Ford: Freestyle news **Discontinued (page 3)**
my thoughts exactly. my first reaction was "uh... booooorrrring"
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12-24-2003, 10:43 AM
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Ford Freestyle FX concept "unlike anything else"
Detroit, Michigan - Ford says its Freestyle FX concept is a new kind of vehicle that transcends boundaries and can't be pigeonholed into any existing vehicle category. A production version is scheduled to make its debut in 2004.
The Freestyle FX can convert from a 6-passenger sportwagon to either a 4-passenger sedan or a 4-passenger SportTrac-like vehicle with a cargo bed.
Click image to enlarge
"It offers the aspirational looks of an SUV, great driving dynamics with the quiet and refined ride of a sedan, the capacity and flexibility of a minivan and the security of all-wheel drive. It will truly transform consumers' notion of how a crossover vehicle should perform," said Chris Theodore, Ford vice president, North America Product Development.
The vehicle's transformation, which occurs in less time than it takes to put the top down on a convertible, begins with the press of a button on the hand-held remote key fob. First, the rear-most side windows, between the 'C' and 'D' pillars, retract into the recesses of the side cargo hold. The back portion of the roof and rear backlight move forward with the roof rails telescoping into their forward portions. When complete, the 'D' pillar joins the 'C' pillar. The result is a two-row SportTrac-like vehicle with a rugged cargo bed that can accommodate everything from fichus trees to snow boards.
The tonneau, made of a durable plastic, can be installed fitting flush with the side rails and forming a seamless decklid-appearance at the rear of the Freestyle FX. In this configuration the vehicle displays the profile of a traditional sedan.
The roof, made of amber-colored tempered glass, offers a unique view of the sky and achieves the freedom of a top-down convertible with the quietness of a sedan.
Detroit, Michigan - Ford says its Freestyle FX concept is a new kind of vehicle that transcends boundaries and can't be pigeonholed into any existing vehicle category. A production version is scheduled to make its debut in 2004.
The Freestyle FX can convert from a 6-passenger sportwagon to either a 4-passenger sedan or a 4-passenger SportTrac-like vehicle with a cargo bed.
Click image to enlarge
"It offers the aspirational looks of an SUV, great driving dynamics with the quiet and refined ride of a sedan, the capacity and flexibility of a minivan and the security of all-wheel drive. It will truly transform consumers' notion of how a crossover vehicle should perform," said Chris Theodore, Ford vice president, North America Product Development.
The vehicle's transformation, which occurs in less time than it takes to put the top down on a convertible, begins with the press of a button on the hand-held remote key fob. First, the rear-most side windows, between the 'C' and 'D' pillars, retract into the recesses of the side cargo hold. The back portion of the roof and rear backlight move forward with the roof rails telescoping into their forward portions. When complete, the 'D' pillar joins the 'C' pillar. The result is a two-row SportTrac-like vehicle with a rugged cargo bed that can accommodate everything from fichus trees to snow boards.
The tonneau, made of a durable plastic, can be installed fitting flush with the side rails and forming a seamless decklid-appearance at the rear of the Freestyle FX. In this configuration the vehicle displays the profile of a traditional sedan.
The roof, made of amber-colored tempered glass, offers a unique view of the sky and achieves the freedom of a top-down convertible with the quietness of a sedan.
12-27-2003, 08:26 AM
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MORE STATION WAGON JUNK
01-03-2004, 11:46 PM
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INFORMATION PROVIDED BY FORD
Right Crossover: Ford Freestyle Combines Package, Powertrain, Price
The Ford Freestyle is an innovative, purpose-built crossover vehicle designed to change the automotive landscape with the right package, the right powertrain and the right price when it hits the market in the fall. Freestyle blends the aspirational looks of a sport utility vehicle, the versatility of a minivan and the confidence of an all-wheel-drive sedan.
The all-new Freestyle sets an impressive benchmark for comfort, versatility and safety. It can carry seven adults in comfort. Its fully functional, fold-in-floor third-row seating provides flexible cargo-carrying capacity. And Freestyle is packed with industry-leading safety technology pioneered by Ford and Volvo, including an exclusive three-row Safety Canopy™ side curtain air-bag system.
The versatile new product is a cornerstone in Ford’s Year of the Car in 2004. Freestyle is one of five new car and crossover products that will lead Ford showrooms into a dynamic 2005 model year as Ford dealers replace more than 60 percent of their total volume with fresh new vehicles by the end of 2004.
Freestyle – along with the new Ford Five Hundred – will help make Ford one of the industry’s largest-volume producers of all-wheel-drive vehicles. It also establishes Ford’s position as a leader in advanced transmissions, thanks to its all-new, continuously variable transmission (CVT) that offers smooth shifting, unmatched performance and fuel economy benefits.
Not a Minivan. Not an SUV. Not a Sedan. Freestyle Fits Every Lifestyle.
With attributes of a sport utility vehicle, minivan and sedan, Freestyle’s flexibility makes it ideal for active families. The purpose-built crossover has the versatility it takes to be the first choice for typically varied lifestyle scenarios, from a trip to the do-it-yourself warehouse to a weekend skiing.
Freestyle’s strengths include:
· The right package with crossover flexibility – dozens of seating configurations – for hauling people, cargo or any combination of both, plus the cargo capacity of a full-size sport utility vehicle with its seats folded
· Natural, upright command seating in all three rows for easy entry and exit, long-range comfort and maximum visibility
· Best-in-class second- and third-row legroom and third-row knee clearance thanks to purpose-built crossover architecture. No competitive vehicle offers as much combined passenger room in three rows of seating as Freestyle
· The right powertrain, with a standard V-6, continuously variable transmission and available all-wheel-drive system for assured all-weather traction and smooth torque delivery
· Crisp, assured handling, thanks to Freestyle’s innovative, Volvo-inspired architecture with MacPherson struts, coil-over rear shocks, aluminum dual-piston front brake calipers, rack-and-pinion steering and carefully optimized suspension geometry
· Energy-channeling frame and body structures – also inspired by Volvo – that help protect occupants in collisions
· Optional safety package includes side air bags and the industry-leading Safety Canopy™, providing side-impact and rollover protection for all three rows of passengers. Freestyle’s active safety technology, refined through more than 50,000 crash simulations, is expected to help the new crossover earn top safety ratings in government and independent testing.
· An impressive new level of interior craftsmanship – consistent with an increased investment in interior design across Ford’s car lines – helps Freestyle offer multiple levels of comfort and luxury, from the SE and SEL to the top-of-the-line Limited.
What Consumers Want Most
“Offering as much interior space as most full-size sport utility vehicles, Freestyle is synonymous with roominess and flexibility,” said J Mays, Ford group vice president, design. “But we know that versatile transportation doesn’t have to look dull. So we designed this crossover to have a dash of the aspirational look of a sport utility vehicle and enough athleticism to convey that Freestyle is capable of taking you – and enough people and gear to make it interesting – wherever life may lead.”
As the industry’s volume leader, Ford has come to know what customers love most about their sport utility vehicles – and styling and upright seating with a commanding view of the road are near the top of their lists. Freestyle’s rugged, yet refined exterior and “high-package” command seating draw inspiration from Ford’s sport utility design DNA. Underneath it all is an optional all-wheel-drive system capable of handling challenging weather and road conditions.
Freestyle is expected to attract buyers who seek sedan-like comfort, drivability and ease of entry and exit, but who need the people- and cargo-hauling capability of a minivan – matched with the security of all-wheel drive.
Freestyle’s interior features the greatest flexibility in the crossover class, with room for six or seven adults and a third row seat that folds flat into the floor. No competitive vehicle offers as much combined passenger room in three rows of seating as Freestyle.
