined with an EcoBoost gas engine could also be fun, though a pure electric Mustang seems just too far out there to be considered by most enthusiasts at this time, but that doesn’t mean that with battery technology improving all the time we wouldn’t keep an open mind to testing one.
What say you? Could you embrace a green Mustang, for the sake of Mother Earth and your wallet?