The 2018 Ford Freestyle has been unveiled in India, is based on the Figo.
Ford has taken the wraps off the Freestyle Compact Utility Vehicle (CUV) in India. The Freestyle is based on the hatchback Figo and rivals the other compact crossovers like the Hyundai i20 Active, Honda WR-V and Fiat Urban Cross.
Starting off with the design, the Freestyle has the essence of a Figo in it but there are visual differentiators between the crossover and the hatchback. The signature Ford grille is finished in black and we particularly like the way the fog lamp housing is done. The lower part of the bumper has a skid plate finished in silver.
The side is where the Freestyle looks drastically different from the Figo. There is the black cladding that tells this isn’t your everyday Figo, ORVMs are finished in black, there are roof rails and 15-inch alloy wheels. The rear profile is similar to the Figo save for the new bumper with black plastic inserts and the skid plate finished in silver.
The cabin of the vehicle is again similar to the hatchback it’s based on. The dashboard and instrument gauges are all same but there is a new 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system that takes the centre stage. Connectivity options include SYNC 3, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Automatic climate control is given a miss.
Powering the crossover is a new 1.2-litre 3-cylinder Dragon series petrol engine that churns out 94 HP of power and 120 Nm of torque and then there is the tried and tested 1.5-litre diesel mill that produces 99 HP of power and 215 Nm of torque. Both the powertrains come mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The car gets dual airbags and ABS as standard across the range. The higher variants get a total of six airbags. The Freestyle will be launched in the second half of 2018 in India and will also be exported to the European markets.
2018 Ford Freestyle
– Freestyle is the name of the crossover based on Figo
– Ford calls it CUV (Compact Utility Vehicle)
– Is powered by the new 94 HP 1.2-litre Dragon series petrol engine
– Cabin features 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment
