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Next-Gen Ford Mustang To Grow In Size, Launch In 2026

Ford fans rejoice! There will be a new Ford Mustang coming – but not until at least 2026.

Last June, we reported that an all-new, seventh-generation Ford Mustang would be coming for the 2021 model year, but it appears that Ford’s plans have changed – and we will have to wait a bit longer for the new pony. According to a report from Automobile, Ford is working on a new Mustang and it will be based on the same CD6 platform used by the 2020 Ford Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator. That much we already knew. What we didn’t know is that it has been delayed until roughly 2026, perhaps even later.

Initially, the current Mustang, known as the S550, was to be succeeded by the S650 on the CD6 architecture around the 2021 calendar year. But sources say that plans have changed, and the next-gen pony car has been delayed. Basing the Mustang on the same platform as the one used by the Explorer and Aviator will provide the necessary scale to make a new Ford Mustang cost effective for The Blue Oval.

The new Ford Explorer will be a crucial product for Ford going forward.

Scale is vital for Ford to make the vehicle worthwhile. Case in point: in 2018, Ford sold 261,571 Explorers (see Ford Explorer sales) and only 75,842 Mustangs (see Ford Mustang sales). By the end of the 2019 calendar year, the sales volume of vehicles on the CD6 platform – the Explorer and Aviator – is expected to surpass 300,000 units.

The next-gen Mustang is said to be larger than the current car when it arrives around 2026, so much so that it will be closer in size to the current Dodge Challenger – which approaches full-size vehicle dimensions.

A potential Ford Mustang Hybrid mule undergoing testing

As for the current Mustang, it will reportedly receive a major mid-cycle refresh soon, technically making it the second refresh of the S550 generation. Sources say that this second S550 refresh will get new looks front to back, as well as a hybrid model. Speaking of which, the Mustang Hybrid – which we may have caught testing recently – is also delayed, and is expected to arrive in early 2022.

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Austin is an automotive enthusiast from Buffalo, NY with a passion for speed. When Austin isn't writing about the auto industry you can find him racing go-karts, competing in time attack events, or autocrossing his 2017 Toyota 86—with a manual transmission, of course!

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Comments

  1. FORD….LARGER MUSTANG!
    Sounds like a great Idea…..maybe they should make mustang station wagon!
    Even better make a bigger Escape …maybe they can wrap their heads around that one.
    Put the V6 back in the the Mustang as whoever decided to take it our should be CANNED!
    Who’s running that operation?

    Reply
    1. So true… They put a hypo V6 in the new GT 40 what ever they call it. Less weight, just as much power, better performance. A V6 stock or twin turbo would have been a much better Mustang for all buyers across the board. Oh lets use up the 4 bangers we have left over from 1000 pounds less weight focus. Mustang will soon be a sport SUV. No longer a muscle car. That’s fine if they build it the correct way with a nice balance or power weight balance. Americans always fall for. Give it more power and it will sell. Can’t keep it on the road, but its got 800 horsepower. How can I go wrong with that?

      Reply
  2. IT is a replay of ancient history and apparently Ford has not learned how the Mustang grew in the 70s and sales nosedived. Thunderbirds grew into monstrosities and lost sales into it’s non-existence. Falcon the very same thing. Fairlanes morphed into the Torino. Fusions kept getting bigger. Now they decide to cancel all cars except the mustang but plan to make it bigger. Bigger is not always better. Are they planning to make Mustang SUVs, Mustangs sized as four-door sedans (see T-bird above). Mustang trucks and on and on…. who are these product planners. Instead of growing market share with relevant products they lump the product into more profitable fad products currently in vogue with no alternative to fall back on. Instead of building a mountain of vehicles on Speculation build cars as demand dictates. Instead of unsold product sitting on storage lots build them on order. How long does it take to build a car? Order, then build, ship and sell.

    Reply
  3. There is a slight question, why is the logo of the Ford company why a horse?

    Reply
  4. Is that a real question? The horse is not a logo but a name for an automobile Ford builds. The Ford Logo is a blue oval with FORD inside.

