Ford Freestyle | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Ford |
Also called | Ford Taurus X (2008–2009) |
Production | 2005–2007 (Freestyle) 2008–2009 (Taurus X) |
Model years | 2005–2007 (Freestyle) 2008–2009 (Taurus X) |
Assembly | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Designer | Edward Golden [1] |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Full-size crossover SUV |
Body style | 4-door SUV |
Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel drive / four-wheel drive |
Related | Ford Five Hundred/Taurus Mercury Montego/Sable |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 112.9 in (2,868 mm) [2] |
Length | 199.8 in (5,075 mm) [2] |
Width | 74.4 in (1,890 mm) [2] |
Height | 68.2 in (1,732 mm) [2] |
Curb weight | 3,959–4,112 lb (1,796–1,865 kg) [2] |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Ford Taurus wagon |
Successor | Ford Flex (Full-size crossover SUV) Ford Explorer (Taurus X) |
The Ford Freestyle is a crossover utility vehicle that was sold by Ford from 2005 to 2009. Largely marketed as the successor to the Ford Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle was the CUV counterpart of the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego four-door sedans. Sharing the Ford D3 platform with the Five Hundred and Montego, the Freestyle was produced with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations and six- or seven-passenger seating.
Following the return of the Ford Taurus for the 2008 model year, the Freestyle underwent a mid-cycle revision and was renamed the Ford Taurus X, marketed in the United States and Canada, as well as South Korea and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Following the 2009 model year, the Taurus X was withdrawn. From the 2009 model year, the larger Ford Flex has served as the three-row Ford CUV/wagon.
From 2005 to 2009, the Freestyle/Taurus X was assembled at Chicago Assembly (Chicago, Illinois); the final vehicle was produced on February 27, 2009.
The Freestyle was previewed at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show with the Freestyle FX Concept before entering production for the 2005 model year. The FX concept featured a unique rear end design that could be converted from a wagon into a pickup truck or sedan, but this feature never made it onto the production version. The vehicle was originally going to be called the Ford CrossTrainer, but had been renamed the Freestyle by the time the concept was released, due to Ford adopting an ill-fated naming scheme in which all Ford-branded passenger cars except the Mustang and Thunderbird would have a name start with the letter "F". [3]
Although its body and chassis was used to produce the Mercury Meta One concept vehicle, no Lincoln-Mercury version of the Freestyle ever reached production.
For the Freestyle/Taurus X, Ford used its Volvo-derived D3 platform architecture. Sharing a common platform with the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, all four vehicles were derived from the Volvo P2 platform used for the first-generation Volvo S80 and Volvo XC90. To accommodate production costs for Ford and durability concerns for North American roads, many revisions were made to the platform, making the final vehicles significantly different. Design-wise, the car itself bore several visual resemblances to the Australian market Ford Territory, especially in the rear third of the car.
Power came from a 3.0 L (181 cu in) Duratec V6, with an output of 203 hp (151 kW) at 5750 rpm. [4] The Freestyle, along with the Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, and the Ford Escape Hybrid, were the first American Ford vehicles to use a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Freestyle, Five Hundred and Montego used a chain-type CVT, while the Escape Hybrid used a CVT transaxle that utilized a planetary gearset controlled by the electric generator, similar to the Toyota Prius. All Freestyles were equipped with the CVT, but only all-wheel drive (AWD) Five Hundred and Montego models used the CVT (FWD versions used an Aisin F21++ six-speed automatic). 55% of buyers selected the Haldex Traction-equipped all-wheel drive model rather than the expected 40%.
Introduced as a 2005 model largely in place of the Ford Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle was marketed as a crossover utility vehicle, a new market segment at the time. As with the Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego, the Freestyle was available with front-wheel drive as standard with all-wheel drive as an option; the CVT of the all-wheel drive Five Hundred was the sole transmission on the Freestyle. The 203hp 3.0L Duratec V6 was the standard engine. [4]
In contrast to a Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle featured forward-facing third-row seating (similar to the Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition). Although designed with ground clearance between a sedan and a small SUV, the Freestyle featured what Ford marketed as Command Seating, featuring a higher H-point, to increase driver visibility and ease of entry and exit.
