In a new video touting Ford’s forward thinking but also practical builder-like philosophy, starring actor Bryan Cranston (who must be to them what Matthew McConaughey is sister company Lincoln), the automaker has also slotted in a very quick teaser of what looks like a futuristic, possibly electrified Mustang.
The Dearborn-based company has already indicated that new kind of Mustang will be making its debut in 2020, possibly with a downsized engine mated to an electric motor or either a parallel hybrid or plug-in hybrid configuration. Ford choosing to insert such an image into a glossy PR video now can’t be any sort of coincidence.
A single front image of a dark teal future Mustang is shown, giving little by way of cues other than a strong resemblance to the current 6th-generation car, albeit with the glaring absence of a traditional grille. Instead, the galloping stallion logo sits ahead of a solid panel with what looks to be a recessed centre air channel.
This, and the fact that this teaser follows a virtual breakaway of a V pattern combustion engine, suggests that this car is much like the GT of today, but augmented with a supplementary electric powertrain and other high-tech features. We’d stop short of asserting that Ford already has a fully electric Mustang in the wings for a launch within the next couple of years.
In terms of what could be under its bonnet, Ford already makes a number of relatively compact V6 engines that would pair very nicely with a performance-oriented hybrid system, such as its 2.7-litre or even 3.5-litre EcoBoost. Whether or not they elect to retain them as turbocharged motors, however, remains to be seen.
Should they instead choose to configure the hybrid assist system to supply mostly low-end power, effectively supplementing the use of forced induction, they might even elect to retain the updated 5.0-litre naturally aspirated Coyote V8. Sadly, there’s next to no chance that it will be offered with a manual transmission.
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