Rounding out the crossover equation is sedan-like performance and comfort. Freestyle finds the right formula by combining a European-inspired chassis with a premium car-like cabin that driver and passengers will find easy to enter and exit.
The powertrain tandem of Ford’s new wide-ratio, continuously variable transmission and its newly refined Duratec 30 V-6 engine offers surprising acceleration with exceptional fuel economy.
Design and Package: Flexibility Defines Freestyle
Flexibility is at the heart of the all-new Ford Freestyle, which was designed from the inside out with occupants clearly in mind. Freestyle offers innovative storage solutions and dozens of seating configurations to accommodate various combinations of passengers and cargo.
Up front, Freestyle’s instrument panel gives the driver and passenger the look, feel and attitude of an off-road-ready sport utility vehicle complete with a robust grab-handle mounted on the passenger side. The contrasting center stack contains all climate and audio controls and is topped with two round air registers reminiscent of the rugged yet refined Ford Expedition design. The flow-through center console houses the floor shifter, two ample cup holders and roomy center storage console. The front bucket seats provide excellent lumbar and lateral support, have adjustable head restraints and are covered in high-quality fabric or optional leather surfaces.
Freestyle provides best-in-class legroom in the second and third rows. The second row is the place to be for long trips, with reclining captain’s chairs or 60/40 split-fold seatbacks for added comfort. When captain’s chairs are selected, second-row seats are mounted on optional adjustable tracks to increase legroom.
The third row is uncharacteristically comfortable for a crossover vehicle thanks to an innovative package design that includes a raised greenhouse over the third row, combined with a well-packaged independent rear suspension below the floor. Additionally, engineers designed the backs of the second-row seats and optional console to accommodate foot space for third-row passengers. No other vehicle in the segment offers as much total legroom in the first, second and third rows.
“With Freestyle, the goal was ‘Not a bad seat in the house,’” said Martens. “We wanted to optimize roominess all around and maintain a comfortable H-point.”
The “H-point” is the position of an occupant’s hip in relation to the ground and the vehicle’s floor. In Freestyle, the H-points are closer to the ground to ease ingress and egress. At the same time, the distance from the H-point to the interior floor is greater than that of its competitors, providing Freestyle’s more comfortable, upright seating position.
The third row offers similar people-centered dimensions, with more distance from the H-point to the floor and far more legroom than the competition. In most vehicles in the class, adult-size third-row passengers must sit with their knees wedged tightly against the seatbacks in front of them. Freestyle gives adult passengers real, usable space, with real knee clearance.
Family Design
“If Freestyle bears a resemblance to Ford’s sport utility family, it should, and that’s a good thing,” said Mays. Indeed, Ford is capitalizing on the popularity of its sport utility lineup by designing Freestyle to fit within its No.1-selling family of vehicles.
Yet Freestyle’s design is more sculpted than chiseled, more ‘capable’ than rugged, explain its designers. It was designed to set it apart from minivans with its long hood, high beltline, large wheels and tires, aggressive “grille-guard”-style lower fascia, flared wheel arches, large side mirrors and hefty strap-style door handles.
Freestyle will be offered in three familiar series, starting with a well-equipped SE that includes premium features like 17-inch wheels. The SEL adds appearance accents, as well as dual-zone air conditioning, electronic message center, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and premium sound system. The top-of-the-line Limited series includes a monochromatic exterior, heated exterior mirrors and interior amenities like an Audiophile sound system, perforated leather seating surfaces and heated seats for driver and passenger.
Particular attention has been paid to the interior of the Freestyle. Interior craftsmanship stands out as a Ford hallmark with all of its new cars in 2004. From the SE and SEL to the top-of-the-line Limited, Freestyle offers multiple levels of comfort and luxury, all with craftsmanship, precision and use of fine materials at the forefront.
Unique perforated leather seating surfaces, with built-in heating elements, give the Limited series a European look. The center stack is faced in a hydrographic burl-pattern wood grain on Limited models. The SE and SEL feature a high-tech, carbon-fiber-look for a sportier, more rugged theme. The mid- and high series also offer a leather-wrapped, console-mounted shift handle and leather-trimmed steering wheel with redundant audio controls.
Although pricing has not been finalized, Freestyle will be positioned very competitively in its class, continuing with Ford’s traditional value proposition.
Storage Solutions Abound
One result of designing Freestyle around its users is its abundance of clever storage solutions. For example, a recessed lid atop the instrument panel pops open at the touch of a finger to reveal a convenient storage bin. An optional overhead console in the front row provides room for sunglasses and garage door openers and includes a convex “conversation mirror,” a popular feature borrowed from Ford’s minivan family that lets the driver direct an eye towards rear-seat passengers.
The first-row console features a power point, handy for recharging portable devices like mobile phones or laptop computers. A small cutout prevents the charger cord from getting pinched when the console lid is closed.
The second-row seats fold down and then flip forward to provide easier access to the third row. The third-row seat folds, flips toward the rear of the car and stows in the cargo floor, creating a level load surface. Levers and straps are clearly labeled for intuitive operation of the folding rear seat, which is available as a full bench or 50/50 split. Second-row seating is available as captain’s chairs or 60/40 split bench.
Driving Dynamics
Freestyle’s architecture is inspired from a Volvo design, with class-leading torsional rigidity and fully independent suspension to assure quick, responsive handling and a quiet ride. Power comes from Ford’s proven Duratec 30 3.0-liter V-6 engine, matched to an all-new continuously variable transmission produced through Ford’s joint venture with ZF-Batavia. The combination of stiff chassis, high-torque V-6 and wide-ratio transmission adds up to surprising acceleration and drivability in the Freestyle.
Freestyle will be available with an all-wheel-drive system option. This application uses an electronically controlled, electro-hydraulic Haldex limited-slip coupling positioned just ahead of the rear differential to transfer virtually all available torque to the rear wheels whenever the front wheels slip.
Electronic controls that gather information from the anti-lock braking system and other sensors allow the all-wheel-drive system to react within 50 milliseconds – much faster and more seamless than systems that rely on viscous couplings. Traction control also is available, providing torque transfer from side-to-side. When all-wheel drive isn’t needed, Freestyle functions as a front-wheel-drive vehicle.
Its newly refined Duratec 30 engine offers exceptional emissions performance, meeting the much tougher federal Tier II, Bin 5 definition and California LEV II standards for low-emission vehicles.
For comparison, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier II, Bin 5 designation allows only 5.3 pounds of smog-forming tailpipe emissions over 50,000 miles of driving. The federal Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) standard allows 11.7 pounds of smog-forming pollutants.
Freestyle’s CVT offers advantages not found in traditional automatic transmissions.
It uses two variable-size pulleys – one for input from the engine, the other for output to the drive wheels – connected by a metal chain, and constantly varies the effective size of the two pulleys to meet the driving demands of the moment. Electronic powertrain controls, including a sensor on the electronic throttle, constantly monitor the demand for power. When more torque is needed for acceleration or to maintain speed up a steep hill, the transmission seamlessly responds by creating the right gear ratio from an infinite number of possibilities, allowing the Duratec 30 engine to operate at optimum speed.
For ease of ownership, the Duratec 30 doesn’t require a tune-up in its first 100,000 miles of operation. The CVT doesn’t require maintenance for its first 60,000 miles.
New Standard in Occupant Protection
With the all-new Ford Freestyle crossover vehicle, Ford Motor Company builds on its industry-leading Personal Safety System™, adding new features – including best practices adapted from Volvo – that address impact protection.
Freestyle will be available with Ford’s innovative Safety Canopy™, an industry exclusive that offers head protection for all three rows of occupants in side impacts and rollovers.
Ford’s industry-leading Safety Canopy™ and other Ford and Volvo safety technologies are expected to help Freestyle earn top crash-test ratings. These independent tests will be conducted after Freestyles reach U.S. showrooms.
