If Ford's next big intro goes as the company predicts, the 2009 Ford Flex will do for so-called crossover vehicles what the first Explorer did at the start of the SUV boom or the original Taurus did for sedans. When it goes on sale around the middle of 2008, the seven-passenger Ford Flex will be the largest in Ford's expanding line of crossovers, which now includes the Taurus X (formerly known as the Freestyle) and the Edge, a crossover nearly as big as the Explorer.
The family oriented Flex is a big vehicle, measuring more than 202 inches long on a 117.9-inch wheelbase. That makes it longer than a full-size, truck-based sport-utility vehicle like the Chevrolet Tahoe, and longer than some of the biggest minivans ever, including the recently canceled Freestar. Ford insists the 2009 Flex is not a minivan replacement, and that might be true in spirit. Yet it will be built at the same Canadian plant that built the Freestar, and it replaces that minivan in Ford's model line-up.
Our guess it that the Flex won't be a screamer, but it should have more than enough guts to get out of its own way. It will be powered by the new 3.5-liter V6 appearing in lots of Ford products, including the Edge crossover and Lincoln MKZ sedan, generating 260 horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque in the Flex. All models will feature a six-speed automatic transmission, and Ford promises some of the best EPA mileage ratings among larger, seven-passenger vehicles. The Flex will also feature a capless fuel-filler. Simply open the cover door, insert the pump nozzle and squeeze.
When the Flex goes on sale sometime during the summer of 2008, trim levels should match Ford's existing sedans and crossovers. The SE, SEL and Limited will be distinguished by interior appointments and the level of standard equipment. A more luxurious Lincoln variant is expected to debut roughly a year after the Flex.
Expected Pricing: $28,500-$40,000.
© Source: nctd
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And as our spy photographer pointed out, the first test mules of the Ford Flex also used Freestyle sheetmetal. We’ll see if anything shows up at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show in a couple weeks.
