Bucket Seat: Ford Mustang Ecoboost Convertible

Ever since Ford launched their Mustang locally back in 2016, I've been dying to get behind this iconic American sports coupe. There's no denying the heritage and legacy that comes with the Mustang, we've seen it in movies, TV shows. It's easily one of the most recognizable cars in the world and when Ford South Africa deciding to bring this much loved model to the country, many enthusiasts were keen to see what it was all about. The Mustang was launched with two engine variants, the monstrous 5.0 V8 and the 2.3 Ecoboost engine, now many snubbed the smaller engine saying it doesn't live up to what a Mustang is, that raw American V8 power and while I can understand their point, the 2.3 Ecoboost isn't any slouch as this was the same engine that powered the manic Ford Focus RS. After waiting and praying to drive one, my prayers were finally answered last month as I got to spend a few days with the Ford Mustang Convertible, it was the 2.3 Ecoboost but I was not phased as it was my first Mustang and I was excited like a kid on Christmas morning to get behind the wheel. 

DESIGN

This is the face-lift model of the Mustang that was launched here in 2016, the overall design remains unchanged with subtle enhancements made to the front end, with the lights given more detail and presence than previous. The car is a looker, whether the top is on or off, it gets peoples heads turning. Looking stylish in Lucid Metallic Red, with blacked out Luster Nickel 19" rims, there was no denying that this car looked good. This car is a modern interpretation of the Mustangs of the past and you can make out the iconic design styles as you walk around the car, with the long hood, low stance and wide body, Ford have done an exceptional job on this design. There really isn't a bad angle to this car, trust me, over the four days I had it, I checked, even by the number of strangers that complimented me on the car, it was apparent that it was a firm favourite for many. Moving on the inside, the design remains unchanged with almost the exact same setup as the previous model, what I did like about the convertible is that with the roof open or closed, the luggage space was not compromised, the one thing that did annoy me was the coverings for the exposed sides with the roof down, which was a mission to attach so I just left them off. 

PERFORMANCE

Now the main thing that will get people about this particular model is the engine, as mentioned it does come with the 2.3L Ecoboost motor which is no dud, while it not be classified as "American Muscle" this motor does punch out 213kW and 441Nm of torque. That is impressive numbers, the one downfall to all this is probably the gearbox. The Mustang comes with a 10-speed automatic box which in my opinion is too many gears! While I understand why the V8 motor might need that many gears, for me the Ecoboost would have been so much better with an 8-speed box. On take off the car is a bit front heavy and the gearbox does go in a bit of a shock mode if you floor it, all that torque, power taking its time to come through does have you sitting and contemplating if you're ever going to get going but once you do, trust me you definitely going! This issue was when driving in normal mode, pop it into sport mode and it gets a bit more responsive and it even has a drag race mode which completely takes away all those issues but this is obviously for a straight line boost. Having a car like this with a weekend called for a Sunday breakfast run, something which Im glad I did as this car definitely proved its worth, navigating on the windy roads of the KZN North Coast, I really felt at ease with the Mustang, the heavy chassis kept the car planted, the power delivery was spot on when exiting corners and the breaks were superb. Having a cloth roof didn't even have a major impact on handling or cabin noise but the part that really put a smile on my face was this car taming a Porsche Boxster on the run and that really gave me a new found respect to it. 

COMFORT

Anyone who knows me, would know I hate driving with the sunroof open or the roof down as I get annoyed with the sun very quickly but with this car, the sun didn't bother me one bit. Every opportunity I got, the roof was coming down for my drive and if it was hot, the climate control helped blow some cool air on me to keep me in comfort, side note- I did get some sunburn while doing this so remember to use sunscreen! With the car having such a low ride height, you'd think this will make things a bit awkward for tall people, not so though, there was ample space for me to be behind the wheel and the seats were super comfy and also had a heater function, though with my seat pushed back to accommodate my long legs, this meant the rear passenger seats served no purpose apart from storing extra shopping. I did manage to get four adults in the car but can't really say it was comfortable for any of us but I guess just being in a Mustang helped us keep our mind off the discomfort. Other creature comforts in the Mustang is the large infotainment screen with Ford Sync 3 which has Android Auto and Apple Car Play, it also came with a Bang & Olufsen Sound System with a 12" sub woofer in the trunk! As an Indian guy this pleased me a lot, I mean a drop top with a cracking sound system?! Who needed a V8 when all you are going to do is cruise along the coast blasting the tunes? 

