Ford Freestyle FX

Car-pooling. Gardening. Mountain biking. Going to the theater. Activities as disparate as these typically require a fleet of vehicles, or the acceptance of a few compromises when matching a vehicle and active lifestyles. Enter the Ford Freestyle FX concept.

The Freestyle FX is not based on a car, with a traditional flat floor, low seating position and inherently limited seating flexibility. It’s not based on a minivan, which typically feature flat, rising floors and elevated seating positions but compromised dynamic capabilities. And it’s not like other crossovers that are typically based on other platforms, like those of minivans. They feature poor third-row headroom and legroom, sub-par driving dynamics, and even aesthetic compromises. The concept vehicle, like the production Ford Freestyle, which debuts in 2004, features an all-new, purpose-built crossover architecture with unitized body construction. Unibody construction eliminates the need for a separate structural frame by designing the supporting structure into the body parts, thus saving weight and adding much desired rigidity, in turn delivering better ride and handling qualities.

No matter where the road leads, Freestyle FX can adapt to accommodate a hectic lifestyle by transforming into three different vehicle configurations. 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.

The key to any motor vehicle is its ability to adapt to increasingly demanding lifestyles. The Freestyle FX takes that idea one step further by providing the inspiration for new or different lifestyles. That concept is best demonstrated by the outstanding flexibility of the Freestyle FX’s interior, a trait that will be shared with the production vehicle. In addition to its flexibility, the Freestyle FX concept’s interior design shows Ford’s commitment to triple the investment for interior design on future products. The use of high-quality interior materials, seamless integration of door and instrument panels and attractive seat and trim fabrics is evident throughout the concept vehicle. Accommodating up to six passengers in three rows of seating, the Freestyle FX allows multiple seating combinations to fit any need. The vehicle’s second and third row seats can be power folded into the floor for more cargo space, providing a fully flat load floor.

The Freestyle FX features a 3.0-liter 24-valve Duratec V-6 engine and new continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The CVT provides exceptionally smooth operation and delivers up to a 10-percent fuel economy improvement over a traditional transmission. Coupled with Freestyle’s all-wheel-drive and dynamic stability and traction control systems, the concept car features safety and security typical of an SUV, all in a car-like package.