Ford Freestyle To Launch On April 26

The Freestyle will get the new 1.2-litre petrol engine along with various segment-first safety features

Ford showcased the Freestyle in January this year, and now three months later, the American carmaker has announced that it will launch the Freestyle in India on April 26. Dealers across the country have already started accepting bookings for an amount of Rs 11,000.

• Ford Freestyle: First Drive Review

Here is all you need to know about upcoming crossover:

Exterior

The Freestyle gets the latest iteration of Ford’s grille design. The front bumper houses C-shaped fog lamp clusters and a faux skid plate. To make it look rugged, Ford has added body cladding and roof rails. The Freestyle’s exterior somewhat previews the styling of the upcoming Figo facelift, which will get a similar front grille and headlamp units.

Related: Ford Aspire Production Ends, Facelift To Launch Soon

Interior and Features

The Freestyle’s cabin is also similar to the Figo hatchback as far as layout and quality is concerned, however it sports a brown-black finish instead of the Figo’s grey, to stand apart. The highlight is the 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with SYNC 3, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which replaces the cluttered central console to lend the cabin a clean look. Other features include automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs and rear parking camera.

Safety

The biggest attraction of the Freestyle’s features list has to be the safety gear. It gets the now-mandatory dual front airbags along with other safety features like ABS with EBD and BA, and ISOFIX anchors as standard. Ford has also gone to the extent of offering rear parking sensors right from the base variant onwards. Those who opt for the top variant will not just get more convenience and luxury features but also side and curtain airbags, traction control, hill launch assist, electronic stability control and active roll on protection. That makes the Freestyle one of the most well-equipped cars in the sub-Rs 10 lakh range, as far as on-board safety features are concerned.

Engine

The Freestyle can be had either with a 1.2-litre petrol or a 1.5-litre diesel engine. While the 1.2-litre petrol engine makes 96PS of power and 120Nm of torque, the diesel engine is capable of putting out 100PS and 215Nm. Both the engines come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Related: Petrol-Powered Ford Figo Facelift Will Be More Exciting To Drive; Here's Why!

Competition

The Freestyle will compete with hatchback-derived crossovers in the Indian market like the Toyota Etios Cross, the Honda WR-V and the Fiat Avventura. While there’s the Hyundai i20 Active as well, we expect Hyundai to update it soon since the standard hatchback, the Elite i20 received one a little while back.

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Price 

When launched, the Freestyle is likely to be priced at a premium of up to Rs 60,000 over the standard Figo for the entry-level variant, which is priced at Rs 5.47 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). To know more about the prices, click here.  Also Read: Ford EcoSport With Sunroof Coming Soon