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Next-Generation Ford Mustang (S650) Pushed Back To 2026?

S550 is how the Ford Motor Company calls the sixth generation of the Mustang, and we’ve heard the heir-apparent is codenamed S650. On the downside, it appears that the seventh won’t enter production until 2026, even later according to Automobile Magazine.
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 176 photos
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Remember when the carparazzi were photographing the S550 under camouflage, and everyone was baffled by the independent suspension for the rear axle? Ford needs to deliver an all-encompassing makeover of the Mustang if the S650 is to be received with similar enthusiasm by the pony-loving public, let alone the driver-centric public with a passion for the GT350, GT350R, and GT500 for the 2020 model year.

Pushing back the debut of the seventh ‘Stang is somewhat curious, let alone if you remember that Ford builds the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator on the CD6 vehicle architecture of the S650. The building block is here, already available, but the higher-ups aren’t willing to upgrade right now. Considering how many S550 models were sold to date all across the world, there’s no denying Ford wants to squeeze out every bit of the S550 until the time comes to invest in different tooling and manufacturing facilities.

The Mustang Hybrid, which was supposed to arrive in 2020? Yeah, scrap that! Automobile Magazine understands from “sources” that Ford pushed back to 2022, and we’re even more inclined to think the higher-ups are on a cash grab with the S550. Even the F-150 Hybrid will arrive in dealer showrooms by then, making this Mustang affair nothing more than corporate scheming on behalf of the bean counters.

If the report is accurate and Ford starts production of the S650 in 2026, the S550 would be 12 by then. Twelve years old, that is, making it older than the S-197 and SN-95 generations. Only the Fox-based Mustang would exceed the S550 in terms of life cycle, having been around from 1978 through 1993.

Given the timeframe offered by Automobile Magazine, we’re inclined to believe that Ford will facelift the S550 for a second time until 2026. The first “mid-cycle refresh” came in January 2017 for the 2018 model year, four years and two months after the sixth generation went official at same-day media events in the U.S., Spain, China, and Australia.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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