When you talk about muscle cars, they generally portray the I'm-sexy-and-I-know-it attitude. Same goes for the Mustang. The car is a legend in its own right and is still going strong at 54. Despite its age, the Mustang has become the world's best-selling sports car for the third year in a row. Is this because of Mustang's legacy? Or is it because of a smart-play by Ford? Read on to know more.

Ford's trying all permutations and combinations

The Mustang has been on every petrolhead's wish list at some point in time. However, the car is known to be a fuel-guzzler. To iron out this wrinkle, Ford introduced its successful EcoBoost engine in the Mustang a few years ago, and it turned out to be a masterstroke. For the light-footed and the heavy-revvers alike, the single digit economy figure was no longer a concern. A Mustang fitted with an EcoBoost engine gets over 30 miles per gallon on the highway! This is on par with some of the hatchbacks available in the market today.

Fast-forward to 2018 - Can this be upped by a notch? Definitely. Ford is determined to explore the possibilities of a greener Mustang and the answer to that is a Hybrid. Within the next 18 months, we might see the first ever hybrid-Mustang on road. While muscle and economy don't go hand-in-hand, Ford's Marketing Manager, Corey Holter told Detroit Bureau, "While the hybrid will be more efficient, it won't be boring, still catering to performance enthusiasts with V-8 levels of power and even more torque." Ford hasn't specified whether the Mustang Hybrid will feature a turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder or six-cylinder engine.

Our Take

The next-gen Mustang is expected to be launched in 2022. Ford has got a couple of years to experiment with the hybrid version and sort out all the initial niggles and glitches. While this might be considered sacrilege to some purists, fret not - Ford has made it clear that these changes will be 'additive' and won't tamper with the classic formula and the natural essence of the Mustang. Imagine a powerful beast with low-running costs and V-8 like power! It's like seeing a unicorn and the big-foot at the same time!

Well, the Mustang is no unicorn, but this pony has surely managed to please all folks with the hybrid news. Until five years ago, even Ford wouldn't have thought of making the Mustang, a car known for its sheer, raw power, an 'economy car.' Can we expect the Mustang's rival, the Chevy Camaro, to join the party with similar tricks? Or can the Mustang extend its current share of 46% of the muscle segment in the U.S. with the first-ever affordable Hybrid sports car? Tick-tock, muscle manufacturers; the countdown has begun. Time to unleash the 'horses' out of the stable! Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Mustang.

Read more Ford news.