Ford Freestyle makes world debut in India

Ford has unveiled its new compact utility vehicle for the Indian and South American markets. The product has been christened Ford Freestyle and will be going on sale in the second quarter of 2018. The car also debuts the new 1.2 L 3-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol mill from the Dragon engine family.

Speaking at the global debut of the Ford Freestyle, Anurag Mehrotra, President and MD, Ford India, said -

The global unveil of the Ford Freestyle strengthens Ford's continued commitment to India to bring products that consumers want and value. With the cool, capable and connected Ford Freestyle, we are adding yet another great product to our diverse portfolio that will help us expand our family of happy Ford owners in India.

The crossover is based on the Figo hatchback. However, to differentiate it from the donor car, Ford has given it a new mesh grille, a chunkier front and rear bumper with faux silver skid plates, a new set of alloy wheels, body cladding, roof rails, and body decals. Inside, the Ford Freestyle gets an updated centre console with a centrally mounted touchscreen that acts as an interface for the SYNC3 infotainment setup.

There's a new 1.2 L NA 3-cylinder petrol engine on offer producing 96 PS and 120 Nm paired with a new 5-speed manual transmission. Diesel variants will borrow the Figo's 1.5 L TDCi unit, which puts out 100 PS and 215 Nm paired with a 5-speed manual transmission.

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Ford will launch the Freestyle in the April-May 2018 period as a crossover offering positioned below the Ford EcoSport. The car will be exported to Europe, Africa and Middle Eastern markets.