While little is known about the full powertrain details for the upcoming 2015 Mustang due sometime in 2014, Ford has announced earlier this year plans for a new 8-speed automatic transmission for use in a number of vehicles.

With one of the top challenges to the next generation Mustang being the new 56.2 mpg CAFÉ standards the Obama administration has rammed down automaker’s throats, an 8-speed automatic can help meet the new regulations.

Chrysler is getting ready to offer a similar 8-speed automatic in its 2012 300 sedans and Dodge Charger. Chrysler is seeing a 4 mpg increase on the highway just by switching from the 5-speed auto to the 8-speed.


While it’s likely that a 6-speed manual will still be standard fare for those that want to shift themselves, more gears for the autoshifter are almost a certainty. Whether paddle shifters will be offered will depend on how well Ford can get the transmission to react. In our last conversation with Mustang product engineer Dave Pericak, he stated that he doesn’t want to see paddle shifters in a Mustang unless it works the way enthusiasts expect.

In the 2015 Mustang, an 8-speed automatic with a 3.7 liter V6 and the expected 200-300 lb lighter weight of the new car, that powertrain could produce upto 35-36mpg highway. That’s a 5-6 mpg increase over the current car.

Additionally, if mated to a four-cylinder EcoBoost turbo engine in a base model we could even see mpg numbers get close to 40 mpg for a Mustang. Not bad. And of course, mated to the 5.0 V8 as is expected to continue past 2015, that will help keep the V8 a viable player.