About Ford Freestyle
The Freestyle was one of the transition models built by Ford to make a cross-link between a regular station-wagon and an off-road vehicle. It managed to be both and an MPV replacement too.
Unlike other off-road vehicles built by Ford, the Freestyle was based on a car, unibody, structure rather than a body-on-frame. It used the D3 platform, which was used for the Ford Five Hundred, Volvo S80, and Volvo XC90. It replaced the Ford Taurus station-wagon on the North-American market.
From the outside, the front fascia showed a unique styling in the Ford range. Its grille was surrounded by body-colored elements and bumper. The big headlights featured a square design with turn-signals on the outside. A raked A-pillar made a good impression for the aerodynamic, and the rest of the car was like a station-wagon.
Inside, there was a wide and spacious interior, with a high driving position and that amplified the idea of an SUV. The dashboard featured a handle in front of the front right passenger, such as those found in an offroad-er. There was a mix of everything, but with good taste. Captain chairs were standard, with an easy-folding system to allow passage to the rear bench. A middle bench was offered as an option, to increase the capacity from six to seven passengers, like in an MPV. Apart from the driver's seat, all seats could have been folded, revealing a cargo volume of up to 85 cu-ft (2406 l). That was more than in a Ford Explorer.
To enhance and improve the MPV feeling, the Freestyle was fitted with the Duratec 3.0-liter engine mated to a ZF-supplied CVT.