1968 Ford Mustang Pricing and Specs

A Ford spokesman told us: "The 10-speed automatic will be available in the 2018 Mustang, which is due in Australia most likely around mid-2018 at the earliest. An evolution of the current Mustang, the 2018 model will benefit from increased Driver Assistance Technology, including Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane-Keep Assist. We would not speculate on the outcome of any potential future testing, but would reiterate that consumer safety is a priority for us, and we are constantly developing more safety technology for consumers. The 2018 Mustang will benefit from such advancements." With respect to a safety rating we can't say what it will be until the new Mustang has been assessed by ANCAP, but you would expect it would be given a higher rating than the Mustang currently has.

Ford says that the Mustang has met all relevant safety standards in America, which they say demonstrates that it is a safe car. But the Mustang is now a relatively old model, having gone on sale in the USA in 2014, and it doesn't have some of the safety features most other cars have. While it's lacking in some areas, it's not an inherently unsafe car, it's just not as safe as other cars that have a 5-star rating. Ford says the 2018 model will have features such as AEB, so perhaps wait for that.

It seems to me that they're quite different cars; the Golf R is an under-the-radar raider, the Mustang an in-your-face statement. If you want an exhilarating drive on those weekends away go for the Golf, if you want a more leisurely fun drive with a high look-at-me factor go for the Mustang. For my money I would choose the Mustang. There is talk of a twin-turbo Mustang coming as a GT500 Shelby in 2018, possibly with a 5.2-litre V8. Not sure if it would make to Australia.