05-19-09: While the rest of the news hour continues to look like a vintage Bizarro World skit on Saturday Night Live, Mustang shoppers can rejoice in the latest news from Ford. The new 2010 Mustang has earned the U.S. government’s top 5-star safety ratings, which includes 5-stars for driver and passenger in front and side crash tests, as well as for rollover performance.
This of course is much in credit to the engineering prowess of Ford’s safety gurus who have brought Ford up in the ranks in the past decade, now offering more cars with a 5-star safety rating than any other manufacturer.
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But what makes it all happen for Mustang is in the nuts and bolts. The new Mustang uses high strength steel in its body structure and the door intrusion beams. Engineering refinements in the new Mustang’s chassis platform really contribute. The coupe’s body structure is about 31 percent stiffer than the previous Mustang. The convertible is more than twice as stiff .
What’s more, the substantial size of the Mustang and it’s long front proportions are built-in safety by design. The front structure’s crush zones are computer-designed to absorb energy in a controlled manner and help dissipate it before it can reach the passenger compartment. Ford engineers have run thousands of design iterations of the Mustang’s front rails to arrive at an octagonal shape that helps spread crash forces evenly to help protect occupants.
The 2010 Mustang also features a collection of safety systems that further protect the driver from even getting into accidents in the first place. Electronic stability control is new for this year which uses the anti-lock brake system and engine fuel management to help keep the car going where it is pointed if the car breaks loose or gets sideways. Then there are the standard front and side airbags.
So parents can feel better about putting their young drivers in the Mustang over front-wheel drive competitors like the Mistubishi Eclipse, Honda Civic, or other popular models. Adults can add one more practical thing into the equation in addition to the good looks, driving performance and raw power.