    Reply
  5. In all actuality, this isn’t a bad thing. The new is that the car is growing to be comparable in size to the Dodge Challenger. The new BMW M850i coupe is roughly around that size and it’s a phenomenal looking car both inside and out. Think about the possibility of this for a moment before we all get up in arms. The BMW M850i comes in a coupe and an upcoming Gran-Coupe. BMW also had an amazing Fastback-like SUV called the X6M while Porsche in Bringing out a Cayenne coupe. What if Ford is planning to bring out it’s own line of vehicles to compete with these vehicles? Twin Turbo V6 drive trains along with Hybrid and Electric drive trains are the new thing now days and we all know that the days of the V8 are seriously numbered unfortunately, but the days of high performance vehicles are not. Just think Nissan has a 565hp 3.8L twin Turbo V6 in the GTR, BMW has a 3.0L Inline 6 twin turbo that makes anywhere from 425hp to 453hp, The Alfa Romeo Giulia & Stelvio Quadrifoglio both have a 505hp 2.9L twin turbo V6, Ford has the 3.5L Ecoboost that makes anywhere from 450hp to 647hp and countless turbo 4-cylinder engines making anywhere from 300-375hp, etc. Not to mention the rise of performance hybrids with turbocharged gasoline engines at the center of their system. Taking all of that and the CD6 platform, even putting the raptor variant 3.5L V6 with 450hp/510tq with a 10-speed auto or 7-speed DCT, you have a mustang that is not only faster and more powerful than the current GT, but one that is more comfortable, more dynamic and just a better all around car. This isn’t 1971 anymore where you had emissions that took engines from making 335hp with 428ci of displacement down to making only 200hp. Although I’m a V8 muscle car guy, I understand that things are changing. What Ford could end up doing is having a Mustang Coupe, a Falcon gran-coupe and some kind of Mustang inspired performance SUV (Maverick) type vehicle with gasoline, hybrid and electric options on all of them, make them global vehicles and have a decent position in the marketplace. Plus this opens up the mustang for the AWD options, which the mustang definitely needs. This definitely isn’t a bad thing, as long as Ford learns how to make a twin turbo V6 sound good. It’ll never be a V8 but it could sound closer to something like the GTR, Giulia QF or Audi RS5

    Reply
  6. Ford needs to remember the failures of the past. To make a longer or bigger mustang failed going from the 60’s to early 70’s. 71′ 72′ and 73 specific. The challenger success is due to Dodge fans not liking the 4 door charger. The challenger has the common characteristics of the past with the tail lights and body style. While other cars such as the Camaro which didn’t keep much of its past in its styling isn’t doing well. Maybe need to look at this platform and look at the angles of slope of the front leadlight area and rear taillight area. Compare that to the Challenger which has the front boxed off a little more and rear is the same.

    Reply
  7. It’s sounding more and more like the next gen Mustang is going to end up being the reincarnation of the Mustang II. That’s not a good thing. The Camaro is getting smaller and lighter with each generation and the Mustang is packing the pounds on. Not acceptable.

    Reply
  8. Wasn’t the larger sized mustang the Mercury couger? That is a car to bring back.mustang lines and the room for a small family.
    Imagine the beautiful mustang lines in a AWD larger body and a proper sounding motor such as eco boost v6 tuned for 500 plus horsepower and a rubber melting 700 plus horsepower version to leave the dodges in the smoke.

    Reply
  9. The GT500 is a pig with its weight now they want to make the mustang larger. I think its a bad Ideal as the Vette got smaller and looks very very good, while the current Mustangs front end looks quite bulky compared to it. Chevy fired a warning shot and Ford just don’t get it, the Corvette is competing with the Mustang for sales. I in 2020 the Corvette is going to clean house with the Mustang in sales. Why the price and looks of the Vette are outstanding. Fords comeback is to make the Mustang a larger PIG, Wow.

    Bigger is not better for a sports car….current Mustang is heavy, to heavy. Just saying

    Reply

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