Currently reading: Ford Mustang goes V8-only as 2.3-litre Ecoboost option axed

Entry-level four-cylinder variant had claimed just 15% of UK Mustang sales since launch in 2015

The Ford Mustang is now available exclusively with a 5.0-litre V8 engine after the four-cylinder model was removed from production due to low sales.

The entry-level car was introduced in 2015 as the Mk6 Mustang became the first iteration in the model's 50-year history to be officially sold in right-hand-drive form. Since then, it has accounted for just 15% of all Mustang sales in the UK.

It used the same American-built 2.3-litre Ecoboost turbocharged four-cylinder engine as found in the current Focus ST hot hatch and previously employed in the now-axed Focus RS.

Initially arriving with 313bhp, it was detuned slightly in 2018 to comply with new European emissions regulations and most recently produced 286bhp for a 0-62mph time of 5.8sec and a top speed of 145mph. 

Most notably, it was priced from around £10,000 less than the top-rung, V8-powered Mustang GT, meaning the Mustang range now opens at a little over £44,000, up from around £33,000 previously. 

Ford mustang 4cyl 097 rear cornering 0

A Ford spokesperson told Autocar: "The latest Mustang coupé range is V8-only, reflecting customer preference and prior low demand for the 2.3 four-cylinder at 15% of sales.

"Engineering resource has to be prioritised across all car models, balancing their popularity, emissions compliance and CO2 contribution."

The Mustang Ecoboost's removal from the line-up comes shortly after the exclusive Mustang Bullitt was finally discontinued, having originally been intended as a limited-run special for 2018 before evolving into a series-production variant to cope with popular demand.

The Bullitt has essentially been replaced by the new Mustang Mach 1, the fastest Mustang yet sold in Europe, which features similar power and styling upgrades over the standard car and is priced similarly at £55,185. First deliveries of the new variant are scheduled to get underway in the coming weeks. 

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The Ford Mustang is available in the UK in right-hand drive for the first time, but does the rest of this American muscle car fit the UK car scene?

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The removal of the four-cylinder Mustang from order books isn't linked to the arrival of the new Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, which has just gone on sale from £40,350 with an official range of up to 335 miles. 

READ MORE

Ford Mustang 2.3 Ecoboost 2018 UK review​

Fast Ford shootout: V8 Mustang vs Focus ST​

Ford Mustang Mach 1: 454bhp special edition confirmed for Europe​

Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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joetz 8 March 2021

The 2.3 liter was supposed to be the car europe wanted...developed for the european market.  It's amazing how car manufacturers can get it so wrong.  

Peter Cavellini 5 March 2021

How about a ...Four cylinder Capri instead?, it's an old Ford car name, they sold well half a century ago.

289 4 March 2021

common sense at last. A four cylinder Mustang is just wrong!

Exador 5 March 2021
289 wrote:

common sense at last. A four cylinder Mustang is just wrong!

How about an electric one then?

Bob Cholmondeley 5 March 2021
289 wrote:

common sense at last. A four cylinder Mustang is just wrong!

Indeed, who wants an American muscle car with a hot-hatch engine?