Freestyle pays particular attention to side-impact protection, thanks in part to extensive computer crash modeling that allowed safety engineers to optimize the vehicle’s energy-management structures. That included using laser-welding techniques to build side pillars that redirect crash forces underneath the vehicle’s seats. This energy is further channeled through a cross-car tube derived from Volvo’s Side Impact Protection System (SIPS).
As part of the vehicle’s sport utility vehicle inspired “high package” seating configuration, the front seats are mounted atop the SIPS tube, which has the additional benefit of creating extra footroom for second-row passengers, improving comfort.
Ford positioned crash dummies in the third row during testing to assess impact performance. Because adults and children both can be expected to use the Freestyle’s third-row seats, engineers employed test dummies representing a 6-year-old child, a small adult female and a 95th-percentile male to confirm appropriate protection for all size occupants.
Ford also breaks new safety ground with Freestyle’s innovative adaptive steering col that collapses horizontally at two different speeds, based on whether the driver is belted or not. Air-bag deployment is tailored to the position of the driver’s seat on the seat track. Using information from impact sensors and weight sensors in the front passenger seat, Freestyle’s safety system can choose from one of two deployment speeds, or it can suppress the passenger air bag altogether.
Freestyle Part of Ford Product Barrage
Freestyle is one of five new cars and crossovers set to enter Ford showrooms in 2004. Joining it is the all-new Ford GT supercar, new 2005 Focus, all-new Five Hundred sedan and all-new Mustang.
Freestyle joins an already formidable lineup that includes the Explorer, Expedition and Excursion sport utilities – plus Freestar minivan – reinforcing Ford’s industry-leadership position in six- and seven-passenger vehicles.
Ford is confident that Freestyle’s “right price” will be key to its broad appeal to a new generation of middle-market North American consumers. Pricing details will be announced in the fall.
http://www.autonews.com/files/2004NA...style/info.doc
Right Crossover: Ford Freestyle Combines Package, Powertrain, Price
The Ford Freestyle is an innovative, purpose-built crossover vehicle designed to change the automotive landscape with the right package, the right powertrain and the right price when it hits the market in the fall. Freestyle blends the aspirational looks of a sport utility vehicle, the versatility of a minivan and the confidence of an all-wheel-drive sedan.
The all-new Freestyle sets an impressive benchmark for comfort, versatility and safety. It can carry seven adults in comfort. Its fully functional, fold-in-floor third-row seating provides flexible cargo-carrying capacity. And Freestyle is packed with industry-leading safety technology pioneered by Ford and Volvo, including an exclusive three-row Safety Canopy™ side curtain air-bag system.
The versatile new product is a cornerstone in Ford’s Year of the Car in 2004. Freestyle is one of five new car and crossover products that will lead Ford showrooms into a dynamic 2005 model year as Ford dealers replace more than 60 percent of their total volume with fresh new vehicles by the end of 2004.
Freestyle – along with the new Ford Five Hundred – will help make Ford one of the industry’s largest-volume producers of all-wheel-drive vehicles. It also establishes Ford’s position as a leader in advanced transmissions, thanks to its all-new, continuously variable transmission (CVT) that offers smooth shifting, unmatched performance and fuel economy benefits.
Not a Minivan. Not an SUV. Not a Sedan. Freestyle Fits Every Lifestyle.
With attributes of a sport utility vehicle, minivan and sedan, Freestyle’s flexibility makes it ideal for active families. The purpose-built crossover has the versatility it takes to be the first choice for typically varied lifestyle scenarios, from a trip to the do-it-yourself warehouse to a weekend skiing.
Freestyle’s strengths include:
· The right package with crossover flexibility – dozens of seating configurations – for hauling people, cargo or any combination of both, plus the cargo capacity of a full-size sport utility vehicle with its seats folded
· Natural, upright command seating in all three rows for easy entry and exit, long-range comfort and maximum visibility
· Best-in-class second- and third-row legroom and third-row knee clearance thanks to purpose-built crossover architecture. No competitive vehicle offers as much combined passenger room in three rows of seating as Freestyle
· The right powertrain, with a standard V-6, continuously variable transmission and available all-wheel-drive system for assured all-weather traction and smooth torque delivery
· Crisp, assured handling, thanks to Freestyle’s innovative, Volvo-inspired architecture with MacPherson struts, coil-over rear shocks, aluminum dual-piston front brake calipers, rack-and-pinion steering and carefully optimized suspension geometry
· Energy-channeling frame and body structures – also inspired by Volvo – that help protect occupants in collisions
· Optional safety package includes side air bags and the industry-leading Safety Canopy™, providing side-impact and rollover protection for all three rows of passengers. Freestyle’s active safety technology, refined through more than 50,000 crash simulations, is expected to help the new crossover earn top safety ratings in government and independent testing.
· An impressive new level of interior craftsmanship – consistent with an increased investment in interior design across Ford’s car lines – helps Freestyle offer multiple levels of comfort and luxury, from the SE and SEL to the top-of-the-line Limited.
What Consumers Want Most
“Offering as much interior space as most full-size sport utility vehicles, Freestyle is synonymous with roominess and flexibility,” said J Mays, Ford group vice president, design. “But we know that versatile transportation doesn’t have to look dull. So we designed this crossover to have a dash of the aspirational look of a sport utility vehicle and enough athleticism to convey that Freestyle is capable of taking you – and enough people and gear to make it interesting – wherever life may lead.”
As the industry’s volume leader, Ford has come to know what customers love most about their sport utility vehicles – and styling and upright seating with a commanding view of the road are near the top of their lists. Freestyle’s rugged, yet refined exterior and “high-package” command seating draw inspiration from Ford’s sport utility design DNA. Underneath it all is an optional all-wheel-drive system capable of handling challenging weather and road conditions.
Freestyle is expected to attract buyers who seek sedan-like comfort, drivability and ease of entry and exit, but who need the people- and cargo-hauling capability of a minivan – matched with the security of all-wheel drive.
Freestyle’s interior features the greatest flexibility in the crossover class, with room for six or seven adults and a third row seat that folds flat into the floor. No competitive vehicle offers as much combined passenger room in three rows of seating as Freestyle.
Rounding out the crossover equation is sedan-like performance and comfort. Freestyle finds the right formula by combining a European-inspired chassis with a premium car-like cabin that driver and passengers will find easy to enter and exit.
The powertrain tandem of Ford’s new wide-ratio, continuously variable transmission and its newly refined Duratec 30 V-6 engine offers surprising acceleration with exceptional fuel economy.
Design and Package: Flexibility Defines Freestyle
Flexibility is at the heart of the all-new Ford Freestyle, which was designed from the inside out with occupants clearly in mind. Freestyle offers innovative storage solutions and dozens of seating configurations to accommodate various combinations of passengers and cargo.
Up front, Freestyle’s instrument panel gives the driver and passenger the look, feel and attitude of an off-road-ready sport utility vehicle complete with a robust grab-handle mounted on the passenger side. The contrasting center stack contains all climate and audio controls and is topped with two round air registers reminiscent of the rugged yet refined Ford Expedition design. The flow-through center console houses the floor shifter, two ample cup holders and roomy center storage console. The front bucket seats provide excellent lumbar and lateral support, have adjustable head restraints and are covered in high-quality fabric or optional leather surfaces.
Freestyle provides best-in-class legroom in the second and third rows. The second row is the place to be for long trips, with reclining captain’s chairs or 60/40 split-fold seatbacks for added comfort. When captain’s chairs are selected, second-row seats are mounted on optional adjustable tracks to increase legroom.
