Ford Mustang launched in India for Rs 65 lac ex-showroom, Delhi

Ford Mustang launched in India for Rs 65 lac ex-showroom, Delhi

The original pony car is here at a competitive price. A lot of car for not so much money

How exactly do you “soft launch” a luridly-coloured 2+2 sports car with the history of the Mustang? Evidently by inviting a select few journalists to India’s only F1 track and telling them about it. Collectively, this privileged bunch has more followers than God, so we’re sure the news will stay a secret. <<SARCASM EMOJI>>

We’re feeling kinda sorry for the PR professionals who have to take calls today under the circumstances, most of which are some version of “Y U NO CALL ME OR SEND PRESS RELEASE?”

We’re paraphrasing, of course. But only slightly.

As we expected, Ford India has launched the full-bore V8 Mustang GT in India at a very competitive ₹65 lac, ex-showroom Delhi. For that money, you get 395bhp, 515Nm of torque, a 6-speed automatic transmission and all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a range-topping sports car. There are four driving modes on offer: Normal (Aunty-Ji so rahi hai), Sport+ (aunti-ji jaye bhaand mein), Track (AI SHAPATH!) and Wet/Snow (Mumbai mode). The eagle-eyed reader may have noticed that the power figure is a bit short of what’s available internationally. That’s to allow for Indian fuel quality. Those who’ve owned high-performance vehicles will know how much of a pain it is to have the engine check light come on and enable limp mode when you’re unable to get 97 octane. Fair enough, we say.

There’s plenty of gadgetry to keep you interested as well. There’s Ford’s SYNC2 system for smartphone connectivity with an 8" screen. Ford’s MyKey system is present, which allows you to limit what the car can do when you hand it to a valet. There’s HID headlamps and LED tail lamps and 19" wheels and performance brakes. There’s also a cool “burnout mode” that locks the front brakes while leaving the rear tyres to spin and “warm up” as much as you like. Yeah, that’s what we’ll use it for — to ensure we get more traction later.

This is the first year Ford is offering the Mustang globally in both left- and right-hand drive versions, and will enter India via the CBU route, imported from the Flat Rock assembly plant in the USA. This will drive the price up in Maharashtra, which now charges 20% RTO taxes for imported vehicles. Still, with a ₹65 lac ex-showroom price, the Mustang is very competitive. You’d pay as much for a CLA 45 AMG which has four less cylinders and way less torque.