Ford Freestyle: The All-New Compact Utility Vehicle from Ford Debuts in India

Ford unveiled its latest global product offering – The All-New Ford Freestyle, a cool, capable & connected, compact utility vehicle (CUV) for Indian consumers.

The all-new product from Ford combines SUV-like robust design, benchmark performance, innovative technologies and outstanding fuel efficiency – for greater choice to consumers in India and markets around the world. India will be amongst the first across the globe where the all-new Freestyle will go on sale in the second quarter of 2018.

“The global unveil of the Ford Freestyle strengthens Ford’s continued commitment to India to bring products that consumers want and value,” said Anurag Mehrotra, president and managing director, Ford India. “With the cool, capable and connected Ford Freestyle, we are adding yet another great product to our diverse portfolio that will help us expand our family of happy Ford owners in India.”

The all-new Freestyle will position Ford to address growing consumers demand for SUV-like vehicles. Such vehicles are being preferred owing to their commanding seating position & better ground clearance to tackle congested urban environment.

Compact SUVs alone, a segment that Ford pioneered with the EcoSport, have consistently outpaced overall automotive sales in India, growing more than three-fold between 2013 and 2016. In 2017 alone, compact SUV sales in India grew 37% compared to 9% in total vehicle sales.

“Just like we did with the EcoSport, we see a lot of potential in offering this compact utility vehicle to meet the SUV owning aspirations of first-time buyers or young achievers who are looking to upgrade their small cars,” Mehrotra added.

Free-Spirited

The all-new Ford Freestyle embodies the aspirations of free-spirited buyers who are uninhibited and love to live life to the fullest. These consumers aren’t afraid to take their chances and are driven by passion.

Their motto in life is to ‘Do Everything, & Regret Nothing’.

“Freestyle is more than just an expression. This powerful word immediately encourages you to push the boundaries and do more, just like the product” said Rahul Gautam, vice president for Marketing at Ford India, said.

Cool & Compact

Featuring a striking-look, and a commanding stance, the Ford Freestyle uses design elements common to more expensive mini SUVs.

And it all begins with a unique grille with a dynamic, three-dimensional mesh.

Sweeping straight lines moving from front to the rear give the Ford Freestyle robust, muscular, & SUV looks. The front bumper of the vehicle has an integrated skid plate and sculpted fascia sections, that create a protective full-width beam element, accentuating Freestyle’s SUV looks and credentials.

The sculpted rear fascia conveys Freestyle’s athletic stance while precision detailing in the tail lamps ensure every colour is noticed distinctly.

The blacked-out high contrast headlamps in Freestyle, complemented by fog lamp bezel, create an assertive and commanding expression. While an inclined windshield gives the vehicle a sleek, fast profile that communicates a high-end image.

Capable & Safe

The Freestyle will come paired with Ford’s all-new, three-cylinder 1.2L TiVCT petrol engine that is small, light, strong and delivers outstanding fuel efficiency. The naturally aspirated engine will generate best-in-class 96 PS of peak power and 120 Nm of torque to deliver Ford’s fun-to-drive DNA. Consumers will continue to have a choice to opt for Ford’s trusted 1.5L TDCi diesel engine that generates class-leading 100 PS peak power and 215 Nm of torque.

Freestyle will deliver sportier performance in all driving conditions and will feature a uniquely tuned suspension with increased track-width, high ground clearance, TCS, ABS with EBD and uniquely tuned EPAS among others.

The Freestyle will continue Ford’s leadership on Safety, offering up to six airbags.

With the introduction of Active Rollover Prevention (ARP), Freestyle is designed to perform safely in extreme situations, without compromising on the fun-to-drive elements. Combined with Electronic Stability Control, the ARP system will be able to automatically detect potential rollover situations by applying brakes to individual tyres and decrease engine torque.

Clever & Connected

The Ford Freestyle will also feature Ford’s in-car infotainment system, SYNC 3 with a 6.5-inch touchscreen which allows drivers to control their entertainment and their connected smartphone with conversational voice commands.

SYNC 3 system is also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.

“Freestyle represents our vision of a compact utility vehicle that delivers more on every count and is all set to surpass expectations of consumers who want and expect more,” said Vinay Raina, executive director of Marketing, Sales and Service at Ford India. “With Freestyle, we are sure to delight consumers with a combination of compelling and capable features.”