Ford Freestyle: More panache and more SUV flavour

The sports utility vehicle body style has become so popular globally that there is no size class or price segment that hasn’t been explored by car manufacturers with their own version. But not all such vehicle categories have been successful, especially the ones masquerading as a SUV or SUV-style vehicles. We already have quite a few in this category — the Hyundai i20 Active, Toyota Etios Cross, VW Polo Cross, Honda WR-V and the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross. The last two are better executed SUV-style cars compared to the first three, at least in terms of differentiators.

But, with a raised stance, higher ground clearance, SUV-styling and, in some cases, improved performance, what is not to like?

The latest entrant into this tough-sell segment is Ford with its new Freestyle. Built on the Figo platform, with a brand new three-pot engine, the Freestyle will be launched officially later this month. Has Ford managed to crack the code with this? To find out, I travelled to Jaipur earlier this week to test drive the Freestyle 1.2L TiVCT petrol.

Design

The Freestyle has all the trademark features of a SUV-style vehicle. Being based on the Figo means that its design is meant to be a cross between a hatch and a vehicle with SUV attributes. Ford calls it a compact utility vehicle and insists that it is very different from the Figo. The Freestyle’s design, though, bears a lot of resemblances to the Figo, especially from the rear.

The tail-lamp is carried over from the Figo

The differences, however, are there to see from all angles. The higher ground clearance of 190 mm gives the Freestyle a raised stance. The front and rear fenders are larger with dual tone effect and faux underbody protectors. Body side cladding running over the wheel arches and extending around the fenders adds to the SUV-style look. The headlamps and tail-lamps look similar to the Figo, but feature a special treatment that gives the Freestyle a more distinctive appearance. The front fender’s more complex design and construction featuring a dual layering, including the larger black grille above, the slim air dam below and inverted-comma style fog lamp inserts make the Freestyle look wider. But, the new model is actually wider in terms of dimensions too.

The rear underlines the SUV appeal of The Freestyle

Ford engineers have retained the width from the Figo up to the suspension mounts in the Freestyle and then extended the width to the wheel mount points, allowing for a wider track. With the addition of the side cladding, the Freestyle, as a result, doesn’t look anorexic. The wider 15-inch alloys help too; slightly taller rims would have been better, though they could have affected ride quality.

There are a few additions like the contrast black door mirrors that we have also seen in the Figo Sport. The roof rails, however, are not cosmetic additions and are supposedly capable of handling upto 50 kg of weight.

Cabin

The Freestyle’s cabin is even more similar to the Figo than the exterior. The layout and execution are the same except for the centre stack, which features the 6.5-inch high-res touchscreen from the EcoSport. The infotainment screen’s display of controls is a little basic, but Sync 3 Ford’s famous connectivity options including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto makes it very usable.

Warm hues The dual tone theme adorns the dashboard and the upholstery S MURALIDHAR

The dashboard here also features a dual tone — milk chocolate brown and dark grey theme. This surprisingly looks nice, unlike the terracotta orange that didn’t quite sit well in the previous-gen Figo. The dual tone theme extends to the seat upholstery too. The space inside the Freestyle is very much the same as in the Figo, with legroom and headroom at the rear being adequate, but not generous. The other feature about the interior of the Freestyle is the number of parts it shares with the other Ford models, including the Figo.

Performance

The Freestyle test mule I was driving featured the new engine that has been specifically developed by Ford for this model. Internally called the Dragon series engine, the 1.2L TiVCT petrol engine delivers 96 PS of peak power and 120 Nm of torque. This naturally-aspirated three-cylinder engine is surprisingly peppy and refined, managing to completely bypass the characteristic roughness that many three-pot mills suffer from. NVH packaging also manages to keep out the powertrain noise effectively. On the road, the engine doesn’t quite deliver its usable power and torque until the needle swings past the 2,500 rpm mark, so there is a certain lull initially. But, stomp the throttle and get the engine revving up and the engine feels more like a tuned-up four-cylinder. Ford is setting benchmarks with its three-cylinders.

This engine is paired with a new five-speed manual gearbox, which shifts clean and, though it seems like it has been tuned for city driving for improved efficiency, the powertrain still delivers its share in the key fun-to-drive department. The new gearbox is also said to be lighter and needs 40 per cent less oil than the older transmission. The other engine on offer in the Freestyle is the 1.5L TDCi diesel engine that features in many Ford models. This engine is also paired with the same new gearbox and delivers 100 PS of peak power and 215 Nm of torque.

Ford has also given the Freestyle its version of an Active Rollover Prevention, which works with electronic stability control to vary braking efficiency on individual wheels. With the wider track, the Freestyle feels more planted and just that bit more confident around corners. But, with the raised suspension, there is a discernable increase in body roll compared to the Figo.

Bottomline

The Freestyle’s suspension set-up is the same as in the Figo Sport, except for the taller springs. On the Sambhar salt flats near Jaipur and on some of the kutcha roads leading up to it, the Freestyle manages to impress by remaining composed, though it was thudding through really large potholes and cracks. The EPAS steering feels a bit lighter than in the Figo, which I’m told was based on customer feedback and the need to make city driving easier. The Freestyle will be offered with dual airbags as standard and buyers wanting additional safety can choose the Titanium+ variant, which will have six airbags, traction control and hill launch assist (found in the EcoSport). Bookings open for the Freestyle this weekend. Prices should be in the range of ₹6 lakh to ₹9 lakh.

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