Growing up in England in the 1980s and 1990s, you didn't see too many Ford Mustangs. It's almost certainly that air of unobtainable exotica that started my own personal love of American muscle cars. But on a recent visit back home, I spied a Mustang parked in the small village where my family still reside. It's perhaps a mark of the depth to which the latest generations have become commonplace, although that's nothing compared to its popularity in the UAE.
Last year, The National's most-read road test online was, you guessed it, the Mustang – specifically, the 5.0L V8 incarnation. Our writer back then was handed a striking yellow example; however, my test car for the 2017 update doesn't look quite as imperious in silver.
You have to look a little closer than in some previous model years to spy the telltale signs that this is indeed the full-fat Mustang, rather than a V6 or four-cylinder EcoBoost variant: the GT badging is subtle, and although it still boasts a “5.0” on both front flanks, they’re also small enough not to shout too loudly about its status. One feature I had been looking forward to trying was the Mustang’s heralded Line Lock, but unfortunately my test car is the lower of the two trim options for the V8, which as well as lacking that tyre-shredding luxury means cloth, rather than leather, seats.
In the UAE, the EcoBoost Mustang apparently scores top specs and the V6 lower, as standard. Which also accounts for why my infotainment screen is about the size of a credit card, with no touchscreen capabilities. It’s fiddly to operate and, all told, a bit frustrating.
There are a few other interior doubts that would certainly nag away at me were I to replace my own 2012 V6 with this car. An assortment of air-conditioning vents, for example, turn the dash into a bit of a design hotchpotch that even a plate above the glovebox, trumpeting the Mustang’s half-century-plus history and its Pony Car logo, can’t quite rescue. The angular and really-not-all-that-sizeable wing mirrors are a bit style over substance.
But from a practical point of view, the steering wheel controls include everything where you need them and, most crucially, that steering wheel, when coupled with some right-foot action, connects you to an eight-cylinder growl that you will never get tired of. And that’s even without pulling the gearstick towards you another notch into Sport (albeit with occasional difficulties selecting gears from standstill thanks to the proximity and slightly wonky labelling of reverse, neutral and drive).
Lift that bulged bonnet – well, I say “bulged”, but nowadays, in the more-angular Mustang, it’s more like creased – and it’s refreshing to actually be able to see the outlines of cylinders, with the largest “5.0” branding of all reserved for the main unit itself. And when it boots out its full 421hp and 530Nm of torque via 19-inch Pirellis, it can still be a cheeky handful to control. It’s worth noting that those figures are actually slightly down on the outgoing model year, by 20hp and 12Nm respectively, but the new engine does boast an upgraded valve train and cylinder heads, and Ford says that various factors combine to improve fuel efficiency. Conversely, if you’re not so bothered about the frequency of your petrol-station stop-offs and just want to give the ’Stang a good old-fashioned blast, there are flappy shift paddles.
I’m still not totally sold on the sixth generation’s exterior looks. The nose is sharkish; the fastback is rakish and sleek, but I can’t quite help feel it has lost a little of the character that drove the Mustang since its vital fifth-generation reboot with the 2005 model year (the less said the better about the eyesores that comprised the previous two generations). The six-part rear lights, which double as sequential indicator lights, are still a delight, mind you, and the car’s overall stance is lower and wider, with the roof height reduced. That doubtless helps to cement the fact that, compared to my own Mustang, this beast corners like it isn’t about to quibble with the laws of gravity and fly off into the stratosphere.
It could be argued that I’m the wrong person to be reviewing a Mustang, as an existing owner. But my love for the most iconic of American muscle cars is tempered by being its biggest critic when it comes to the minutiae of the car. What it all boils down to, though, is should you buy the 2017 model above any other recent predecessor? Whatever your personal view on the styling evolution, the answer is pretty much: yes. Get the top-spec V8, though, or forever regret your skinflint tendencies.
aworkman@thenational.ae
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
RESULTS
Bantamweight:
Zia Mashwani (PAK) bt Chris Corton (PHI)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) bt Mohammad Al Khatib (JOR)
Super lightweight:
Dwight Brooks (USA) bt Alex Nacfur (BRA)
Bantamweight:
Tariq Ismail (CAN) bt Jalal Al Daaja (JOR)
Featherweight:
Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Welterweight:
Jarrah Al Selawi (JOR) bt Abdoul Abdouraguimov (FRA)
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
