Ford Freestyle launched in India: Price, engine, features and variants explained

Ford Freestyle has been launched in India with prices starting at Rs 5.09 lakh. Based on the Ford Figo hatchback, the new compact utility vehicle from Ford will compete in the hatchback crossover segment.

The new Ford Free style is trying to fill the space between the Ford Figo hatchback and the Ford Ecosport by combining the appeal from both segments. The pricing of the car goes on to confirm that. Despite the similarities with Figo, Ford has tried to give the car a rugged elements like roof rails and scruff plates.

The Ford Freestyle has been made available in four variants, namely Ambiente, Trend, Titanium and Titanium+, in both petrol and diesel engine options. The petrol variants have been priced between Rs 5.09 lakh and Rs 6.94 lakh, whereas prices for the diesel variants will range from Rs 6.09 lakh to Rs 7.89 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi). Notably, the base variant Ford Freestyle costs Rs 42,000 less than that of the Ford Figo it is based on.

The petrol engine used with the Ford Freestyle is a three-cylinder 1.2-litre Ti-VCT motor from the Dragon family that can churn out 96hp of power and 120Nm of torque. The diesel engine is the same four-cylinder 1.5-litre Dragon engine that does duty on the new Ford EcoSport. The diesel mill is good for 100hp of max power and 215Nm of max torque. The petrol engine promises fuel efficiency of 19.0kmpl, whereas that of the diesel engine is 24.4kmpl.

Both engines on the Ford Freestyle have been coupled with a 5-speed manual gearbox. There is no word on automatic transmission coming to the crossover hatchback yet. Ford reportedly claims that the transmission unit on the Ford Freestyle is lighter than the one on its predecessor and uses 40 per cent less gear oil.

The Ford Freestyle runs on 15-inch four-spoke alloy wheels with more track width for SUV-like look. The front wheels get ventilated disc brakes, whereas there are drum brakes at the rear. Where Ford Freestyle truly shines is its 190mm ground clearance and sporty suspension which the company claims can deliver SUV-like performance. In the front we have independent McPherson suspension, whereas the rear suspension is the semi-independent twist beam type.

Inside the cabin, Ford Freestyle features a sienna-themed interiors and a dual-tone dashboard. The infotainment system is a 6.5-inch touchscreen unit equipped with Ford's SYNC3, and also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Ford has put a lot of emphasis on safety features too with Freestyle, introducing the Active Rollover Prevention with the Titanium and Titanium+ trims of the crossover hatchback. The system works with Electronic Stability Program (ESP) to apply brakes on individual wheels and decrease engine torque when it detects a possible rollover. Ford claims this helps the Freestyle manoeuvre even sharp corners with ease.

The top-end Titanium+ variant of Ford Freestyle also comes with Emergency Assistance and side and curtain airbags. In the event of an accident, the Emergency Assistance feature shuts off the fuel pumps and shares the GPS location of the car with emergency services. The Ford Freestyle comes fitted with the usual array of safety features like ABS with EBD, rear parking sensor, engine immobiliser standard across all variants.

In terms of features, all variants of Ford Freestyle get keyless entry, variable speed wipers, and more as standard issue. The Titanium and Titanium+ variants also get push button start, automatic climate control and driver seat height adjustment among other things. The top-end Titanium+ exclusively gets automatic headlamps that light up when the sun sets, Ford MyKey technology that allows drivers to set speed warnings, set seatbelt reminders and limit car's top speed, and rain sensing wipers.

The Ford Freestyle will be available in six colour options - Canyon Ridge, Smoke Grey, Moondust Silver, White Gold, Oxford White, and Absolute Black. Pre-bookings for the car have been going on for some time now and deliveries will begin sometime later this month.