First Official 2015 Ford Mustang Power Figures Fall Short of Estimates - But That's Ok

When the 2015 Ford Mustang was introduced back in December 2013, the Motor Company offered only power estimates for the 2.3L EcoBoost and the 5.0L V8. Ford promised that the EcoBoost would offer at least 300 horsepower and at least 300lb-ft of torque while the 5.0L V8 would offer at least 420 horsepower and at least 390lb-ft of torque – basically saying that the EcoBoost would pack more power than the base V6 and the 2015 5.0L V8 would offer more power than the 2014 Mustang GT. Early rumors suggested that the EcoBoost would have around 325 horsepower and slightly more torque while V8 discussions leaned towards the range of 450 horsepower and 425lb-ft of torque.

Well, Ford announced their first official power numbers yesterday for the entire 2015 Mustang lineup and while the numbers are very strong, they are a touch lower than many expected. It should be noted that these are not yet SAE certified and these numbers could change before the 2015 Mustang reaches dealerships.

Official Power Figures for the 2015 Mustang
The 2015 Ford Mustang base model with the 3.7L V6 will offer 300 horsepower and 280lb-ft of torque. That is actually a drop from the 2014 V6 Mustang of 5 horsepower. Considering the slow shift away from this aging V6 engine, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that there has been a slight reduction in power.

The 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost was promised to have at least 300 horsepower and 300lb-ft of torque, and both of those numbers have been exceeded in the first official power figures. Ford has listed the EcoBoost as packing 310 horsepower and 320lb-ft of torque when running on premium 93 octane gasoline. That is a touch lower than some of the rumored numbers, but that is still a significant advantage over the base V6 and it should hit those numbers while also offering incredible fuel economy.

The 2015 Ford Mustang GT powered by the 5.0L V8 was promised to have more than the 420 horsepower and 390lb-ft of torque offered by the 2014 Mustang GT, and it does. The 2015 Mustang GT will offer 435 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque, making it more powerful than the current Camaro SS while also weighing less. This is a bit short of the 450 horsepower that many had hoped for, but it is an appropriate increase for the next generation Mustang GT.

The Final Power Figures Could Be Higher
One key aspect that many outlets have failed to take note of is that these official power figures for the 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost and Mustang GT are not yet SAE certified. The output of the 3.7L V6 is official under SAE standards, but neither the 2.3L EcoBoost nor the 5.0L V8 numbers are certified thus far. Ford engineers have alluded to the fact that the 2.3L EcoBoost could actually be a bit higher, but they definitely will not be lower. As for the 5.0L V8, the numbers of 435 horsepower and 400lb-ft of torque are expected by the folks at Ford to be pretty much dead on…but there is potential for slightly higher numbers from the Mustang GT engine as well.

SAE certification will be completed for all of the 2015 Ford Mustang engines within the next month or so, at which point we will finally learn what official power numbers will be used for marketing purposes of the next generation Mustang.