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2015 Ford Mustang Styling Details Begin To Emerge

Kurt Ernst

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26 26,768 views Apr 16, 2012

2011 Ford Evos Concept

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The Mustang is arguably the most recognized brand within the Ford Motor Company family. For nearly 50 years, the Mustang has served as an aspirational sports car for generations of buyers, but the quintessential pony car is facing some challenges as it ends life in its current body style.

Year to date sales aren't as bad as last year, but last month Ford again sold fewer Mustangs than Chevy sold Camaros. The Mustang may be closing the gap, but it doesn't appear that it will outsell the Camaro in 2012, either.

The reasons why the Mustang is slipping backward in the pony car sales race are complex, but Ford thinks the primary reason is this: the current retro-styled Mustang, last redesigned in 2005, just doesn’t appeal to Millenial buyers, who are entering their prime car-buying years.

That means one thing: the 2015 Mustang, which represents the 50th anniversary of the car, won’t be retro in styling. In fact, The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) quotes sources close to the 2015 Mustang project as saying it will look a lot like the Evos show car that Ford debuted last summer.

Some styling elements, such as the round headlights and protruding hood, will carry over into the new model, which is a design we’re having a hard time wrapping our heads around. The Evos was a stunning concept car, but Ford’s already copied many of its elements for the 2013 Ford Fusion.

Can a 2015 Mustang pull off the same styling worn by Ford’s mainstream midsize sedan? Can Ford’s designers, under the watchful eye of group design vice president J Mays, differentiate the new Mustang from both the Fusion and the Evos concept?

Opinions, as you’d guess, differ. A recent Mustang GT convertible buyer, who falls outside the all-important Millennial demographic, summed it up well by saying, “The Evos concept car is a beautiful automobile, but it isn’t a Mustang.” This particular buyer favored the retro styling of the current car, but he may be in the minority.

When shown the Evos concept, a prospective Mustang buyer from the Millennial generation was quoted as saying, “The new one (in reference to the Evos) looks pretty sweet. Maybe I should wait until it comes out.”

And therein lies Ford’s challenge: creating a new Mustang that won’t alienate existing owners and buyers who favor the retro look, while attracting reluctant buyers from Generation Y.

Baby boomers and Gen-Xers will still make up a significant portion of Mustang buyers, but Ford sees the biggest sales growth potential coming from a generation seemingly uninterested in cars their parents drove.

By trying to serve two masters with the next Mustang, Ford runs the very serious risk of pleasing neither of them.

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Comments (26)

Derek Vlcko Posted: 4/16/2012 10:23am PDT

This logic makes NO SENSE. If the Mustang is being outsold by two other retro-styled pony cars, the cause can't be retro styling!! If you want to find the anwer, vist the forums. Ford put in a crappy manual transmission and then didn't take care of their customers when they experienced issues. Ford, fix your quality and the rest will fall in line. Don't screw up this legendary car. If the mellenials (and rest of the globe) wants a car that's not a Mustang, then create one for them. Just don't then expect to turn around and sell it to your base of Mustang loyalists. I smell BS on this one anyhow. Sounds like Ford is crafting an excuse as to why they need to take the Mustang global (small engines, IRS, appeals-to-all styling). This sucks.

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Kurt Ernst Posted: 4/16/2012 12:08pm PDT

@Derek, Ford tried that move before. Remember the Probe? It was originally supposed to be the replacement for the Mustang.

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Hope Posted: 10/28/2012 6:32pm PDT

It was Masda based which ford sold years ago

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Scott Hooten Posted: 10/2/2012 12:20pm PDT

The Camaro is more modern styled with retro cues it sits on the best platform for what it is and has good value. The Mustang just uses retro nostalgia to sell it's self the Challenger doses the same but I have to say it does it a better job of it. They need to kill it honestly give a hiatus like the Camaro had and come back fighting, but then again they tried that with the Thunderbird and failed but then they did do the GT right, well sort of they failed on quality. Maybe they should just stick to what they are good at which is making overpriced economy cars in Europe and that plus trucks in the US.

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Hope Posted: 10/28/2012 6:26pm PDT

But then again. You can drive this car heavy up to red line leaving only dust. FIVE POINT O. She's a little more educated. Unlike most.

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Hope Posted: 10/28/2012 6:31pm PDT

What were ther issues?

