The previous generation Mustang helped revive the nameplate when it arrived in 2004. And many critics, including myself, have wondered how the redesigned 2010 Mustang might fare. Would Ford use a deft hand to improve the iconic machine or somehow screw it up?

 Ford will officially unveil the new Mustang tonight in Santa Monica, Calif., on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show. This new coupe is out of the ball park.

Ford took the best of the previous generation and crafted an even finer machine. The austere interior has been significantly upgraded, the exterior sharpened and the powertrain judiciously tweaked to give it power and better fuel economy (Ford has not released the mileage numbers yet).

In a day when people want it all, the 2010 Mustang gives them everything but four doors.

Only finest will do

Forty five years in the making, this Mustang adopts the best and discards the rest. For the new GT model, for example, Ford looked to its limited-edition Bullitt, the best-all-around Mustang available, for the new GT’s suspension.

Engineers also reworked the GT’s 4.6-liter V-8’s air intake to add 15 ponies under that newly crafted power dome hood to boost the engine to 315 horsepower. Ford promises an even throatier engine note, though I haven’t heard it rumbling just yet.

There’s no wondering where the changes were made on the 2010 model. They are everywhere. The new front end looks more powerful and more athletic than the previous generation. The power dome pushes up, and the gap between the body-colored bumper and the hood pinches the head lights and gives the coupe a more determined look.

The head lamps and turn signals are integrated into one piece, and the fog lamps are pushed out to the edges below the bumper on the V-6 models to widen its stance. On the GT models, the fog lamps remain above the bumper. All models tout the Mustang’s new pony on the grille. It’s bigger, and it’s meaner looking.

The wheels, which are one inch bigger on the new model, stuff up nicely into well-cut fenders. The back end is completely redone. The corners are cut, and the tail lights have sequential turn indicators on each of the three red bars. A rear camera is available on some models and is hidden in the spoiler.

Interior features big changes

But the Mustang’s real makeover is inside. The touch points were softened, aluminum trim covers the dash and the air vents are pushed down in the dash, something Ford calls sub-flushed. Gone are the round center vents, replaced with more refined rectangle versions.

The emergency brake is pushed back slightly so your knee no longer rests against it on long drives and the center console gracefully slopes back in luxury car precision.

Addressing these key points made a world of difference.

When you sit inside, your arm rests on soft materials. Your leg brushes up against a padded center stack instead of hard plastic. The upgraded materials are found throughout the lineup from the V-6 coupe to the GTs.

The Mustang’s chief designer Doug Gaffka knows the importance of this car. His mother is one of the 9 million customers who have owned a Mustang since it first appeared as a 1964 model.

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