Ford is in the process of developing a redesign for the Mustang, the nameplate's seventh generation, and a recent job listing has let slip that the car is coming in 2022 as a 2023 model.

Discovered by a member of the Mustang 6G forum, the job listing was posted on Linkedin by Ford in January and seeks a “Wind/Road Noise and Air Leakage Plant Vehicle Team (PVT) Engineer” to work on the current Mustang as well as the redesigned model, referred to in the listing as the S650. The current Mustang is the S550.

Originally due in 2021, the delay likely has to do with Ford's efforts to base the redesigned Mustang on the CD6 platform that debuted in the 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator twins. Recall, Ford in 2018 announced its future lineup would migrate to five highly modular platforms.

2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 media drive, Las Vegas, October, 2019

While moving to a modular platform will bring economies of scale, there are concerns that the redesigned Mustang might be bigger than the current model which measures 188.3 inches long and rides on a 107.1-inch wheelbase. While we don't like the sound of a larger Mustang, the key will be weight. The current Mustang GT with a manual transmission already weighs 3,743 pounds and we wouldn't want it to become any heavier.

The payoff of moving to a modular platform, and in particular the CD6, is that Ford will be able to integrate hybrid and all-wheel-drive systems, which should help the automaker expand the Mustang's appeal. What isn't clear though is whether Ford's promised Mustang Hybrid has also been delayed. The gas-electric pony car is due out in 2020, Ford said at the car's announcement back in 2017.

The delayed timeline for the redesigned Mustang doesn't come as a huge surprise considering sales of the current Mustang are still strong (Ford sold close to 72,500 in the U.S. in 2019) and there are still new variants to come. There are also rumors that Chevrolet plans to phase out the Camaro, which would mean less competition for the Mustang down the road.