The third row is uncharacteristically comfortable for a crossover vehicle thanks to an innovative package design that includes a raised greenhouse over the third row, combined with a well-packaged independent rear suspension below the floor. Additionally, engineers designed the backs of the second-row seats and optional console to accommodate foot space for third-row passengers. No other vehicle in the segment offers as much total legroom in the first, second and third rows.
“With Freestyle, the goal was ‘Not a bad seat in the house,’” said Martens. “We wanted to optimize roominess all around and maintain a comfortable H-point.”
The “H-point” is the position of an occupant’s hip in relation to the ground and the vehicle’s floor. In Freestyle, the H-points are closer to the ground to ease ingress and egress. At the same time, the distance from the H-point to the interior floor is greater than that of its competitors, providing Freestyle’s more comfortable, upright seating position.
The third row offers similar people-centered dimensions, with more distance from the H-point to the floor and far more legroom than the competition. In most vehicles in the class, adult-size third-row passengers must sit with their knees wedged tightly against the seatbacks in front of them. Freestyle gives adult passengers real, usable space, with real knee clearance.
Family Design
“If Freestyle bears a resemblance to Ford’s sport utility family, it should, and that’s a good thing,” said Mays. Indeed, Ford is capitalizing on the popularity of its sport utility lineup by designing Freestyle to fit within its No.1-selling family of vehicles.
Yet Freestyle’s design is more sculpted than chiseled, more ‘capable’ than rugged, explain its designers. It was designed to set it apart from minivans with its long hood, high beltline, large wheels and tires, aggressive “grille-guard”-style lower fascia, flared wheel arches, large side mirrors and hefty strap-style door handles.
Freestyle will be offered in three familiar series, starting with a well-equipped SE that includes premium features like 17-inch wheels. The SEL adds appearance accents, as well as dual-zone air conditioning, electronic message center, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and premium sound system. The top-of-the-line Limited series includes a monochromatic exterior, heated exterior mirrors and interior amenities like an Audiophile sound system, perforated leather seating surfaces and heated seats for driver and passenger.
Particular attention has been paid to the interior of the Freestyle. Interior craftsmanship stands out as a Ford hallmark with all of its new cars in 2004. From the SE and SEL to the top-of-the-line Limited, Freestyle offers multiple levels of comfort and luxury, all with craftsmanship, precision and use of fine materials at the forefront.
Unique perforated leather seating surfaces, with built-in heating elements, give the Limited series a European look. The center stack is faced in a hydrographic burl-pattern wood grain on Limited models. The SE and SEL feature a high-tech, carbon-fiber-look for a sportier, more rugged theme. The mid- and high series also offer a leather-wrapped, console-mounted shift handle and leather-trimmed steering wheel with redundant audio controls.
Although pricing has not been finalized, Freestyle will be positioned very competitively in its class, continuing with Ford’s traditional value proposition.
Storage Solutions Abound
One result of designing Freestyle around its users is its abundance of clever storage solutions. For example, a recessed lid atop the instrument panel pops open at the touch of a finger to reveal a convenient storage bin. An optional overhead console in the front row provides room for sunglasses and garage door openers and includes a convex “conversation mirror,” a popular feature borrowed from Ford’s minivan family that lets the driver direct an eye towards rear-seat passengers.
The first-row console features a power point, handy for recharging portable devices like mobile phones or laptop computers. A small cutout prevents the charger cord from getting pinched when the console lid is closed.
The second-row seats fold down and then flip forward to provide easier access to the third row. The third-row seat folds, flips toward the rear of the car and stows in the cargo floor, creating a level load surface. Levers and straps are clearly labeled for intuitive operation of the folding rear seat, which is available as a full bench or 50/50 split. Second-row seating is available as captain’s chairs or 60/40 split bench.
Driving Dynamics
Freestyle’s architecture is inspired from a Volvo design, with class-leading torsional rigidity and fully independent suspension to assure quick, responsive handling and a quiet ride. Power comes from Ford’s proven Duratec 30 3.0-liter V-6 engine, matched to an all-new continuously variable transmission produced through Ford’s joint venture with ZF-Batavia. The combination of stiff chassis, high-torque V-6 and wide-ratio transmission adds up to surprising acceleration and drivability in the Freestyle.
Freestyle will be available with an all-wheel-drive system option. This application uses an electronically controlled, electro-hydraulic Haldex limited-slip coupling positioned just ahead of the rear differential to transfer virtually all available torque to the rear wheels whenever the front wheels slip.
Electronic controls that gather information from the anti-lock braking system and other sensors allow the all-wheel-drive system to react within 50 milliseconds – much faster and more seamless than systems that rely on viscous couplings. Traction control also is available, providing torque transfer from side-to-side. When all-wheel drive isn’t needed, Freestyle functions as a front-wheel-drive vehicle.
Its newly refined Duratec 30 engine offers exceptional emissions performance, meeting the much tougher federal Tier II, Bin 5 definition and California LEV II standards for low-emission vehicles.
For comparison, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier II, Bin 5 designation allows only 5.3 pounds of smog-forming tailpipe emissions over 50,000 miles of driving. The federal Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) standard allows 11.7 pounds of smog-forming pollutants.
Freestyle’s CVT offers advantages not found in traditional automatic transmissions.
It uses two variable-size pulleys – one for input from the engine, the other for output to the drive wheels – connected by a metal chain, and constantly varies the effective size of the two pulleys to meet the driving demands of the moment. Electronic powertrain controls, including a sensor on the electronic throttle, constantly monitor the demand for power. When more torque is needed for acceleration or to maintain speed up a steep hill, the transmission seamlessly responds by creating the right gear ratio from an infinite number of possibilities, allowing the Duratec 30 engine to operate at optimum speed.
For ease of ownership, the Duratec 30 doesn’t require a tune-up in its first 100,000 miles of operation. The CVT doesn’t require maintenance for its first 60,000 miles.
New Standard in Occupant Protection
With the all-new Ford Freestyle crossover vehicle, Ford Motor Company builds on its industry-leading Personal Safety System™, adding new features – including best practices adapted from Volvo – that address impact protection.
Freestyle will be available with Ford’s innovative Safety Canopy™, an industry exclusive that offers head protection for all three rows of occupants in side impacts and rollovers.
Ford’s industry-leading Safety Canopy™ and other Ford and Volvo safety technologies are expected to help Freestyle earn top crash-test ratings. These independent tests will be conducted after Freestyles reach U.S. showrooms.
Freestyle pays particular attention to side-impact protection, thanks in part to extensive computer crash modeling that allowed safety engineers to optimize the vehicle’s energy-management structures. That included using laser-welding techniques to build side pillars that redirect crash forces underneath the vehicle’s seats. This energy is further channeled through a cross-car tube derived from Volvo’s Side Impact Protection System (SIPS).
As part of the vehicle’s sport utility vehicle inspired “high package” seating configuration, the front seats are mounted atop the SIPS tube, which has the additional benefit of creating extra footroom for second-row passengers, improving comfort.
Ford positioned crash dummies in the third row during testing to assess impact performance. Because adults and children both can be expected to use the Freestyle’s third-row seats, engineers employed test dummies representing a 6-year-old child, a small adult female and a 95th-percentile male to confirm appropriate protection for all size occupants.
Ford also breaks new safety ground with Freestyle’s innovative adaptive steering col that collapses horizontally at two different speeds, based on whether the driver is belted or not. Air-bag deployment is tailored to the position of the driver’s seat on the seat track. Using information from impact sensors and weight sensors in the front passenger seat, Freestyle’s safety system can choose from one of two deployment speeds, or it can suppress the passenger air bag altogether.
Freestyle Part of Ford Product Barrage
Freestyle is one of five new cars and crossovers set to enter Ford showrooms in 2004. Joining it is the all-new Ford GT supercar, new 2005 Focus, all-new Five Hundred sedan and all-new Mustang.
