Next-gen Ford Mustang launch date confirmed

The next-gen Mustang, codenamed S650, will be revealed to the public in two years’ time, according to a job advertisement from Ford.

Interestingly, confirmation of the next-gen ’Stang’s launch doesn’t come from an inside scoop or leaked document, but Ford itself.

FoMoCo is obviously ramping up development for the current-generation S550’s replacement, and placed an ad on LinkedIn for a Wind/Road Noise and Air Leakage Plant Vehicle Team (PVT) Engineer at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.

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The job ad was spotted by a forum user on Mustang 6G.

In the listing, Ford states that the applicant would be “part of the proud team to deliver Ford and Lincoln quality on the current model Mustang (S550) and be the final sign off on the Ford 2023 Mustang S650 vehicle program before it goes to the customers.”

This both confirms the next-gen Mustang’s internal code, and when it will be revealed to the public.

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Timing for the S650 in the job ad lines up with what Ford insiders have told Wheels, with the all-new Mustang not expected for another couple of years.

Details of what changes will be made for the next-generation model remain thin on the ground, but we’d be happy to wager it involves keeping a big bent-eight petrol engine under the bonnet.

There is some conjecture as to whether the next-generation Mustang will be built on top of a all-new modular platform known as CD6, or whether it remains on the current S550 platform.

The CD6 platform, which will be a modular design, will also underpin the next Explorer SUV.

If the Mustang does shift to the new CD6 platform for its next iteration, it opens the way for first-ever electrified – or at least hybridised – version of the venerable pony car, which would accompany the forthcoming Mach E crossover that’s set for release later this year.

However, with cost cutting and belt-tightening currently all the rage in Ford’s Dearborn HQ, it may well decide to extend the life of the orphan S550 platform by giving it a thorough update both inside and out to extend its working life for another generation.

This means that the first all-new Mustang of the 21st century may not reveal itself until 2029 at the earliest.

The sixth-generation S550 Mustang was first revealed in 2014, and has been a global success.

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Being built in both right- and left-hand drive configurations, the Mustang has moved into markets outside North America such as Europe and Australia, with sales outstripping Ford’s own expectations.

A number of engines are available for the S550 across several variants, ranging from a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, all the way to the monstrous 5.2-litre ‘Predator’ supercharged V8 of the GT500.