Ford unveils 2015 version of iconic car Mustang

Ford Motor Co unveiled the sixth generation of its iconic sports car the Mustang on Wednesday night, nearly 50 years after the original debuted at the New York World's Fair. The new Mustang will hit showrooms late next year.

The automaker released photos and videos of the 2015 Mustang; and plans to show it globally at events in the US, Spain, Shanghai, and Australia today. India is not mentioned, though Ford has a not insignificant presence in the market.

''Every car company has a vehicle that strikes to the heart and soul of the company, and for us that is the Mustang,'' said Mark Fields, Ford's chief operating officer.

This view was echoed by Jacques Brent, Ford group marketing manager for large cars and SUVs. ''The Mustang is basically the heart of the Ford brand,''  Brent said in the automaker's top secret Studio S, where the new Mustang was designed. ''It's synonymous with Ford around the world.''

The new model hews closely to the styling that enabled Ford to sell nine million Mustangs and made the car a star of countless movies, television shows, rock songs and even postage stamps.

While Ford developed the 2015 Mustang fastback and convertible with an eye on sales outside the US, the cars are ''intentionally, determinedly and proudly American'', according to one reviewer.

Ford plans to take advantage of its international fame - there's a Mustang club even in remote Iceland - to launch sales in Europe and Asia.

Anyone seeing the car will instantly recognize it as a Mustang, with its long sculpted hood and short rear deck. The styling is most evocative of the 1969 model; but the car is packed with all the latest features.

''When you see it, you know it has the bloodlines of a Mustang but is designed for the 21st century,'' Fields said.

The shark nose grill leans forward to give an impression of movement and aggression. The trademark tri-bar tail lamps now come in a three-dimensional configuration that lends depth to the rear. The sloping fast-back roof profile shouts Mustang more than anything else.

It will offer three engine choices. The base model will have a 3.7-litre V6 with at least 300 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Ford also plans a turbo-charged four cylinder that will have about the same horsepower but more torque and better fuel economy.

The performance Mustang will come with a 5.0-liter V8 that will produce more than the 420 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque that's in the current GT model.

Ford has worked to increase the size of the cabin to allow for more shoulder and hip room for passengers, and a trunk that will be able to store two golf bags.