Freestyle joins an already formidable lineup that includes the Explorer, Expedition and Excursion sport utilities – plus Freestar minivan – reinforcing Ford’s industry-leadership position in six- and seven-passenger vehicles.
Ford is confident that Freestyle’s “right price” will be key to its broad appeal to a new generation of middle-market North American consumers. Pricing details will be announced in the fall.
http://www.autonews.com/files/2004NA...style/info.doc
08-10-2004, 10:27 PM
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Ford announces pricing for new Five Hundred, Freestyle and Montego - - By AMY WILSON | Automotive News - - Source: Autoweek
The three-row Freestyle will start at $25,595, including destination, for a fwd model. Awd models begin at $27,295, including destination.
The three-row Freestyle will start at $25,595, including destination, for a fwd model. Awd models begin at $27,295, including destination.
09-03-2004, 08:42 PM
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2005 Ford Freestyle - - The bottom line on Ford’s crossover challenger? Keep scrolling. - - by Marty Padgett
Okay, so, did you know it was the year of the car? Funny, my psychic said it was the year of the monkey. TV news is telling us it's the year of the Olympics, of the election, and of plaid (it's the new pink). And last night Mom called and said it's the year I'm finally supposed to grow up. (C'mon, Ma!)
Truth be told, it's Ford that's pronouncing this "Year of the Car." That's shorthand for the company's renewed interest in selling cars like the Taurus, which was truly revolutionary at its mid-1980s debut, and car-based wagons, which seem to be in a renaissance or a revival, depending on your religious bent. But since Ford has made about a bazillion dollars since 1990 selling truck-based SUVs like the Explorer, these new wagons are being bred with SUVs into the latest fancy fashion called a crossover.
Crossovers are all about pleasing everybody, with SUV room and all-weather capability, sedan-like handling, and wagon versatility. And, Ford says, the Freestyle pictured here and not coincidentally also written about here, will eventually be seen as the standard bearer for crossovers everywhere. The Five Hundred sedan, on the other hand, will take care of traditionalists who don't want a wagon but still want the benefits of the Freestyle's chassis. You can read more about the Five Hundred on TCC soon.. Here it's all Freestyle, from its seven-seat interior to its unconventional continuously variable transmission to its clean lines.
Let's get this out of the way first, though: both the Freestyle and Five Hundred go on sale in the fall. The Freestyle will be priced from $25,595 in front-drive form or $27,295 for the all-wheel-drive model.
Nice package
The Freestyle and the Five Hundred (as well as the Mercury Montego, future Lincoln and Mercury crossovers based on the same architecture, and if you believe current rumors, a new Lincoln LS and Town Car) are based on Volvo's P2 architecture, which underpins the S80 and XC90 over at the Swedish brand's showrooms. Ford refers to the evolution of this architecture as D3.
In Freestyle terms, the new architecture delivers seven-passenger seating and tremendous flexibility. The crossover rides on a long 112.9-inch wheelbase, is 199.8 inches long overall, is 73 inches wide, and stands 64.9 inches tall. Chrysler's Pacifica has a wheelbase nearly four inches longer and is about six inches wider, but is marginally shorter. Ford trumpets the Freestyle's packaging versus the Pacifica , its closest competitor; Ford says the Freestyle has a much more usable third-row seat while delivering more cargo area when the third-row seat is in use.
I can attest to that pretty vividly, after volunteering to be wedged into the third-row seat on a short trip from the Milwaukee airport to downtown. In the Pacifica, my six-foot frame could not get comfortable in the Pacifica bench - in fact, I couldn't even sit upright without thinking about scheduling an appointment with the chiropractor. The tailgate of the Pacifica sits uncomfortably close to the headrests of the third-row seat too, and in general, its more pronounced tumblehome (the way a vehicle's sides curves from wheel wells to roofline) gives up useful space to the Freestyle's more upright positioning. The debate will center on who you decide to shove all the way in the back and how large a human they are.
The Freestyle's other two rows of seating are superior to the Pacifica 's, too. The front seats have taken a lesson from the thrones found in most Volvos: they're firm, upright, and need little adjustment to feel comfy for hours. And the second row offers up good choices: a bench seat is standard, but twin buckets can be ordered, with or without a console separating them. All seats except the driver's fold forward and flat (nearly flat in the case of the front passenger seat), creating a huge cargo area that's large enough to swallow about ten linear feet of cargo. However, the last couple feet should be soft and rounded: the front-passenger seatback is pliable, tearable vinyl that a Home Depot ladder would just love to have for lunch.
In any seating configuration, the deep cargo well behind the rear seats can swallow lots of luggage or groceries or, if you work for TCC, bimonthly new computers and 80-pound press kits.
Geared for change
Ford says the powertrain that propels the Freestyle gives it the power to overcome the competition and to make buyers forget that it's an unfamiliar transmission coupled to an engine with less on-paper power than the Pacifica.
We think the continuously variable transmission will be an interesting gambit for Ford. CVTs aren't widespread yet, though they do offer benefits in fuel economy and performance. The idea is a little complex to visualize, but in essence, a pair of pulleys and a multi-link chain work together to create an infinite number of gear ratios. Ford says its CVT has the same multi-link belt that Audi uses in its CVTs, where it's also used with a high-torque V-6 engine. And Ford says the CVT in combination with the Duratec V-6 endows the Freestyle with the performance to rival the 250-hp Pacifica or even Honda's Pilot.
The Duratec gets a workout in the chunky Freestyle. It's rated at 203 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque and in tandem with the CVT, Ford promises it will dash to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds, while the Pacifica takes 9.6 seconds in their estimate. Rated top speed is 110 mph. Both the Pacifica and Freestyle could use more power and less noise from the engine bay, however. The Pacifica strains at the top of each of its gears - and the Freestyle growls too, and does it more since the CVT pushes the engine to work in a higher powerband for more of its on-road time. Passing power seems good, though, and though there's a bit of a lag while the CVT dials in the proper pulley ratio, it does seem reasonably fleet of foot if not Mercurian.
The Freestyle has available all-wheel drive supplied by Haldex, the same company that delivers AWD to Volvo. The system can deliver a maximum of 40 percent of available torque to the back wheels when things get slippery (like on the dirt hills Ford challenged us to crest in the Freestyle, Pacifica , and Buick's hapless Rendezvous). And coincidentally, Ford expects 40 percent of buyers will opt for the all-weather peace of mind without even caring what a lovely piece of technology they're buying.
Dynamically the all-wheel-drive Freestyles we sampled were surprisingly sweet, in spite of their roughly 4000-pound heft. The steering seems to have good on-center feel, though the tropopause between Milwaukee and Chicago isn't filled with the kind of kinks you'd find at Laguna Seca or in the Manhattan underground. The brakes are discs all around, equipped with anti-lock for panic measures such as our discovery of a baked-goods shop in northern Illinois with real cider doughnuts. We're sure some Freestyle owners will be more adventurous than this, but probably less sugar-happy.
The plain in Jane
The Freestyle's styling - seemingly so non-controversial - is already the subject of too many shrimp-cocktail conversations in the auto-writer set. It's either too plain for its own good (their opinion) or unadorned and better for it (mine). The front end plants the Freestyle squarely in SUV territory, and the side profile echoes Outbacks and Discoverys and other versatile lifestyle vehicles that get way more off-road action.
Inside the shapes and ergonomics are all appealing. The metallic rings on some trim levels are a nice touch, and given the choice, we'd actually opt for the wood-like panels of the Limited instead of the carbon-fiber-ish design on lesser versions, though both are pretty well done. The best touches are the big control buttons, nice brightwork touches, the wide door panel that doubles as a truly useful armrest, and the big center console. There's a "conversation mirror" that lets the driver quickly absorb the skirmishes that third-row seats seem to encourage. The DVD entertainment system will be available at launch, but the DVD navigation system will not.