VERDICT

Overall, there's not much to say besides, IT'S A MUSTANG! Yes. its big, yes its in your face but that is what Mustangs are meant to be. If you want something modest, go buy a Corolla. It was my first drive in a Mustang and it lived up to everything I hoped it would. The fine mix of technology with the old is also great, which doesn't stray too much away from the legacy of the American icon. The styling is on point with great looks and options for you to choose from and customize the look of your Mustang. It still retains that great heritage and as mentioned, even with the Ecoboost motor, you're still getting quality performance that rivals others in its class. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.3L EcoBoost
Gear Box	10-Speed Automatic
Torque	441Nm
Power	231kW
Economy	No one cares, its a Mustang
Price	R930,370

Pictures by @dbn_spotter 

Bucket Seat: Ford Go Further Africa

This past Tuesday I was part of many local motoring journalists that attended the Ford "Go Further" conference which was held in Sandton at the International Convention Centre. For those who aren't familiar with what it is all about, well it's Ford's very own showcase of what they have in store for the upcoming year in terms of new models, projected figures, past year figures and have a party. Basically it's their very own motor show. Besides the local media, there was international media, local and other dealers from Sub Sarahan Africa as well as key clients of the company in attendance. So you can only imagine the magnitude of something like this. 

The conference kicked off with an exhibition with some of the current models in the Ford fleet, with passenger cars like the Fiesta, Fusion, Focus and the commercial line up as well. Guests had time to have an up close look at these vehicles while having a light lunch before moving onto the main exhibition hall where the main event was being held. 

The show kicked off with Ford's CEO for Sub Saharan Africa, Jeff Nemeth addressing the thousands in attendance about the past year in figures for the company, and then highlighting the way forward for Ford RSA and Africa as a whole. At last years Go Further event it was announced that Ford would release 17 new models over 2 years and so far 11 of those have been brought to the market, the following 6 were due to be unveiled at this years event which left many eager with anticipation over what they could be. 

First up in the small passenger segment was the Ford Figo, a well priced small hatch which now comes in sedan form as well. Lot of characteristics are form the current fiesta with the same stylish interior and front headlights baring a slight resemblance as well. Moving up a segment to the next release was Ford's all new B-Max who's launch coincided with the Go Further Expo, I will be doing a separate review of this vehicle on the blog soon. 

Next up was the big boys, Ford's past Everest model wasn't the best looking product from their stable but in terms of sales it didn't do too badly but couldn't compete with the ever popular models in the same segment from other manufacturers, however with the new look Everest baring the same design style of the new Ford Ranger, this one is looking mighty fine and can see it coming in as a strong contention to rival those from the east who seem to have dominated the SUV market over the years. 

Ford's Ranger has been a sensation in SA, it was the highest selling vehicle in SA at the beginning of the year, yes, vehicle not bakkie. Ford have built over 250,000 of them in South Africa and are planning on expanding operations outside the borders with a new plant being planned for Nigeria. South Africa will still play a pivotal role in supplying the plant with panels for the vehicles and thus will see more job creation in the SA market by the company. The new spec Ford Ranger was unveiled which see's the entire front and cabin being upgraded, making the van look more masculine with a bigger grille, square head lights and bulkier look. It's sure to break more record sales for a van when released. 

It was then time to see what Ford's Performance range had to offer, the big one last year was news that the Mustang was finally considered for the SA market with the product due to hit our shores before December, all orders have officially been open around the country but no indication of pricing yet which seems strange? This year it was announced that Ford will also be bringing down the topless version of the car as well. Having a chance to see the car up close, it really is an impressive machine and if priced well, will do very well in South Africa given not only it's incredible heritage but also the look and feel of the car. 

Like all major shows, it has to end with a bang and that was adequately brought by Ford's all new Focus RS. The hot hatch which is powered by Ford's 2.3 ltr EcoBoost engine produced 257kW of raw power. This is the 3rd generation of the RS model and the all wheel drive car features dynamic torque vectoring for class leading cornering speed and at-limit handling as said by the company. Lots of words but for this car it's all about what it can do on the tarmac. It sounds superb and looks the part with aggressive styling and a massive rear wing. It will be available in 4 colours, one of which is exclusive to the RS and will be hitting our market early next year. 

Win a Mustang!

Yes you read right! AXE, the ultimate weapon of mass seduction for men are giving away the American icon of automobiles and YOU could win it! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out, all you got to do is head down to your nearest stockist of AXE deodorants and purchase 1 or 1000...depending on how good you want your chances to be and sms the last 4 digits of the bar code to 37695 or enter via the AXE facebook page once you've "LIKED" the page, follow through to the Win a Mustang app and enter your details there.

To increase your chances of winning, you can become a fan via your mobile or share the competition with friends on Facebook. This has to be one of the raddest competitions at the moment, even though the petrol price is hitting new heights, owning your very own piece of American Muscle is priceless! All the best and don't forget to keep your receipts to verify your purchases!