2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse review: First drive
The new Ford Mustang is due in Australian showrooms early next year, and will launch with a special edition that already has a long queue of buyers before the first car arrives or the price is known.
- Looks the business from any angle
- Epic sound from the engine and the exhaust
- Stunning brake performance, suspension not bone-jarring
- Most cabin control access is via a touchscreen
- Still a tight squeeze in the cabin
- Safety rating is an unknown for now
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
The new-generation Ford Mustang is due in Australian showrooms in the first half of 2024.
And rather than launch with only the regular line-up – the V8-powered GT and the turbo four-cylinder EcoBoost – Ford will launch with a special edition from the get-go.
It’s called the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and is the spiritual successor to the Mach 1 that was sold towards the end of the previous-generation model.
This iteration is called the Dark Horse because, Ford says, we didn’t see it coming.
It also has a menacing forward-facing 'pony' badge for the first time (rather than the side-on view of a leaping Mustang). Each Dark Horse badge is mounted on the front fenders and boot lid.
The bodywork might look familiar, but this is a new model on the reworked underpinnings of the outgoing Mustang.
The engines have had significant overhauls, and the 10-speed automatic transmission has been recalibrated for smoother and more intuitive shifts.
With all these changes, there is every chance the price will rise.
How much does the Mustang Dark Horse cost in Australia?
Ford Australia is yet to announce pricing for the new Ford Mustang range – or the Dark Horse edition.
As a guide, however, its predecessor the Ford Mustang Mach 1 started from $83,365 plus on-road costs in Australia, about $20,000 more than the regular Mustang GT.
Given the wave of price rises across the car industry over the past two years, we're tipping a price of about $89,990 plus on-road costs for the Dark Horse. To be clear this is our best guess, not an official pricing guide.
Here's hoping Ford dealers don't get greedy on dealer delivery charges (also known as a 'buyer's premium' or 'market adjustment' in the US on in-demand cars that are in short supply).
With the Ford Mustang Dark Horse planned to be a part of the line-up rather than a limited edition, this will hopefully remove some of the pricing pressure.
Key details | 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse |
Price | $89,990 plus on-road costs (estimate) |
Rivals | Toyota Supra | Nissan Z Coupe | BMW M440i |
How much space does the Mustang Dark Horse have inside?
The new Ford Mustang is still cosy inside.
The low roof line and small window area make it difficult to see out of at times.
The back seat is a token effort, really intended for kids – or your shopping or luggage.
But the presentation of the interior has been given a big lift.
There are two widescreen digital displays (one for the instrument cluster and one for infotainment), which have various levels of personalisation – including retro and modern design themes.
The Recaro sports seats are snug – but not too tight for larger frames.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse | |
Seats | Four |
Boot volume | 377L |
Length | 4818mm |
Width | 1918mm |
Height | 1410mm |
Wheelbase | 2718mm |
Does the Mustang Dark Horse have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Wireless and wired connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available in the US and expected in Australia, though local specifications are yet to be announced.
The cars on the preview drive were not equipped with premium audio. We're not sure if this means premium audio is not available, or if Australia may add that to the mix once it draws up its spec sheet.
But it still has most mod-cons, such as USB-C and USB-A charging ports, as well as a wireless smartphone charging pad.
Is the Mustang Dark Horse a safe car?
Some buyers might say they don't care about safety – as long as the vehicle passes Australian Design Rule (ADR) regulations.
However, it is worth noting ADRs are a low bar, and in the past few years we have seen new vehicles enter the Australian market, only to later discover their ANCAP crash-test performance was left wanting, with one-, two- or three-star ratings in an industry where the maximum of five is considered the bare minimum.
The previous-generation Ford Mustang – on which this new model is based – initially scored a poor two-star score in 2015 and was uprated to three stars in 2017 after some minor technical changes.
To be clear, the previous-generation Ford Mustang was not penalised because it was lacking a particular safety buzzer or warning. The crumple zone, crash structure and seatbelt pre-tensioner activation contributed to below-average occupant protection scores.
There was no independent crash data available for the new Ford Mustang as this review was published – in the US, Europe or Australia.
However, given the significant overhaul to the new model – and Ford being put on notice now that this car is under the glare of independent safety bodies – there is hope the crash safety score will be better than it was for the predecessor.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse | |
ANCAP rating | Untested |
What safety technology does the Mustang Dark Horse have?
The usual suite of advanced safety technology is standard on the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse, including autonomous emergency braking, radar cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert and blind-zone warning.
A 360-degree camera and rear sensors are also standard. There are seven airbags (two front airbags, two seat-mounted side airbags, two 'curtain' airbags and a driver's knee airbag.
The speed-sign recognition and 'smart' cruise-control system on the test car tripped up a few times.
We had the speed set to the correct limit, but then inexplicably the car began to accelerate to the next speed tier (from 55mph to 65mph). A quick dab of the brakes disabled the cruise control and the acceleration, but it was a highly unusual technical gremlin. It happened three times during our US test drive.
How much does the Mustang Dark Horse cost to maintain?
Insurance estimates are not yet available on the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, given the price of the vehicle is yet to be published in Australia.
However, an estimate for an annual insurance premium on the Ford Mustang Mach 1 came to $3113 from one leading insurer, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
At a glance | 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $897 ($299 per visit over three years) $1626 ($299 per visit over four years, $430 on fifth year) * Ford Mustang Mach 1 pricing, Dark Horse costs may vary |
Is the Mustang Dark Horse fuel-efficient?
The average fuel consumption claim for the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is listed at 13.8L/100km based on US data.
This makes it thirstier than the Ford Mustang Mach 1 it replaces (12.4L/100km). This is the price of delivering more power.
