I think you make valid points, as I think one and three are most likely the biggest culprits. Though the front fascia is acceptable I don’t think it is particularly good looking.  I personally think it is bad enough that it should be redesigned for 2026.  The current design does not feel cohesive to me and the leading edge of the hood is too flat.    With the discontinuation of the Camaro and the Charger/Challenger, the Mustang should have seen a sales increase, not a decline. Not every person in that segment is brand loyal, and since you are the only kid on the block now there really isn’t an excuse. 

I like your line of thinking here. The image you provided is very appealing. 

I understand your point, that it is 171 units, but it is yet another headline and not good for business. 

Bingo!  So now you are just getting a cheap ass piece of glass in the pano’s place since it’s probable they are using the same shade setup.     So it’s reasonable to assume it’s Ford “cheapening out” as you had suggested above.  Brilliant move to improve sales!  

I think you meant to say 20 years older unless you're 10 lol. But yeah, I see where you're coming from. 

The Federal Tax credit for EVs is dead as of yesterday, so should be interesting how that all shakes out. 

Number of vehicles affected: 171

The V6 is being driven by CAFE IMO. But who knows how that is gonna work out.   Plus wasn't their rumors of the Explorer getting an EREV setup? I'm wondering if that is why the Bronco and Ranger haven't been marked to get PHEVs in the next 2-3 years-they might all share a EREV setup instead? 

Uh it depends? The Explorer EOL isn't till middle of next decade and well they do sell a decent amount of PIUs to keep Chicago busy.    The other thing is that apparently it is going to get another major update in a few years, so it might be short term thing (36 months or so) why some options might be getting dropped because of that major refresh that is coming. 

While I'm about 20 years younger then you, I wouldn't mind seeing a good modern take on the post 1986 Mustang GT...sans the cheese grater tail lights, which can stay in the in 1980s.    I really hated the New Edge Mustang-I had a 1998 Mustang GT which most likely didn't help, but my issue was that it was done on the cheap and it just didn't look that good. The Focus, Contour and Cougar (esp the Cougar) was best looking products of that generation. The first gen SN95 had a good retro vibe while being in the post jellybean era of Ford. The 2005 Mustang nailed the retro thing, but it fell out of favor within a few years.