In November of last year, we were tipped off that the Ford Mustang V6 might not survive into the 2018 model year, as the 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4 established itself as more-than-capable of filling the shoes worn by the base 3.7-liter six.
Today, this notion was affirmed, with Ford officially announcing that the refreshed, 2018 Ford Mustang will not be available with a normally-aspirated V6 engine.
It’s hard to fault Ford’s decision to nix the 3.7-liter Cyclone V6 from the Mustang lineup. The turbocharged, 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine is rated at 310 horsepower – 10 hp more than the V6 – while promising superior fuel economy. The gap in peak torque is even greater: 320 lb-ft for the EcoBoost vs. just 280 lb-ft for the Cyclone. Outside of cliche arguments revolving around quick response vs. turbo lag, it’s hard to think of a reason to keep the normally-aspirated V6 around.
Even the 2018 Ford F-150’s Cyclone V6 will soon take on a reduced role, as Ford prepares to to downsize the engine from 3.5 liters to 3.3 at the same time a new 3.0-liter diesel is introduced, and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 and 5.0-liter V8 are upgraded. (Power and torque from the Cyclone aren’t likely to dip, however, thanks to a new dual-injection system.)
Like the Coyote V8, the 3.7-liter Cyclone V6 currently used in the base Ford Mustang is equipped with Ford’s Ti-VCT (Twin-independent Variable Cam Timing) system. The engine is shared with the Lincoln MKT and MKX crossovers, although we would guess that it won’t hang around for very long in those models, either.
Comments
Reasons to keep the 3.7 V6 around.
1) It is less expensive to purchase and make for Ford
2) It doesn’t need premium fuel to achieve it’s power and torque ratings
3) It sounds better and does not suffer turbo lag
4) it’s also far less complex and will survive higher mileage much easier than the turbo 4 which requires great attention to service and fuel used
5) The V6’s NVH levels are also better than the crude noisy 2.3.
6) Real world mileage is about the same
I bet Ford will loose a lot of sales to the 335 Horsepower V6 Camaro. The 3.7 Ford Cyclone has a huge following. When I trade in My current Mustang it will be on a Camaro !