The Freestyle was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2005 (placing second behind the Ford Escape Hybrid).
In 2007, shortly after becoming CEO of Ford Motor Company, Alan Mulally called for a revision of the Ford and Mercury model ranges, saying that the shift towards Ford nameplates starting with the letter "F" was forgettable to consumers. He reinstated of the Ford Taurus nameplate for, displacing the sedan's Five Hundred nameplate for a mid-cycle refresh for model year 2008 and adopting the Taurus X nameplate, superceding the Freestyle nameplate. The change was announced shortly after its unveiling at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show for the 2008 production model.
The Taurus X received a flush-mounted three-bar horizontal chrome grille, and matching the Explorer, the Taurus X introduced an outdoors-themed Eddie Bauer trim level. As with the Freestyle, the lower body and wheel well trim on Eddie Bauer and SEL trim levels were painted in a contrasting color (as with all Ford SUVs); Limited trim models received a monochromatic treatment.
As with its sedan counterpart, the Taurus X featured a major powertrain update over its predecessor. The 203hp 3.0L V6 was replaced by an all-new 3.5L Duratec 35 V6 engine, raising output to 263hp. [5] The ZF-Batavia CVT was replaced by an all-new Ford/GM 6-speed automatic transmission, while all-wheel drive remained an option. To increase its functionality, the Taurus X featured new power options, including a power-operated rear liftgate and power-folding second-row seats.
Although the renaming of the Taurus sedan would improve its sales over the Five Hundred, the renaming of the Freestyle to the Taurus X would have the opposite effect, leading to a major decrease in sales. During its production, the Taurus X was partially affected by the automotive industry crisis of 2008–10. Although more fuel-efficient than SUVs such as the V8-engined Ford Expedition and Ford Explorer, full-size crossovers such as the Taurus X were avoided in favor of smaller crossovers and sedans.
In 2009, the Ford Flex was introduced as the replacement for the discontinued Ford Freestar/Mercury Monterey. The Taurus X was discontinued for the 2009 model year, with the Flex unofficially serving as its replacement.
The 2005-2007 Ford Freestyle, and the 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, were offered in several different trim levels:
The base SE trim level, only offered on the Freestyle between 2005 and 2006, was the "base" trim level, and offered the following features as standard equipment: a 3.0L "DuraTec" V6 engine, a CVT transmission (Freestyle only) or a 6 speed automatic transmission (Taurus X only), seventeen-inch alloy wheels and tires, an A/M-F/M stereo with a single-disc CD player and a four-speaker audio system, manual front and rear air conditioning with front controls, cloth seating surfaces, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, an aluminum interior trim piece, black door handles and side mirrors, and matte gray lower body trim.
The SEL was the mid-level trim level between 2005 and 2006, and the base trim level from 2007 until 2009. It added the following options to the base SE trim level: a 3.5L "DuraTec" V6 engine (2008 and 2009 Taurus X only), a six-speed automatic transmission (2008 and 2009 Taurus X only), sport-styled seventeen-inch alloy wheels, a security system, an A/M-F/M stereo with a single-disc CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack, dual-zone automatic air conditioning with rear controls, a power front driver's seat, a woodgrain interior trim piece, and either Gray Metallic or Arizona Beige Metallic lower body trim.
The Limited was the top-of-the-line trim level from 2005 until 2009. It added the following options to the mid-level SEL trim level: dual front heated power seats, leather-trimmed first and second-row seating surfaces (the third-row bench seat was vinyl-trimmed), an A/M-F/M stereo with a six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 changer (later with an auxiliary audio input jack and Ford SYNC) and a premium "Audiophile" seven-speaker audio system with rear-mounted subwoofer and external amplifier, satellite radio, color-keyed exterior door handles and side mirrors, and color-keyed lower body trim.
