Over the past decade, Americans have fallen more in love with SUVs than ever. Advancements in fuel economy, safety, and performance are why SUVs are ever popular with families and car dealers alike. Car-based SUVs have taken over our roads as the preferable mode of family transportation, surpassing the long-time favorite sedan.
Here’s a quick quiz: Which American car companies still make traditional sedans?
If you said Ford or General Motors, do I have news for you…
Back in 2018, Ford announced its decision to kill off its low-riding sedan and hatchback offerings in favor of SUVs and trucks. Long-serving nameplates like the Focus and Fusion and enthusiast favorites like the Fiesta ST ceased production to make way for the development of new SUVs and trucks like the Bronco and Maverick. With that said, Ford knew it had to keep one car in development and production to retain its history and dominance in the sports-car segment: the Mustang.
The Mustang is Ford’s only “car” produced and sold today. Ford’s decision to kill off its cars in favor of SUVs might have sounded crazy in 2018, but it makes a lot of sense once you think about it. When did you or your friend last want to spend your hard-earned money on a Ford Fusion or Focus over the more reliable and better-equipped imports from Japan and Korea? Ford knew its market was in trucks and SUVs, and by switching lanes completely, they have been able to allocate resources to further the development of vehicles in demand, like the Bronco, F150, and Maverick. And their strategy is working, with the two other Detroit staples following suit.
General Motors followed Ford’s footsteps shortly after, killing off all cars except the Corvette and Camaro before recently announcing the latter would be discontinued by the end of 2023. Chrysler still makes the 300, and Dodge still sells the Charger and Challenger; those are the only American “cars” on the market today. The legendary current generation of MOPAR muscle is set to end production by the end of 2023 and will leave the Mustang as the only choice in the front-engined, rear-wheel drive, V8 coupe segment. The departures from its Detroit rivals will give the new S550 Mustang a lot well-deserved attention.
The redesigned 2024 Mustang, though not an entirely new vehicle, retains its important characteristics and builds upon its greatness. A standard 2.3 EcoBoost 4 cylinder and the 5.0 V8 are the only engines available for now, with the V8 having the luxury of a Tremec 6 speed while the EcoBoost is auto-only this generation. The new top-of-the-line “Dark Horse” strives to be the pinnacle of V8 performance with 500 hp from the factory. We expect to see a “Dark Horse R” follow-up with the supercharged 5.2 Voodoo V8 making its way under the hood in the coming years.
The Mustang remains an icon of American motoring that has become more advanced, sharpened, and improved with this new generation. Without direct competition from GM and Chrysler, the Mustang can spread its wings and fly with this new generation.