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Theresa Owens Posted: 4/16/2012 10:58am PDT

We have only a few vehicles left that make a person stop what they are doing and turn and stare. That is when the FORD MUSTANG goes by them! I really hope the designers and the FORD Company really think this out. Design a whole NEW line of a 2015 car of the future, just leave well enough alone. Reading what Derek Vlcko wrote..you will destroy the Mustang line..I seen the picture of the 2015 and was so saddened by it..so many cars that travel our highways look alike, but when you see a FORD Mustang ..you know exactly what it is!

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Kurt Ernst Posted: 4/16/2012 12:06pm PDT

@Theresa, to be clear, the picture in the article is the Ford Evos concept and not the 2015 Ford Mustang (whose image has yet to be released). Sources say the 2015 Mustang will resemble the Evos, which is why I used the image in my article.

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Hope Posted: 10/28/2012 6:47pm PDT

EH Kurt, have you ever driven a ford lately. Good on ya though . It will never look like that ....so don't post that...cheers

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Scott Hooten Posted: 10/2/2012 12:28pm PDT

I haven't turn my head for a Mustang since the first retro styled one and that got old a year later. I still turn my head for the Camaro and the Challenger and the GTO (which is what I own BTW) and the GTO isn't a retro styled car. Even though Mustangs are powerful and fast they just don't look it they aren't as cool looking and hurt your eyes at least the early retros do, the newer one isn't bad.

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mark godwin Posted: 5/13/2013 11:30am PDT

The last GTO ran well, but for looks it was plain white bread. Sorry, that blows your opinion for asthetics.

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Matt Frawley Posted: 4/16/2012 11:09am PDT

if you will hate buy a Mustang III with FWD and four cylinder . I believe popular will hate official Ford Motor Company near future. I love old or classic Ford cars. I hate new Ford cars are future. it will mo more RWD cars for Ford. I think bad news about Australian Ford Falcon RWD switch next generation FWD.

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Kurt Ernst Posted: 4/16/2012 12:09pm PDT

@Matt, don't expect the Mustang to move away from RWD any time soon and certainly not for the next generation.

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WizardsLore Posted: 4/16/2012 8:17pm PDT

further to this. The next gen Falcon will not be FWD it will remain as RWD. the model after this will either be AWD or FWD, dependent on their being an AWD system that is light enough.

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Brian Parker Posted: 4/16/2012 11:43am PDT

I don't see the issue: It should be simple to place round headlamps within the elongated lighting slots of the Evos: the current Mustang forward lighting assemblies aren't exactly round...
...and the grille of the EVOS is already pushed farther forward than Fusion - All they have to do is stretch out the tail for a bit of a trunklid and clean up the rear valence, vertically divide the taillamp clusters into thirds and place a round medallion in the center of the rear valence and you'll have a modern Mustang.

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Andrew Barrett Posted: 4/16/2012 6:37pm PDT

The Challenger DID NOT SELL MORE than the Mustang!!! After reading that part of this article it lost all credibility, Im sorry but that is such a lie, the Camaro BARELY outsold the Mustang by like 100 units and the Challenger far behind...and the reason is bc the Camaro and Challenger couldnt keep in the game, Camaro died in 2002 and Challenger decades ago, so really Ford has not lost any touch with it fans, as its been CONTINUOUSLLY in production ince 1964, and will continue to go on and on and on

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Kurt Ernst Posted: 4/17/2012 4:34am PDT

@Andrew, you're correct, and (unfortunately) I relied on inaccurate data when writing the article. Last month Ford moved 9,046 Mustangs, to Dodge's 4,304 Challengers. Chevy sold 9,292 Camaros, which is nearly 250 units more than the Mustang (246 to be precise).

Anyway, the article is now corrected, so thanks for pointing out the inaccuracy.

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Geoffrey Cote Posted: 4/18/2012 8:57am PDT

We all make mistakes when relying on information released earlier than usual, so as far as a loss in credibility as Andrew stated, you didn't lose credibility with me, and thanks Andrew for getting the right info as we all appreciate seeing where our stang stacks up against the competition month to month. With that being said, lets face it, Mustang has had it all over these retro classic American car manufacturers by coming out with their retro classic models well after Ford had been out with the retro stang beating the competition by many years. Ford was way ahead of the ball game and I would be interested to see the numbers from "since 2005 production" compared to the followers since their model has hit the market on total unit sales. THX

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Kurt Ernst Posted: 4/18/2012 10:38am PDT

@Geoffrey, through 2011, the numbers look like this:

-Mustang, launched in '05, 764,159 units since
-Camaro, launched in '09, 231,196 units since
-Challenger, launched in '08, 119,600 units since

If you take the average of each model, Ford has sold 109,165 Mustangs per year, compared to 77,065 Camaros and 29,900 Challengers.

