Ford India is gearing up to launch the all-new Ford Freestyle crossover next month in India. The company is calling this crossover as India’s first ever compact utility vehicle (CUV). It will compete against the likes of the Hyundai i20 Active, Honda WR-V, and the Toyota Etios Cross.The car is expected to be priced around Rs. 6-8 lakhs.
The Freestyle is not a new car. In international markets, it is sold as the Ka+ Active. It is a rugged hatchback with all-around body cladding to give it a more muscular and rugged look. The car boasts of a 189mm of ground clearance which is 15mm more than the Ford Figo. The car gets a lot of black elements such as Outside Rear View Mirrors (ORVMs), the B-pillar, front grille and even for the headlight masking. On the front one can find a new front and rear bumper. The front also gets the new ‘C’ shaped fog lamps inserts. You also get silver pseudo skid plates at both ends. The car will get new colour options and a lot of Chrome touches. It will also have roof rails mounted on the top. The plastic cladding starts from the lowest part of the front bumper and then makes it way throughout the car.
Ford has not revealed the interior of the new Freestyle yet we expect it to be a more premium and luxurious than the Figo. It should launch with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system complete with Ford’s Sync 3 technology along with Apple CarPlay Android Auto. With Ford’s Sync 3 you can pair your phone to the car’s infotainment system and also use Voice commands to change various settings of the car.
The car will be offered with two engine options. A 1.5-litre diesel engine that does duty in the Figo, Aspire, and the Ecosport. This engine produces 100 bhp of power and 215 Nm of torque.There will also be a new 1.2 litre Dragon petrol engine on offer. This three-cylinder motor produces 96 bhp and 120 Nm of torque. Both the engines will come mater with a 5-speed manual transmission. The car will also get safety features such as ABS(Anti-Lock Braking System), EBD(Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), ARP(Active Rollover Protective) and two airbags at the front.The car gets large 15 inches brushed aluminium black alloy wheels. These are 6-spoke wheels and will offer good grip.