Convertible follows Ford Mustang coupe update

FORD has unveiled the updated version of its convertible Mustang sportscar less than a week after the Fastback coupe debuted the same range of subtle styling changes and technical enhancements.

Aesthetically, the front-end revisions are limited to redesigned LED headlights, updated grille and front bumper with new vents, while its fettled bonnet also has a pair of new wider vents.

At the back, the all-LED tail-lights have also been reworked, while a blacked-out diffuser shrouds a new quad-tip exhaust for V8-powered GT variants.

No elements of the convertible’s defining features have been affected in the mid-life update, with the folding fabric roof carrying over from the original unchanged.

Ford Australia product communications manager Damion Smy told GoAuto that updated convertible versions will follow the refreshed Fastback towards the latter part of 2018, but more detailed information was unavailable at this stage.

Exact local specifications are yet to be finalised but Mr Smy said the decision to offer the convertible as an automatic only had appealed to existing customers and was unlikely to change with the arrival of the updated version.

While the drop-top version has garnered some attention Down Under, it is the Fastback that has won most Australian customers with 78 per cent of local orders made for the coupe.

In addition to the styling tweaks, the convertible has a choice of up to 12 wheel designs and GT versions have an additional active valve exhaust system added to the options list, which alters the engine note and volume according to revs.

The shoutier exhaust is matched to a “thoroughly reworked” 5.0-litre V8 which has been squeezed to produce a higher power figure and a more lofty rev limit, although the car-maker has neglected to reveal the new total at this stage.

Both V8 and 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder EcoBoost engines are now bolted to a 10-speed automatic transmission in place of the previous seven-speed version.

For six-speed manual versions, the gearbox has been upgraded and in the case of the V8 – completely redesigned to incorporate a twin-disc clutch matched to a dual-mass flywheel.

Ford’s MagneRide dampers are available optionally across the board to “optimise ride and handling” says the company, but customers who do not tick the box get standard suspension that has upgraded dampers, complemented by other suspension revisions.

On the inside, the cabin has been updated with aluminium trims for the doors and a hand-stitched centre console complete with knee padding, with new colour choices and patterns.

A new customisable 12-inch digital instrument panel replaces the previous gauges, while driver assistance technology such as pedestrian detection and pre-collision assistance is new to the Mustang range.