Ford Debuts Next-Generation Mustang

Ford Motor Co.'s all-new 2015 Mustang sport coupe, simultaneously introduced on four continents this morning, will go on sale next autumn 50 years after the first model debuted.

The new car carries over familiar styling cues but is lower (by 1.4 inches), wider (by 1.6 inches) and sleeker than its predecessor, with more sharply angled windshield and fastback rear window. A convertible will join the lineup next year shortly after the coupe arrives.

The both iterations will feature a revised, double-ball-joint MacPherson strut front suspension and a first for the Mustang: an independent rear suspension.

The Mustang's standard engine will be a carryover 3.7-liter V-6 that has been tweaked to outperform the current unit's 300 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Buyers can opt for an all-new (and more expensive) 2.3-liter turbocharged EcoBoost 4-cylinder powerplant rated at about 305 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque.

The Mustang GT will come with an updated version of Ford's 5.0-liter V-8 engine. Equipped with a revised valvetrain, cylinder heads and intake manifold, it will generate more than the 420 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque of the 2013 version.

Power will be routed to the rear wheels through an improved manual gearbox or updated automatic with paddle shifters.

Among interior highlights are push-button start, launch control, selectable drive modes, blind spot warning, cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and adjustable gauge colors.