Of course, the Freestyle carries as much safety equipment as most buyers want or will pay for. Anti-lock brakes are standard, as is traction control. All-wheel drive is available on all trim levels for $1700. Side-curtain airbags will be optional too. And though the Freestyle hasn't been crash-tested yet, Ford officials are hopeful they'll get the government's best ratings.
Ford thinks the Freestyle will define the crossover segment like the Taurus did for the American sedan of the 1980s. And they're pricing it to get strong first looks from all sorts of customers: it starts from $25,595, including the third-row seat, front-wheel drive, ABS, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The SEL is priced from $26,900 and includes fog lamps, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, steering-wheel audio controls and five-spoke alloys. The Limited, at $29,100, gets leather seating, better speakers, a power passenger seat, and 18-inch wheels.
Whether it's a bellwether development in the short history of crossovers, or just a neatly executed idea, the Freestyle doesn't need much to be truly captivating. More power is always welcome. But it's tough to imagine a more useful vehicle for anyone looking to get out of an SUV, a minivan, or a sedan but not quite ready to slam the door behind them.
2005 Ford Freestyle
Base price: $25,595-$29,100
Engine: 3.0-liter V-6, 202 hp/207 lb-ft
Drivetrain: Continuously variable, front- or all-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 199.8 x 73.0 x 64.9 in
Wheelbase: 112.9 in
Curb weight: 3959 lb (front-wheel drive); 4112 lb (all-wheel drive)
EPA City/Hwy: 20/27 mpg (FWD); 19/24 mpg (AWD)
Safety equipment: Dual-stage front airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock control, traction control
Major standard equipment: Air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, AM/FM/CD player, door keypad, 17-inch wheels
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles
Okay, so, did you know it was the year of the car? Funny, my psychic said it was the year of the monkey. TV news is telling us it's the year of the Olympics, of the election, and of plaid (it's the new pink). And last night Mom called and said it's the year I'm finally supposed to grow up. (C'mon, Ma!)
Truth be told, it's Ford that's pronouncing this "Year of the Car." That's shorthand for the company's renewed interest in selling cars like the Taurus, which was truly revolutionary at its mid-1980s debut, and car-based wagons, which seem to be in a renaissance or a revival, depending on your religious bent. But since Ford has made about a bazillion dollars since 1990 selling truck-based SUVs like the Explorer, these new wagons are being bred with SUVs into the latest fancy fashion called a crossover.
Crossovers are all about pleasing everybody, with SUV room and all-weather capability, sedan-like handling, and wagon versatility. And, Ford says, the Freestyle pictured here and not coincidentally also written about here, will eventually be seen as the standard bearer for crossovers everywhere. The Five Hundred sedan, on the other hand, will take care of traditionalists who don't want a wagon but still want the benefits of the Freestyle's chassis. You can read more about the Five Hundred on TCC soon.. Here it's all Freestyle, from its seven-seat interior to its unconventional continuously variable transmission to its clean lines.
Let's get this out of the way first, though: both the Freestyle and Five Hundred go on sale in the fall. The Freestyle will be priced from $25,595 in front-drive form or $27,295 for the all-wheel-drive model.
Nice package
The Freestyle and the Five Hundred (as well as the Mercury Montego, future Lincoln and Mercury crossovers based on the same architecture, and if you believe current rumors, a new Lincoln LS and Town Car) are based on Volvo's P2 architecture, which underpins the S80 and XC90 over at the Swedish brand's showrooms. Ford refers to the evolution of this architecture as D3.
In Freestyle terms, the new architecture delivers seven-passenger seating and tremendous flexibility. The crossover rides on a long 112.9-inch wheelbase, is 199.8 inches long overall, is 73 inches wide, and stands 64.9 inches tall. Chrysler's Pacifica has a wheelbase nearly four inches longer and is about six inches wider, but is marginally shorter. Ford trumpets the Freestyle's packaging versus the Pacifica , its closest competitor; Ford says the Freestyle has a much more usable third-row seat while delivering more cargo area when the third-row seat is in use.
I can attest to that pretty vividly, after volunteering to be wedged into the third-row seat on a short trip from the Milwaukee airport to downtown. In the Pacifica, my six-foot frame could not get comfortable in the Pacifica bench - in fact, I couldn't even sit upright without thinking about scheduling an appointment with the chiropractor. The tailgate of the Pacifica sits uncomfortably close to the headrests of the third-row seat too, and in general, its more pronounced tumblehome (the way a vehicle's sides curves from wheel wells to roofline) gives up useful space to the Freestyle's more upright positioning. The debate will center on who you decide to shove all the way in the back and how large a human they are.
The Freestyle's other two rows of seating are superior to the Pacifica 's, too. The front seats have taken a lesson from the thrones found in most Volvos: they're firm, upright, and need little adjustment to feel comfy for hours. And the second row offers up good choices: a bench seat is standard, but twin buckets can be ordered, with or without a console separating them. All seats except the driver's fold forward and flat (nearly flat in the case of the front passenger seat), creating a huge cargo area that's large enough to swallow about ten linear feet of cargo. However, the last couple feet should be soft and rounded: the front-passenger seatback is pliable, tearable vinyl that a Home Depot ladder would just love to have for lunch.
In any seating configuration, the deep cargo well behind the rear seats can swallow lots of luggage or groceries or, if you work for TCC, bimonthly new computers and 80-pound press kits.
Geared for change
Ford says the powertrain that propels the Freestyle gives it the power to overcome the competition and to make buyers forget that it's an unfamiliar transmission coupled to an engine with less on-paper power than the Pacifica.
We think the continuously variable transmission will be an interesting gambit for Ford. CVTs aren't widespread yet, though they do offer benefits in fuel economy and performance. The idea is a little complex to visualize, but in essence, a pair of pulleys and a multi-link chain work together to create an infinite number of gear ratios. Ford says its CVT has the same multi-link belt that Audi uses in its CVTs, where it's also used with a high-torque V-6 engine. And Ford says the CVT in combination with the Duratec V-6 endows the Freestyle with the performance to rival the 250-hp Pacifica or even Honda's Pilot.
The Duratec gets a workout in the chunky Freestyle. It's rated at 203 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque and in tandem with the CVT, Ford promises it will dash to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds, while the Pacifica takes 9.6 seconds in their estimate. Rated top speed is 110 mph. Both the Pacifica and Freestyle could use more power and less noise from the engine bay, however. The Pacifica strains at the top of each of its gears - and the Freestyle growls too, and does it more since the CVT pushes the engine to work in a higher powerband for more of its on-road time. Passing power seems good, though, and though there's a bit of a lag while the CVT dials in the proper pulley ratio, it does seem reasonably fleet of foot if not Mercurian.
The Freestyle has available all-wheel drive supplied by Haldex, the same company that delivers AWD to Volvo. The system can deliver a maximum of 40 percent of available torque to the back wheels when things get slippery (like on the dirt hills Ford challenged us to crest in the Freestyle, Pacifica , and Buick's hapless Rendezvous). And coincidentally, Ford expects 40 percent of buyers will opt for the all-weather peace of mind without even caring what a lovely piece of technology they're buying.
Dynamically the all-wheel-drive Freestyles we sampled were surprisingly sweet, in spite of their roughly 4000-pound heft. The steering seems to have good on-center feel, though the tropopause between Milwaukee and Chicago isn't filled with the kind of kinks you'd find at Laguna Seca or in the Manhattan underground. The brakes are discs all around, equipped with anti-lock for panic measures such as our discovery of a baked-goods shop in northern Illinois with real cider doughnuts. We're sure some Freestyle owners will be more adventurous than this, but probably less sugar-happy.
