2017 Ford Mustang vs 2018

What's the difference?

Ford Mustang. The name just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? It’s one of the most evocative and best-known models in the automotive kingdom, and the decision to sell it properly in Australia – after a couple of false starts – has proven to be a boon for Ford Australia. And after a whirlwind 18 months of sales, Ford can finally catch its breath and actually provide dealers with stock that isn’t pre-sold.

The V8-powered GT has been by far the biggest seller, but the four-cylinder EcoBoost version we’re testing here has its own merits – not least of which being that it looks almost identical to its bigger-engined brother.

Is a four-cylinder, turbocharged Mustang a sacrilege, though? Or can it show the V8 a thing or two?

Name a car more famous than the Ford Mustang? There isn’t one – even people who don’t care or know much about cars know what a Mustang is. 

Heck, the Mustang doesn’t even have a Ford badge on it – that’s how famous this car is, it doesn’t need one because it’s almost its own brand. And you can thank Hollywood for making it a celebrity. 

But unlike movie stars, it’s reborn time and again with each new generation of Mustang. Sure, there were some years where the Mustang lost its way in the design wilderness, but by the 2000s it was making a comeback thanks to looks which channelled those 1960s cars.

In late 2016 the six-generation Mustang arrived in Australia just in the nick of time – Ford was ending production of its Falcon and that would leave it without a V8 performance car. Since its arrival the ‘Stang’ has been a sales success for Ford, and now the updated version of the car has arrived.

This update is way more than just a slightly new look. So, what’s changed? Stacks. We found out when we drove the V8 GT at its Australian launch. 

Oh, and there is one Ford badge on Mustang – know where it is? Read on and we’ll point it out along the way.