Following the discontinuation of the Ford Fusion earlier this year, the Ford Mustang is the only non-truck, SUV, and crossover model left in The Blue Oval’s lineup. Couple that with the arrival of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, and one might understandably wonder if the iconic pony car is living on borrowed time. Thankfully, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
“No, not at all,” Jim Owens, Head of Mustang Marketing, told Ford Authority executive editor, Alex Luft, in a recent interview. “It’s always been this way, just look at the volume of the F-150 versus the Mustang. The sports car segment is still a healthy 1.2 percent of the industry, and we’re continuing to be the market share leader with the best-selling sports car for several years running, globally and in the United States. We’re confident in the sports car market.”
| Market | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 4,432 | 6,761 | 6,876 | 5,302 | 5,893 | 4,522 | 4,914 | 4,630 | 4,307 | 4,399 | 4,119 | 56,155 |
| South Korea | 70 | 44 | 63 | 67 | 63 | 60 | 64 | 62 | 114 | 23 | 0 | 630 |
| Mexico | 95 | 102 | 90 | 26 | 36 | 43 | 40 | 54 | 36 | 39 | 52 | 613 |
| Canada | 198 | 198 | 198 | 538 | 538 | 538 | 582 | 582 | 582 | 227 | 227 | 4,409 |
| Brazil | 28 | 54 | 43 | 12 | 12 | 32 | 45 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 26 | 306 |
| Argentina | 12 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
The Mustang remains a strong seller in its segment, although as Owens points out, its numbers can’t compare to the Ford F-Series. Regardless, it appears that the ICE-powered Mustang is safe. The same cannot be said for the Chevrolet Camaro, however, which will be discontinued at the end of its lifecycle. Originally, that was scheduled for 2023, but now, it appears that it has been extended to 2026.
Meanwhile, the next-gen S650 Mustang, which will reportedly launch in 2022 as a 2023 model, will enjoy an eight-year lifecycle, which is two years longer than the six-year lifecycle that was originally planned for the model. That eight-year target would match the current-gen S550 Mustang, which launched in 2014 as a 2015 model. The longer lifecycle saves Ford money in engineering and development costs, which is critical for a lower-volume vehicle like the venerable pony car.
We’ll have more on the Mustang soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Mustang news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
With Ford’s apparent focus being on profitability, the F-150 and their selection of other truck models and SUV’s should provide enough margin to keep the Mustang ICE or some future electric version in the line-up shouldn’t really be an issue, should it?
Ford clearly feels that the marketing clout this vehicle has garnered over the past 50 years, is worth preserving. Enough so, that under great resistance by the “Mustang Faithful”, they tagged their first EV using said moniker. Eliminating it would be akin to removing the likeness of George Washington from Mount Rushmore…it would be missed!
Post was so long I didn’t read it, nevertheless, S650 with an 8 year life cycle and without a Coyote it would appear. The 6.8 pushrod as divulged but the Canadian union president will be the power plant for this and the F150 so the ICE is alive and well!! First production GT to hit 500hp/500TQ is my guess.