The plain in Jane
The Freestyle's styling - seemingly so non-controversial - is already the subject of too many shrimp-cocktail conversations in the auto-writer set. It's either too plain for its own good (their opinion) or unadorned and better for it (mine). The front end plants the Freestyle squarely in SUV territory, and the side profile echoes Outbacks and Discoverys and other versatile lifestyle vehicles that get way more off-road action.
Inside the shapes and ergonomics are all appealing. The metallic rings on some trim levels are a nice touch, and given the choice, we'd actually opt for the wood-like panels of the Limited instead of the carbon-fiber-ish design on lesser versions, though both are pretty well done. The best touches are the big control buttons, nice brightwork touches, the wide door panel that doubles as a truly useful armrest, and the big center console. There's a "conversation mirror" that lets the driver quickly absorb the skirmishes that third-row seats seem to encourage. The DVD entertainment system will be available at launch, but the DVD navigation system will not.
Of course, the Freestyle carries as much safety equipment as most buyers want or will pay for. Anti-lock brakes are standard, as is traction control. All-wheel drive is available on all trim levels for $1700. Side-curtain airbags will be optional too. And though the Freestyle hasn't been crash-tested yet, Ford officials are hopeful they'll get the government's best ratings.
Ford thinks the Freestyle will define the crossover segment like the Taurus did for the American sedan of the 1980s. And they're pricing it to get strong first looks from all sorts of customers: it starts from $25,595, including the third-row seat, front-wheel drive, ABS, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The SEL is priced from $26,900 and includes fog lamps, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, steering-wheel audio controls and five-spoke alloys. The Limited, at $29,100, gets leather seating, better speakers, a power passenger seat, and 18-inch wheels.
Whether it's a bellwether development in the short history of crossovers, or just a neatly executed idea, the Freestyle doesn't need much to be truly captivating. More power is always welcome. But it's tough to imagine a more useful vehicle for anyone looking to get out of an SUV, a minivan, or a sedan but not quite ready to slam the door behind them.
2005 Ford Freestyle
Base price: $25,595-$29,100
Engine: 3.0-liter V-6, 202 hp/207 lb-ft
Drivetrain: Continuously variable, front- or all-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 199.8 x 73.0 x 64.9 in
Wheelbase: 112.9 in
Curb weight: 3959 lb (front-wheel drive); 4112 lb (all-wheel drive)
EPA City/Hwy: 20/27 mpg (FWD); 19/24 mpg (AWD)
Safety equipment: Dual-stage front airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock control, traction control
Major standard equipment: Air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, AM/FM/CD player, door keypad, 17-inch wheels
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles
07-11-2005, 05:17 AM
#29
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Ford to Drop Slow Selling Freestyle in 2007
Ford to Drop Freestyle in 2007
forbes.com
Mercury has long been a brand without a defined identity. For generations its vehicles have been little more than thinly disguised copies of parent company Ford's lineup. Now, in an effort to goose sales, Ford is finally looking to give it a personality of its own.
How? By rolling out a crossover vehicle that will be unique to Mercury alone. Ford is planning a variety of crossover utility vehicles that will cater to family buyers and others who like the cargo space of big sport utility vehicles (SUVs), but want something that is easier to park and doesn't cost as much to operate.
According to supplier sources familiar with the automaker's plans, Ford will drop its slow-selling Freestyle SUV at the end of model-year 2007. Instead of having the Freestyle in its lineup, Ford will let Mercury have a face-lifted version of the car--a new SUV based on Mercury's recent Meta One prototype.
forbes.com
Mercury has long been a brand without a defined identity. For generations its vehicles have been little more than thinly disguised copies of parent company Ford's lineup. Now, in an effort to goose sales, Ford is finally looking to give it a personality of its own.
How? By rolling out a crossover vehicle that will be unique to Mercury alone. Ford is planning a variety of crossover utility vehicles that will cater to family buyers and others who like the cargo space of big sport utility vehicles (SUVs), but want something that is easier to park and doesn't cost as much to operate.
According to supplier sources familiar with the automaker's plans, Ford will drop its slow-selling Freestyle SUV at the end of model-year 2007. Instead of having the Freestyle in its lineup, Ford will let Mercury have a face-lifted version of the car--a new SUV based on Mercury's recent Meta One prototype.
07-11-2005, 09:20 AM
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This is great, great news for Mercury. Though the Freestyle get's kudos from the mags, etc., for innovation and versatility, it's looks bland as hell. Mercury's Meta One concept looked awesome. Wwaaayyyy better than the Ford. It's great to see them get finally get a unique product.
07-19-2005, 02:57 PM
#32
Moderator Alumnus
As it juggles plans for new crossovers and minivan replacements, Ford Motor Co. intends to drop the existing version of its Ford Freestyle sport wagon.
But the Freestyle name will survive, Ford officials say.
The current Freestyle, which went on sale just 10 months ago, will be discontinued after the 2007 model year, several supplier and industry sources say. With sales below expectations, the Freestyle was squeezed out by a proliferation of sport wagons in Ford's plans.
A Ford source acknowledged that the current Freestyle will vanish.
Significant change
That represents a significant change in plans. Previously, Ford had scheduled a facelift for the Freestyle for the 2008 model year, giving it the Ford brand's new three-bar horizontal grille.
A Mercury version of the current Freestyle will be produced in 2007, as planned.
The Freestyle decision highlights the fluidity of product planning at Ford now. Timing, assembly plants and platforms for several vehicles are in flux, supplier and company sources said. This summer's contract negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers union likely are delaying some final approvals.
Ford is expected to shift the Freestyle name to one of several crossovers and minivan replacements being developed on the Volvo-derived D3 and Mazda6-based CD3 platforms.
These include Ford and Lincoln minivan replacements - which the company calls "people movers" - inspired by the Ford Fairlane concept shown at the 2005 Detroit auto show. That concept used the CD3 platform. But Ford now plans to re-engineer the larger Volvo platform for the vehicles, sources said.
Ford also has abandoned long-touted plans to use the CD3 platform for its next-generation minivans, sources say. It now appears Ford will drop its current minivans when the Fairlane-styled Ford and Lincoln vehicles appear.
The changes in the sport wagon-minivan segment pushed out the current Freestyle, sources said.
"They're trying to sort out that whole segment," one supplier source said. "They have the Freestar, the Freestyle and then this Fairlane. There's not enough room for all three of those."
Freestyle sales have been much softer than Ford had anticipated. Since it went on sale, Ford has sold 44,066 Freestyles in the United States. Company officials at one time forecast annual sales of more than 100,000.
'We're very happy'
Ford product chief Phil Martens wouldn't confirm the demise of the current Freestyle or the plan for the Ford Fairlane and Lincoln minivan replacements.
"We have made the proper adjustments, and we're very happy with our product plans down the line," Martens said.
Here is the current plan, according to industry sources:
>> A Mercury version of the Freestyle still is scheduled for production in Chicago in 2007. That will recoup some of the investment in the current Freestyle. But sales of a Mercury model likely will fall far short of a Ford-brand vehicle.
>> The 2007 Lincoln Aviator and what tentatively is being called the Ford Edge will be built at Ford's Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant beginning about a year from now. They are two-row sport wagons on the Mazda6 platform. A three-row sport wagon also is being developed for Oakville, suppliers say, though it's not clear what badge it will carry.
>> The large Volvo-derived minivan replacements for Ford and Lincoln are scheduled to be built at Ford's Atlanta assembly plant, probably in 2008. Those three-row vehicles are expected to replace Ford's conventional minivans.
