2005 Ford Freestyle Review

Specifications

Sporty Handling and Super-Sized Cargo Capacity

As automakers bend over backwards to meet the needs of niche markets, occasionally they strike a chord with the majority of consumers. Case in point is the new crossover category, a segment that mixes the spaciousness and tall seating position of an SUV with the drivability of a station wagon.

Fords upcoming Freestyle is the latest in a long line of competitors that includes the Buick Rendezvous, Chrysler Pacifica, Nissan Murano, Pontiac Aztek, Toyota Highlander, and the list goes on with plenty more in the luxury market.

The Freestyle was designed to be a crossover vehicle with the exterior look of an SUV, but with the flexibility to carry people and cargo too, said Amy Marentic, Freestyle marketing manager. It has three rows of seats and can carry seven adults. And, while having a trunk that is more spacious than the Chrysler Pacifica, when the third row seat is folded flat, it has 154 cubic feet of storage space, and an additional 50 cubic feet when the second row is folded flat too. Lastly, the front passenger seat also folds flat to provide even more room to haul long items.

“Im married with three children–a daughter whos 10 and sons who are nine and seven–and all that Ive learned has gone into this vehicle,” Marentic said. “The vehicle to us really is about balance and we do believe that we bridge the gap between a sedan and an SUV.”

The vehicle offers theater-style seating, where the second row sits higher than the first and the third row sits higher than the second, allowing rear passengers to also have a good view of the road. There is also a bow in the roof to provide good headroom to passengers in the third row seats.

Just like the Freestar minivan, the Freestyle also features a “conversation mirror and sunglass bin in the overhead console,” Marentic said. “I can flip down that conversation mirror and see my kids in the third row seat because they are sitting higher and I know exactly what theyre doing… this gives me eyes in the back of my head which is very powerful as a parent.”

The crossover was designed for a natural, upright seating position, said Chris Civiero, Freestyle program ergonomics engineer. By taking into account the “H-point,” the position of an average-size adults hip in relationship to the ground and the vehicle floor, passengers dont have to climb into the vehicle; they can simply sit at a natural height and close the door.

Other interior features include recessed storage bin in the instrument panel, a total of 12 cup and bottle holders, some found in the door pockets, others in the center console, and an optional overhead console, which can come with the conversation mirror, sunglass holder, DVD player and screen.

The Freestyle “was developed by Ford and Volvo engineers and will be one of safest vehicles that will be on the road,” said Jan Vulcan, Chief Nameplate Engineer for Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego.

The Freestyle features standard three-point seat belts for all three rows of seats, with pyrotechnic pretensioners for the front seats which activate when sensors detect a crash occurring and pull the seat occupants into a better position for the airbags to deploy.

Dual-stage airbags for front passenger and driver are included, plus the front seats have an occupant classification system to determine whether a small child or adult is in the seat, said Vulcan, who before joining Ford of North America was responsible for the Volvo S60 and V60 programs. With the front seat occupant classification system and other sensors determining the level of the crash, the safety systems computer will decide whether or not to deploy the airbags and with what force level. This can also save thousands in unnecessary repair costs.

Next, the Freestyle can be equipped with an optional “Safety Canopy,” a side curtain airbag system that can protect all three rows of seats in the event of a vehicle rollover. Fords former parts division, now Visteon Corp., first developed the safety canopy using cold gas inflators so the airbag would remained deployed for up to six seconds–the length of time of a typical rollover event–to help cushion passengers from the crash forces and keep them from being ejected out of a vehicles side windows, where the vehicle could roll on top of them.

Initially, the safety canopy only could protect two rows of seats and the technology was sold to Swedish supplier Autoliv. Other automakers and suppliers have developed “side curtain” airbags that almost provide the same kind of protection.

Is the Freestyle underpowered with just a 3.0-liter V6 that merely delivers 200-hp, especially when compared to the Chrysler Pacifica with 3.5-liter engine? Not with the new continuously variable transmission (CVT), said Craig Rennecker, executive engineer, automatic transmission.

“The big difference is the transmissions that were going to offer in these vehicles and why its going to make the 3-liter a great engine choice for this car,” Rennecker said.

“With most four-speed automatic transmissions, like the Pacifica, you get a 4:1 ratio between the highest and lowest ratio that the transmission can provide. With the CVT, it will function like a six-speed transmission; you get a 6:1 ration which is a 50 percent improvement in the overall ratio of the transmission.”

The CVT provides a very deep “first gear” with good torque multiplication for launch that also allows the Freestyles engine to run at a slower speed on the highway for better fuel economy, Rennecker said.

“This will give us competitive performance with the Pacifica, but with substantially better fuel economy,” he added.

The second advantage of the CVT is that there are no specific or discreet steps in shifting, so the cars performance will feel smooth for the driver. The engine will run at exactly the right speed for any given condition, without making compromises between a gear that is slightly too high or a one that is too low.

“We are not ready to publish fuel economy, but it will be several miles per gallon better than the Pacifica,” Rennecker said.

The Freestyle comes standard as a front-wheel drive vehicle, but customers can opt for an all-wheel drive version as well.

“If you want to tow anything greater than 2,000 pounds, you want to go to one of our SUVs,” Marentic said. “We did that purposefully. You have to stand for something and we wanted to stand for flexibility and great on-road performance. SUVs are where you go if you want to tow and if youre looking for off-road capability.”

The CVT, made in Batavia, Ohio, is the product of Fords joint venture with Germanys ZF Group. It replaces traditional transmissions gears with two, two-piece pulleys and a chained loop. The two pulleys change shape to produce different drive ratios, meeting specific driving conditions and improving fuel economy while reducing noise and vibration.

In the end the Freestyle should be force to be reckoned with, translating into a much needed revenue source for Ford. Its attractively styled, offers exceptional interior packaging and should drive well. If Ford manages to hit the mark with an enticing base price and desirable option packages, plus a clean launch with no quality hiccups, the Freestyle should be a major success.