In 2024, the Ford Mustang experienced its worst sales year in history. For such an iconic model, it’s a sad – and surprising - thing to see. But it’s doubly surprising given that the muscle car was completely redesigned for the 2024 model-year.
And to add insult to injury, the electric SUV bearing its name, the Mustang Mach-E, saw its sales surpass those of the Mustang by 7,000 units last year.
Some hoped for a return to normal sales levels at the beginning of 2025, but that's not what’s happened. In January, sales were down 36.4 percent from 2024. February saw a 32.2-percent decline. This is not reassuring.
In total, only 5,191 units were sold in the first two months of the year, compared to 7,886 in 2024, the model's worst year, remember.
The Mustang Mach-E continues to sell better, with 6,841 sales in the first two months of 2025.
Weather?
How to explain such a calamitous decline? There are several factors to consider. Some American analysts south of the border have pointed to the harsh winter some regions of the United States have experience, which could have had an effect on sales. (Obviously, in Canada, the months of January and February are not the best for the model, historically).
Pricing?
Another argument relates to the price. The Mustang has always been known as an accessible sports car, but that’s no longer really the case. In the United States, the EcoBoost 4-cylinder version has a base price of $33,515 USD. To enjoy a V8 engine, the price starts at $47,055 USD. In Canada, the prices for those two variants are $39,425 and $50,325 CAD, respectively.
Regarding those prices, keep in mind that a vehicle like the Mustang is often the second car for households. In an age of inflation, that makes for an expensive second vehicle.
Too high tech?
We could add another possible reason. The latest redesign of the Mustang brought with it a transformed interior, in the service of accommodating a large on-dash screen. We’re not so sure that has played well with traditional buyers of the car, who love it for its more traditional side and classic instrumentation.
Ford has announced the return of the Shelby GT500, but that's not going to change anything, other than offering a small niche of enthusiasts another collector's version.
Il sera intéressant de suivre l’évolution des ventes de cette génération de la Mustang. Nous aurions pu croire qu’avec le retrait des Dodge Challenger et Chevrolet Camaro de la circulation, cela aurait pu profiter à Ford.
Or, ce n’est pas le cas.
Si la situation ne se redresse pas, on peut même se demander si Ford voudra poursuivre l’aventure avec une prochaine génération autour des années 2030-2035.
Ne mettons pas la charrue devant les bœufs, mais nous allons surveiller ce dossier attentivement.