Is the Mustang Hybrid Really Going to Have a V8 and AWD?
Ford’s plan to introduce a hybrid Mustang at some point has many owners and enthusiasts fearing the elimination of their beloved 5.0-litre V8.
The company initially announced that the car would launch in 2020, but the arrival of new CEO Jim Hackett changed everything. The latter instead put the focus on developing a Mustang-inspired electric crossover, namely the Mustang Mach-E, thus seemingly waiting for the next-generation Mustang—expected to debut in 2022 as a 2023 model—to add a hybrid powertrain to the pony car’s lineup.
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- Also: The Next Ford Mustang is Likely not Coming Before 2022
Years ago, Ford promised that a hybrid Mustang would deliver V8-like power and acceleration, which appeared to suggest that one or two electric motors would pair with a four- or six-cylinder engine.
The rumour mill started spinning again yesterday when British magazine Autocar, pointing to a U.S. patent filed by Ford in 2017, declared that said motors would be joined by a V8 and motivate the front axle to give the Mustang an all-wheel drive setup.
However, that patent filing doesn’t mention anything about a V8. Rather, it refers to an “engine” in generic terms and actually clarifies that the proposed system could be applied to any configuration, be it with four, six or even twelve cylinders.
What’s more, vehicles with a V8-based hybrid powertrain are almost exclusively supercars and ultra-high-performance models with a price to match.
The current Ford Explorer offers a hybrid variant featuring a 3.3-litre V6 and the upcoming 2021 F-150 is apparently going with the same approach, although with a displacement of 3.5 litres.
An interesting theory shared on the American website Autoblog is that Ford will use the presumed return of the Mach 1 (set to replace the Bullitt and Shelby GT350) to introduce this new electrified Mustang. It would certainly tie in with the all-electric Mach-E while filling the gap between the Mustang GT and Shelby GT500, which would both retain their V8, mercifully.
Then again, other sources expect to see the Mach 1 come back as early as next year, meaning before the launch of the seventh-generation Mustang.
That’s a lot of speculation and there might be other developments we don’t know about. If only Ford could just shed a bit more light…