Despite earlier plans, Ford ultimately deemed the Mazda6 platform too small for both its minivans and the Fairlane, sources said. While the Fairlane's styling was praised, some journalists attending the Detroit auto show said it was too small. The two top-selling minivans, the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Honda Odyssey, are considerably larger.
>> The Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans are expected to die when the Ford and Lincoln minivan replacements debut, if not before. Sales have faltered badly since the vehicles debuted in late 2003. The Monterey especially is tanking, with recent monthly sales of fewer than 400 units.
Too many products
Product plans at any automaker are always fluid, but things at Ford seem especially muddled, sources say.
"There seems to be a lot of confusion, which is not necessarily new," one supplier source said. "They seem to be kind of in an uproar on what they'll do."
Martens rejected that notion: "We know what we're doing, and there was always a plan."
One industry analyst says the switch with the Freestyle shows that Ford recognizes that the market is looking for other things right now.
"It has not met expectations. And the market is rewarding bold styling," said Jeff Schuster, an analyst with J.D. Power and Associates. "But there's a positive spin to this - they're adapting more quickly than they have in the past."
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102793
But the Freestyle name will survive, Ford officials say.
The current Freestyle, which went on sale just 10 months ago, will be discontinued after the 2007 model year, several supplier and industry sources say. With sales below expectations, the Freestyle was squeezed out by a proliferation of sport wagons in Ford's plans.
A Ford source acknowledged that the current Freestyle will vanish.
Significant change
That represents a significant change in plans. Previously, Ford had scheduled a facelift for the Freestyle for the 2008 model year, giving it the Ford brand's new three-bar horizontal grille.
A Mercury version of the current Freestyle will be produced in 2007, as planned.
The Freestyle decision highlights the fluidity of product planning at Ford now. Timing, assembly plants and platforms for several vehicles are in flux, supplier and company sources said. This summer's contract negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers union likely are delaying some final approvals.
Ford is expected to shift the Freestyle name to one of several crossovers and minivan replacements being developed on the Volvo-derived D3 and Mazda6-based CD3 platforms.
These include Ford and Lincoln minivan replacements - which the company calls "people movers" - inspired by the Ford Fairlane concept shown at the 2005 Detroit auto show. That concept used the CD3 platform. But Ford now plans to re-engineer the larger Volvo platform for the vehicles, sources said.
Ford also has abandoned long-touted plans to use the CD3 platform for its next-generation minivans, sources say. It now appears Ford will drop its current minivans when the Fairlane-styled Ford and Lincoln vehicles appear.
The changes in the sport wagon-minivan segment pushed out the current Freestyle, sources said.
"They're trying to sort out that whole segment," one supplier source said. "They have the Freestar, the Freestyle and then this Fairlane. There's not enough room for all three of those."
Freestyle sales have been much softer than Ford had anticipated. Since it went on sale, Ford has sold 44,066 Freestyles in the United States. Company officials at one time forecast annual sales of more than 100,000.
'We're very happy'
Ford product chief Phil Martens wouldn't confirm the demise of the current Freestyle or the plan for the Ford Fairlane and Lincoln minivan replacements.
"We have made the proper adjustments, and we're very happy with our product plans down the line," Martens said.
Here is the current plan, according to industry sources:
>> A Mercury version of the Freestyle still is scheduled for production in Chicago in 2007. That will recoup some of the investment in the current Freestyle. But sales of a Mercury model likely will fall far short of a Ford-brand vehicle.
>> The 2007 Lincoln Aviator and what tentatively is being called the Ford Edge will be built at Ford's Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant beginning about a year from now. They are two-row sport wagons on the Mazda6 platform. A three-row sport wagon also is being developed for Oakville, suppliers say, though it's not clear what badge it will carry.
>> The large Volvo-derived minivan replacements for Ford and Lincoln are scheduled to be built at Ford's Atlanta assembly plant, probably in 2008. Those three-row vehicles are expected to replace Ford's conventional minivans.
Despite earlier plans, Ford ultimately deemed the Mazda6 platform too small for both its minivans and the Fairlane, sources said. While the Fairlane's styling was praised, some journalists attending the Detroit auto show said it was too small. The two top-selling minivans, the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Honda Odyssey, are considerably larger.
>> The Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans are expected to die when the Ford and Lincoln minivan replacements debut, if not before. Sales have faltered badly since the vehicles debuted in late 2003. The Monterey especially is tanking, with recent monthly sales of fewer than 400 units.
Too many products
Product plans at any automaker are always fluid, but things at Ford seem especially muddled, sources say.
"There seems to be a lot of confusion, which is not necessarily new," one supplier source said. "They seem to be kind of in an uproar on what they'll do."
Martens rejected that notion: "We know what we're doing, and there was always a plan."
One industry analyst says the switch with the Freestyle shows that Ford recognizes that the market is looking for other things right now.
"It has not met expectations. And the market is rewarding bold styling," said Jeff Schuster, an analyst with J.D. Power and Associates. "But there's a positive spin to this - they're adapting more quickly than they have in the past."
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102793
07-19-2005, 03:32 PM
#33
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Join Date: Mar 2004
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^ To be honest, Ford seems to still have too many vehicles in the pipeline, even with the Freestyle's demise. It's good that Mercury (and only Mercury gets one), to improve their image. If it looks anything like the Meta One it'll be a cool ass SUV. It's a shame that the Aviator can't be exclusive to Lincoln... I should have known dumb ass Ford would spread it around. At the very least, the aviator should be a three row version, while the Ford Edge gets two (for differentiation). And now Lincoln gets a minivan!? I hope Lincoln's "people mover" is a whole lot more like the R-Class than the Grand Caravan.
01-23-2006, 11:38 AM
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A reprieve for the Freestyle - - By Amy Wilson - - SOurce: Autonews
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is saving the Ford Freestyle crossover from the scrap heap.
Last summer, Ford told suppliers it would drop the existing version of the Freestyle after the 2007 model year. At that time, a Ford source acknowledged that the current Freestyle would vanish but said that the nameplate would resurface on another vehicle at a later point.
But in the past few weeks, Ford has begun telling suppliers that the Freestyle will continue after all. Several suppliers confirmed that the Freestyle is back in the product cycle. The Freestyle, along with its sister cars, the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, will get a front-end facelift in the spring of 2007.
Last summer, Ford told suppliers it would drop the existing version of the Freestyle after the 2007 model year. At that time, a Ford source acknowledged that the current Freestyle would vanish but said that the nameplate would resurface on another vehicle at a later point.
But in the past few weeks, Ford has begun telling suppliers that the Freestyle will continue after all. Several suppliers confirmed that the Freestyle is back in the product cycle. The Freestyle, along with its sister cars, the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, will get a front-end facelift in the spring of 2007.
02-16-2006, 09:34 AM
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Spy Shots: 2008 Ford Freestyle - - SOurce: The Car Connection
Rumors inDetroit had held that the Ford Freestyle would be killed off for 2008 and replaced by a Mercury version similar to the Meta One show car. But now Ford's planners have decided to keep the Freestyle, and give it a design update for the 2008 model year.
This artist's sketch gives an idea of what the 2008 Freestyle may look like, complete with Ford's new corporate front-end styling as now seen on the Ford Fusion and on the recently shown Ford Edge.
Power for the 2008 Freestyle will come from a new 3.5 liter V-6, giving the crossover improved performance versus the 3.0-liter engine used currently. -Antoine Guilbaud/Hidden Image
This artist's sketch gives an idea of what the 2008 Freestyle may look like, complete with Ford's new corporate front-end styling as now seen on the Ford Fusion and on the recently shown Ford Edge.
Power for the 2008 Freestyle will come from a new 3.5 liter V-6, giving the crossover improved performance versus the 3.0-liter engine used currently. -Antoine Guilbaud/Hidden Image