The fuel consumption data we saw on the preview drive was not indicative of real-world use because the test entailed track time, so we will reserve judgment until we test it on local roads.
Fuel Consumption - brought to you by bp
Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 13.8L/100km (US data) |
Fuel type | 98-octane premium unleaded recommended |
Fuel tank size | 60L |
What is the Mustang Dark Horse like to drive?
The Dark Horse gets the same menacing new design as the rest of the new Ford Mustang line-up – with the wide grille and wedge-style tail-lights – but it comes with revised suspension, a new wheel and tyre package, Recaro sports seats, and massive race-bred Brembo brakes.
The other big news is under the bonnet. For the Dark Horse, the Ford Mustang's 5.0-litre V8 has been uprated to 500 horsepower (or 373kW) and 418lb.ft of torque (567Nm).
Ford Australia is yet to finalise these figures, but this is what comes out of the calculator when we do the conversion.
It's the most powerful, non-supercharged 5.0-litre V8 Mustang to come out of the factory to date.
Rev-heads might have noticed there are two giant air intakes – one in each front corner of the car – so the V8 can breathe in plenty of oxygen through the large nostrils in the grille.
And it sounds incredible, whether you're standing near the front or the back of the car.
The quad exhaust tips and rear muffler set-up sound even throatier than the Mach 1 – and much more assertive than the comparatively muted noise from the regular Ford Mustang V8.
The other impressive aspect of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse: the revised Brembo brakes. They have been uprated to 390mm two-piece discs clamped by six-piston callipers up front and 355mm discs and four-piston callipers at the rear.
Not only do they wash off speed with incredible ease – despite the weight of the car – they have a precise pedal feel, almost like a good pair of scissors.
The previous 10-speed auto wasn't the smoothest operator, but the fine-tuning done to this latest iteration works well. It is more intuitive, hunts around for gears less often, and slams through the ratios as needed.
The paddle shifters on the steering wheel (in automatic variants) also give the driver an extra level of control, especially in tight turns.
The six-speed manual is light and precise (for a big, heavy performance car) and the rev-matching on downshifts works a treat.
But we reckon the auto is the pick of the two if you want to accelerate faster and more efficiently.
Old-school enthusiasts will opt for the manual. And that's fine. We get it. It's part of the appeal. But the automatic is quicker and better in every way, whether in a straight line or around a racetrack.
Speaking of track work, Drive was invited – along with other international media – to attend this preview drive of the Ford Mustang Dark Horse at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the home of NASCAR.
We got to test the vehicle on a section of the banked oval, as well as the twists and turns of a shortened section of racetrack – and on nearby public roads at city and suburban speeds.
On the track we tested a Dark Horse equipped with the optional Performance Pack – track-ready tyres, lightweight wheels (19x9-inch up front and 19x9.5-inch rear), and extra aerodynamic aids.
And on the road we tested a regular model – on the standard Pirelli tyre and wheel package (19x8.5-inch front and rear) that is coming to Australia.
The Performance Pack won't be available in Australia as a factory-fit option via Ford showrooms (even though it is in the US), but the same upgrade kit will be sold via Herrod Motorsport, the local representative for Ford Performance. Price and availability of the kits are yet to be announced.
What was evident on the track, however, is the Ford Mustang Dark Horse with the Performance Pack (sticky tyres, lightweight wheels, extra aero) is a brilliant turn-key solution for weekend warriors who like to participate in amateur motorsport on weekends.
The grip and responsiveness from the tyres are extraordinary. In this guise, it has the reflexes of a hot hatch rather than a V8 muscle car.
Previous experience tells us, though, this 'semi-slick' tyre package is dicey for road use, especially in the wet, as it takes time for the tyres to warm up.
So Ford Australia has made the right move opting for the street version of the Pirelli tyre rather than the track version. Any buyers who want to be weekend warriors can source the Performance Pack separately.
While the track experience was in an automatic equipped with the Performance Pack, our road drive was in a manual on regular Pirelli rubber.
The suspension is taut – and can be busy at times – but it is not bone-jarring. Magnetically controlled dampers help iron out most (but not all) of the bumps.
The Recaro sports seats look snug – and they are – but they are not suffocating. Ford seems to have made them a little broader this time around for large folks.
Downsides? There aren't many. The biggest blot on the new Ford Mustang's copybook: unfortunately Ford has elected to cram as much cabin-control functionality in its touchscreen as possible, at a time when other manufacturers are reinstating dials and buttons for key functions.
This means adjusting the air-conditioning or switching radio stations must be navigated on a touchscreen while you're trying to keep one eye on the road and one on the display.
Is it a deal-breaker? Probably not. Would the new Ford Mustang be a better car to live with day-to-day with a few buttons and dials added back in? Absolutely.
Key details | 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse |
Engine | 5.0-litre V8 |
Power | 373kW @ 7250rpm |
Torque | 567Nm @ 4900rpm |
Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
Transmission | 10-speed torque converter automatic, six-speed manual |
Power-to-weight ratio | 206 to 208kW/t |
Weight | 1811kg (auto) 1791kg (manual) |
Spare tyre type | Tyre repair kit |
Should I buy a Mustang Dark Horse?
If you have read this far, you probably already have an order in.
In which case, you're in luck. The Ford Mustang Dark Horse feels like it has already been through finishing school.
Customarily, new models tend to fall short in a few areas when they are fresh out of the box at launch. But the Ford Mustang Dark Horse has the benefit of being a development of the previous Mustang chassis. That means the engineers knew what they were working with from the get-go, and which areas they needed to fine-tune.
To sum up. The Ford Mustang Dark Horse looks great and sounds great. The only question mark is the price.