The Eddie Bauer Edition, only offered on the Taurus X between 2008 and 2009, was the "luxury" trim level, and added the following options to the base SEL trim level: an A/M-F/M stereo with a single-disc CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack with Ford SYNC, satellite radio, two-tone leather-trimmed first and second-row seating surfaces (the third-row bench seat was vinyl-trimmed), dual heated power front seats, color-keyed door handles, and Arizona Beige Metallic or Ingot Silver Metallic lower body trim.
Since 2005, the Freestyle nameplate has been used as an off-road styling trim for the EcoSport and the Ka in Latin America, the latter also sold as the Ford Freestyle in India and as the Ford Figo Freestyle in South Africa.
Calendar Year | Total American sales |
---|---|
2004 | Freestyle: 8,509 |
2005 | Freestyle: 76,739 |
2006 [6] | Freestyle: 58,602 |
2007 | Freestyle: 23,765 Taurus X: 18,345 |
2008 [7] | Taurus X: 23,112 |
2009 [8] | Taurus X: 6,106 |
The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from 1985 to 2019. From 1985 to 2009, Ford marketed the Taurus alongside its rebadged variant, the Mercury Sable. Four generations of the high-performance version were also manufactured from 1988-1999 and 2009-2019.
Mercury was a brand of medium-priced automobiles that was produced by American manufacturer Ford Motor Company between the 1939 and 2011 motor years. Created by Edsel Ford in 1938, Mercury was established to bridge the gap between the Ford and Lincoln model lines within Ford Motor Company. From 1945 until its closure, it formed half of the Lincoln-Mercury Division of the company.
The Ford Windstar is a minivan that was produced and sold by Ford. The replacement for the Ford Aerostar, the Windstar adopted the front-wheel drive configuration of the Chrysler minivans. From the 1995 to 2007 model years, three generations of the model line were sold, with the final generation renamed as the Ford Freestar.
The Ford Five Hundred is a full-size four-door five-passenger front-engine front- or all-wheel drive high-roof sedan manufactured and marketed in North America by Ford in a single generation for model years 2005-2007. It was a direct byproduct of Ford's rapid 2006-2011 acquisition of numerous brands ; a critical need to leverage those investments; a strong market shift in automotive tastes away from sedans to minivans and SUV/CUVs — and a concerted effort by Ford to rethink the traditional sedan/wagon formula.
The Ford Escape is a compact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company since the 2001 model year. The first Ford SUV derived from a car platform, the Escape fell below the Ford Explorer in size; the Escape is currently sized between the Ford EcoSport and Ford Edge. The 2004 Ford Escape Hybrid was the first hybrid-electric vehicle from Ford, and the first hybrid produced as an SUV.
The Ford D3 platform is an automotive platform used by Ford Motor Company for model years 2005-2019, as the fifteenth generation of full-size North American cars.
The Mercury Montego is a nameplate that was applied to three separate generations of vehicles marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Taking its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica, the nameplate made its first appearance for 1967 in the Canadian market as part of the Mercury-derived Meteor model line. For 1968, the Mercury Montego made its debut across North America, becoming the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Torino intermediate-size model line for two generations.
The Mercury Villager is a minivan that was marketed by Mercury from 1993 to 2002. Taking its name used by Mercury to denote its wood-trimmed station wagons, the Villager was developed in a joint venture between Ford and Nissan; the latter manufacturer marketed the line as the Nissan Quest. The first front-wheel drive van produced by Ford, the Mercury Villager was introduced between the Ford Aerostar and the Ford Windstar, competing against Chrysler minivans and the General Motors APV minivans.
