As Ford fans mourn the recent passing of the bonkers Focus RS, the future of the Mustang looks set to become the next talking point. Although, not because of any concerns over nameplate longevity.
It's been long speculated that the Mustang is likely to become electrified in some way, shape, or form with its next generation. And those talks only grew when the firm unveiled its fully electric Mustang Mach-E SUV in November last year.
Autocar UK has reported that the next-gen 2022 Mustang line-up will be led by model fitted with a hybrid-V8 powertrain. Not only that, but the model will be all-wheel drive.
The two new characteristics (four driven wheels and a hybrid system) are inevitably linked. According to reports, the electric portion of the hybrid system is set to power the front wheels via Ford's patented 'twin-motor drive system'.
Read more: We test a 700hp Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3 beast
The format is similar to one that features in the current Ford Explorer, which has led other publications to suggest that the Explorer and next-gen Mustang (codenamed the S650) could share the same platform.
In the same way that becoming mid-engined was a big change for the Chevrolet Corvette, becoming AWD and hybrid is a 180 of sorts for the Mustang; a platform long known for its quintessentially rear-driven nature. The adoption of these two tech measures would see it instead pivoting towards the same direction most of the world's sports and supercars are facing.
But, it's not to say that a rear-wheel drive non-hybrid V8 or four-cylinder Mustang won't remain in the line-up. Reports have indicated that more traditional models could still sit in the line-up underneath the floated AWD hybrid flagship. The range may even be split for different markets, depending on each respective region's efficiency and emissions standards.