Launching Tomorrow: Ford Freestyle ‘CUV’

Ford is all set to launch its new crossover, the Freestyle, tomorrow. The American carmaker promises it will be different from the competition consisting of cars like the Honda WR-V, Hyundai i20 Active and others.

The Freestyle will debut the 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder ‘Dragon’ engine which will be the most powerful naturally-aspirated motor fitted to a production car in the country. Developing 96PS of maximum power and 120Nm of peak torque, the engine also has a better claimed fuel efficiency than the 4-cylinder unit it replaces at 19kmpl. On the other hand, Ford’s 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine will be carried over from the Figo as is.

The Freestyle does look butch, thanks to black body cladding, faux skid plates, roof rails and some stickers on the lower doors, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. The Freestyle sits 190mm off the ground, which is similar to that of crossover SUVs like the Hyundai Creta. It also gets a 30mm larger track than the Figo, giving it that hunkered look. The increased ground clearance does not affect the ride and handling characteristics of the Freestyle though, as we found during the first drive of the car.

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The Freestyle is packed with features including a 6.5-inch free-floating touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-built navigation, rearview camera, an engine start-stop button, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming IRVM and climate control. Segment-first safety systems like 6 airbags, ESP, traction control and hill launch assist are also on offer.

Stay tuned to ZigWheels for the prices of the Freestyle as they are announced tomorrow.