The Mercury Sable is a range of automobiles manufactured and marketed by the Mercury brand of Ford Motor Company. Introduced on December 26, 1985, as the replacement for the Mercury Marquis, the Sable marked the transition of the mid-size Mercury product range to front-wheel drive.
The Mercury Milan is a mid-size car manufactured by Ford and marketed by its Mercury division of Ford Motor Company — as a rebadged variant of the Ford Fusion. Named after Milan, Italy, Mercury marketed the Milan for model years 2006-2011 in a single generation. The smaller of two model lines developed to replace the Mercury Sable, it indirectly succeeded the Mercury Mystique as the smallest Mercury sedan.
The Ford Aerostar is a range of vans that was manufactured by Ford from the 1986 to the 1997 model years. The first minivan produced by Ford, the model line was marketed against the Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari and the first two generations of the Chrysler minivans. Introduced shortly before the Ford Taurus, the Aerostar derived its name from its slope-nosed "one-box" exterior.
The Ford Fusion is a mid-size car that was manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. From the 2006 through 2020 model years, two generations of the Fusion have been produced in gasoline, gas/electric hybrid, and gas/plug-in electric hybrid variants. The Fusion was manufactured at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly plant in Sonora, Mexico, alongside the Lincoln MKZ, and formerly the Mercury Milan, both of which share its CD3 platform.
The Ford Edge is a crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company introduced for the 2007 model year as the first mid-size CUV marketed by Ford in North America; now in its third generation. Deriving its name from a trim package of the Ford Ranger, the Ford Edge is positioned between the Ford Escape and the Ford Explorer within the Ford product line.
The Lincoln MKS is a full-size, five-passenger, front- or all-wheel drive luxury sedan manufactured by Ford and marketed by its Lincoln subdivision for model years (MY) 2009–2016 — over a single generation with an intermediate facelift.
Full-size Ford is a term adopted for a long-running line of Ford vehicles with a shared model lineage in North America. Originating in 1908 with the Ford Model T, the line ended in 2019 with the Ford Taurus, as Ford withdrew from the full-sized sedan segment in North America. Across 111 years, 15 generations, and over 60 million examples of the model line were produced across over 50 model nameplates. By contrast, the longest-running single nameplate worldwide is the Chevrolet Suburban, in use since the 1935 model year.
The Ford Flex is a full-size crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Ford over a single generation from 2009–2019, as the successor to the Ford Taurus X.
The fourth-generation Ford Taurus is an automobile that was produced by Ford for the 2000 to 2007 model years. While mechanically similar to its 1996-1999 predecessor, major revisions to the bodyshell of the sedan were done to alter its controversial styling as well as add interior room; it was available in four-door sedan and five-door station wagon models.
The fifth generation Ford Taurus is a front- or all-wheel drive, five passenger sedan, manufactured and marketed by Ford for model years (MY) 2008-2009. Marking the return of the nameplate after a hiatus of less than a year, the revived Taurus is a midcycle revision of the Ford Five Hundred full-sized sedan. After its retail withdrawal following the 2007 model year, the Crown Victoria was replaced by this generation of the Taurus, making it the flagship Ford sedan for the first time.
The sixth generation of the Ford Taurus is a full-size sedan manufactured and marketed by Ford for model years 2010-2019, sharing its chassis with the previous generation and featuring revised interior and exterior styling. In North America, the sixth-generation Taurus inaugurated the Kinetic Design design language. After an 11-year hiatus, the high-performance Ford Taurus SHO made its return as the flagship of the line.
The Ford Mondeo I (first generation) is a mid-size car that was produced by Ford, beginning on 23 November 1992, with sales beginning on 22 March 1993. It is also known as the Mk I Mondeo; the 1996 facelift versions are usually designated Mk II. Available as a four-door saloon, a five-door hatchback, and a five-door estate, all models for the European market were produced at Ford's plant in the Belgian city of Genk. In December 1992, Autocar published a section on the Mondeo, and how it would conquer rivals.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)