A new top is at the center of the improvements for the sixth-generation convertible. It features is a new electromechanical drive system that will have the vehicle’s all-new insulted roof down in half the time -- about seven seconds -- than the current generation. The 2014 model, with an electro-hydraulic system, has two separate latches on each side of the vehicle and can take about 14-17 seconds to lower.Watch video
ALLEN PARK, MI- Ford Motor Co. believes new styling cues and features on the 2015 Mustang convertible may have more people opting to purchase the drop-top.
Steve Ling, Ford car marketing manager, said the Dearborn-based automaker believes improvements to the vehicle – particularly a new insulated cloth roof – should help drive convertible sales above its current level of about 18 percent of Mustangs sold.
“I do think it's going to go up a little bit,” he said Wednesday during a media briefing at Ford’s wind tunnel facility in Allen Park. “If from nothing else, just from the feedback we’ve gotten on the car … what i really like is that the car’s wider and it’s lower, and when the new top is down, it exaggerates that even more.”
Ling would not say exactly how much sales are expected to increase, but added Ford, which produces the Mustang at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan, is ready for any spike in sales.
A new top is at the center of the improvements for the convertible. It features is a new electromechanical drive system that will have the vehicle’s all-new insulted roof down in half the time – about seven seconds – than the current generation. The 2014 model, with an electro-hydraulic system, has two separate latches on each side of the vehicle and can take about 14-17 seconds to lower.
The speed of the top will arguably be the most noticeable difference to customers, but the Dearborn-based automaker says it really held nothing back when it came to slight improvements to transform a convertible owners experience.
Improvements range from stitching with the roof, which now features a standard fabric outer layer with insulation for the first time, to a single-handle center latch to release and lock the roof.
"It's super easy compared to the current model," said Ron Lovasz, Mustang product development engineer, regarding the center latch.
Lovasz, who has worked on Mustang since 2005, said the improvements came from a mix of “good input” from customers and new developments thanks to the engineers and designers working hand-in-hand from the beginning of the vehicle’s development.
Other roof improvements that might not be so obvious to the common eye include the insulated roof, which lowers noise and provides a smoother silhouette; a more compact design so the roof folds flat, helping increase trunk volume by 19 percent to a class-leading 11.4 cubic feet (or about two golf bags); and new stitching along the sides to prevent rain runoff over the windows and into the vehicle.
Ling said the 2015 Mustang convertible will be available with pretty much everything as the coupe, including all three engine options. “The car was developed to be a convertible from the get-go,” he said.
Engine options for the 2015 Mustang, which Ford unveiled globally Dec. 5, features a 5.0-liter V8 with upgraded valvetrain and cylinder heads that yield more than 420 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque; 3.7-liter V6 with at least 300 horsepower and 270 lb.ft. of torque; and an all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine at more than 305 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque.
Ford said the 2015 Mustang should go into production by mid-2014 and be available in U.S. showrooms in the fall. Ford is doing a staggered global release, with the vehicle arriving in global markets, including Europe and Asia, through 2015. Ordering is expected to begin in the summer, according to Ling.
The iconic pony car features a sleeker design with a lower, wider stance and bolder dual grille. It's definitely a Mustang, but features new design cues and technologies -- from LED lights to integral-link independent rear suspension.
Ford sold 77,186 Mustangs in 2013, a seven percent decrease compared to 2012.
Check back to MLive Friday morning for more on the vehicle’s aerodynamics.