No V8, No Problem? Ford Debuts 2020 Mustang EcoBoost High Performance Package
As great as the current Ford Mustang GT is, the fact is the V8-powered examples can get pretty pricey pretty quickly, especially when optioned with the extra go-fast goodies and performance packages that enthusiasts crave.
Fortunately Ford also offers the EcoBoost variant of the Mustang, which has served as an affordable and sometimes overlooked version of S550 platform. While there’s always been an optional performance package available for the turbocharged Mustang, for 2020 Ford has just announced an even more capable EcoBoost Mustang built with DNA from both the Mustang GT and the now-departed Focus RS.
Simply called the “High Performance Package,” the new hopped-up EcoBoost Mustang is powered by the same 2.3L engine, but this time it’s based on the hotter Focus RS powerplant. In Mustang guise it makes 330hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, while also delivering a broader and more enjoyable powerband. It also gets its own active exhaust system that should deliver a symphony of crackles and pops.
Elsewhere, the enthusiast-oriented model gets the same Mustang GT-grade brakes as before, along with more performance-oriented suspension tuning and some tasteful and functional exterior upgrades, including a front splitter and more aggressive rear spoiler.
Perhaps most noteworthy, there will also be an available handing package that further amps things up with MagneRide dampers, a Torsen diff, a beefier rear sway bar and wider wheels with 265-width tires all around.
The new High Performance Package will be available with both the six-speed manual and 10-speed automatic, and Ford claims the automatic version will be able to hit 60 miles per hour in just 4.5 seconds. Cars are scheduled to hit dealerships beginning this fall with pricing to be announced within the coming weeks.
While there’s an argument to be made that V8 is always the way to go with the Mustang, if this new model turns out to be a rear-drive Focus RS that’s easier on the wallet, Ford just might have a new enthusiast hit on its hands.