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WizardsLore Posted: 4/16/2012 8:20pm PDT

im with the revolutionary vision of evolution. yes that sounds liek a contradiction but bare with me. Im a believer in that instead of changing the whole dynamic of the car design why not change it gradually so that people get used to it. Frd cant afford to evolve the mustang over another 20 years into the space age styling of the concept car pitcured above, but why not incorporate some of its tech in what is arguably the brands Halo car even though it is as mainstream as the Fusion.

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burketwo Posted: 4/17/2012 4:45am PDT

I think Ford is moving in the right direction. A global Mustang needs more and better specs: better gas mileage, traction control and 4WD. Enough with the retro-styling! It's boring. If you want an old looking muscle car in good shape, you can always go to Mecum Auction and find one that fits your taste and style

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Les A Posted: 4/17/2012 9:49am PDT

Styling of the Mustang has taken on a cartoonish look. Exaggerated details make it a caricature of itself. More like an expanded Matchbox car than a "real" car. Some how the stylists seem to miss the idea that grace, clean lines, and proportion are appealing. The Evos is a nice looking car, but its looks would need to be modified to make it a Mustang.

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SoCalOldGuy Posted: 4/17/2012 5:12pm PDT

Everytime FORD re-designs the Mustang, the sales plummet, lest we forget the Mustang II? If they want to build a "Global Car" then do so with the EVOS. Leave the MUSTANG ALONE!!!! FORD already ruined the styling by "rounding off" the rear end (yuk). The MUSTANG is an ICON, like the Corvette, and look at the crap that GM had to put up with when they restyled it?!! Not to mention the sales numbers, it took YEARS for the Vette faithful to embrace the change. Oh and the Camaro sales, it's because they are practically giving them away with all the factory incentives. I bought my 06 GT drop-top, because I wanted a reto-looking muscle car with todays tech. I agree with the others here that say to update the tech of the car, don't touch the looks

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Greg Smith Posted: 4/18/2012 3:13pm PDT

Dear Ford, Ive ownen a 1991 mustang 5,0 coupe(240a), for 20yrs, light mods, quick car. loaned to a friend to go 1 mile he lost it and smaked a guard rail (15mph)light hit, I love this little car, never abused 1st clutch at 156000 miles, has 169k on it now. ,This car is a 4 passenger spcciality(on window sticker) .need a new nose still runs and drives straight, cant and wont sell, its a part of me, drove it everyday for 17yrs, problem free, one alt and two batteries, saving money to fix her correct and then by a new one. just wanted to share? Anybody out there that has a 90,91,92 straight front end,let me know, Anybody that has owned a fox body coupe knows that there is not another stang that is and was as fun to drive as 88-93 coupes.Greg

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Mason Roalsvig Posted: 4/21/2012 8:43pm PDT

This is very frustrating. The evos concept is a beautiful car and a great direction for the mustang to move. I've hoped the mustang could evolve in to a great sports car like that. The design is american, if you took a second to look. Its not german or french or italian or british. Squint your eyes a bit and many of the previous features of the mustang pop right out. The curve over the rear wheels, long protruding hood, aggressive stance. Everything else is details. For any car to survive in today's world you need it to be global, period. If you want a retro car buy a 1960's model or even a current one. Retro has to end sometime though. This would easily be a great modern interpretation of the old styling. 2015 isn't 1964.

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Ahkeith Salley Posted: 5/24/2012 9:37am PDT

The so-called Retro styling was a good move for mustang. Fact is. its sales decline -almost- has nothing to do with its styling although its probably 10% of the issue. People need to remember the camaro was gone for YEARS!!! Obviously with the return of Chevy lovers mustang clone, its sales would quickly surpass the mustang just for the sake of it being NEW!, Nothing more!. The Mustang itself DOES need an all new chassis, a true blue sports car chassis no compromise especially since Ford has Focus and Fusion to fill those specific market targets, The mustang No longer has to be that -a little of everything- car. It now can and should be a solid sports car! lightweight low, wide sleek sexy. Keep the Retro styling Facia's C scoop.

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