Ford Freestyler

The Ford Freestyle is a crossover SUV that is medium in size. It was first showcased in 2005, and it is designed to compete with the Nissan Murano and Toyota Highlander. This SUV is sold in the United States, South Korea, and Canada. The Freestyle uses the Ford D3 platform, and it is manufactured in Chicago. While the XC90 also shares this platform, it has a design which is distinct. The Freestyle will come with three sets of seats, and it can seat a grand total of seven passengers.

This seating capacity puts it in the same category as many minivans. It has a grand total of five doors, and it uses a 3.0L 203 hp V6 engine. It should also be noted that the Freestyle is one of the first SUVs to utilize a CVT, or continuously variable transmission system. A large percentage of buyers are choosing the version that is Haldex equipped. Overall, the sales for the Freestyle have been below the company’s projections. While the Ford Explorer is one of the most successful SUVs to be produced by the company, some customers are choosing the Freestyle as an alternative.

The Freestyle has been given a nomination for the North American Truck of the Year award in 2005, and the 2007 versions come with side airbags, 18 inch wheels, GPS navigation systems, and a Satellite Radio by SIRIUS. While 4,729 vehicles were sold in 2006, only 2,011 were sold though January of 2007. The company has experienced a sales decline of over 50% for this vehicle. The company has considered discontinuing this vehicle because of slow sales, and they wish to replace it with the Ford Edge in 2008.

However, it has been recently reported that Ford will continue to produce the Freestyle in 2008, but it will have a major update in its design. The layout for the Freestyle is a front engine, with a front wheel drive system.