The Ford Freestyle is a

crossover utility vehicle A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles (S ...

that was sold by

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

from 2005 to 2009. Largely marketed as the successor to the Ford Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle was the CUV counterpart of the

Ford Five Hundred The Ford Five Hundred is a full-size automobile that was manufactured and marketed by Ford from 2004 to 2007, and debuted as a 2005 model year vehicle. Deriving its nameplate from the ''500" suffix used by Ford on the Custom 500, Fairlane 500 an ...

and

Mercury Montego The Mercury Montego is a nameplate that was applied to three separate generations of vehicles marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Taking its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica, the nameplate made its first appearance for 1967 ...

four-door sedans. Sharing the

Ford D3 platform The Ford D3 platform is an automobile platform assembled by Ford Motor Company. In production between the 2005-2019 model years, the D3 platform is the fifteenth generation of full-size cars produced by Ford in North America. Marking the adopt ...

with the Five Hundred and Montego, the Freestyle was produced with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations and six or seven-passenger seating. Following the return of the

Ford Taurus The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...

for the 2008 model year, the Freestyle underwent a mid-cycle revision and was renamed the Ford Taurus X, marketed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, as well as

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

and the

U.S. territories Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, U.S. Virgin Islands, and

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

. Following the 2009 model year, the Taurus X was withdrawn. From the 2009 model year, the larger

Ford Flex The Ford Flex is a full-size crossover SUV or wagon that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company; a single generation was produced from the 2009 to 2019 model years. Introduced as the successor to the Ford Taurus X, the model line also funct ...

has served as the three-row Ford CUV/wagon. From 2005 to 2009, the Freestyle/Taurus X was assembled at

Chicago Assembly Chicago Assembly (sometimes referred to as Torrence Avenue Assembly) is currently Ford Motor Company's oldest continuously operated automobile manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the Hegewisch section of Chi ...

(

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

); the final vehicle was produced on February 27, 2009.

Background

The Freestyle was previewed at the 2003

Detroit Auto Show The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...

with the Freestyle FX Concept before entering production for the 2005 model year. The vehicle was originally going to be called the Ford CrossTrainer, but had been renamed the Freestyle by the time the concept was released, due to Ford adopting an ill-fated naming scheme in which all Ford-branded passenger cars except the

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once- domesticated animals, the ...

and

Thunderbird Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to: * Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture * Ford Thunderbird, a car Birds * Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds ...

would have a name start with the letter "F". Although its body and chassis was used to produce the Mercury Meta One concept vehicle, no Lincoln-Mercury version of the Freestyle ever reached production.

Design overview

For the Freestyle/Taurus X, Ford used its Volvo-derived D3 platform architecture. Sharing a common platform with the

and

, all four vehicles were derived from the Volvo P2 platform used for the first-generation

Volvo S80 The Volvo S80 is an executive car produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1998 to 2016 across two generations. It took the place of the rear-wheel-drive S90 as Volvo's flagship sedan. The first generation (1998–2006) was made a ...

and

Volvo XC90 The Volvo XC90 is a mid-size luxury SUV manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars since 2002 and now in its second generation. The first generation was introduced at the 2002 North American International Auto Show and used the Volvo P2 platform ...

. To accommodate production costs for Ford and durability concerns for North American roads, a number of revisions were made to the platform, making the final vehicles significantly different. Power came from a 3.0 L (181 cu in)

Duratec Duratec is a brand name of the Ford Motor Company used for the company's range of gasoline-powered four-cylinder, five-cylinder and six-cylinder passenger car engines. The original 1993 Duratec V6 engine was designed by Ford and Porsche. Ford ...

V6, with an output of at 5750 rpm.
auto123.com The Freestyle, along with the Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, and the Ford Escape Hybrid, were the first American Ford vehicles to use a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Freestyle, Five Hundred and Montego used a chain type CVT, while the Escape Hybrid used a CVT transaxle that utilized a planetary gearset controlled by the electric generator, similar to the Toyota Prius. All Freestyles were equipped with the CVT, but only

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one w ...

(AWD) Five Hundred and Montego models used the CVT (FWD versions used an

Aisin is a Japanese corporation that develops and produces components and systems for the automotive industry. Aisin is a Fortune Global 500 company, ranked 359 rankings. Aisin is a member of the Toyota Group of companies. Aisin was founded in 196 ...

F21++ six speed automatic). 55% of buyers selected the

Haldex Traction Haldex Traction is a manufacturer of intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) systems, founded in Sweden. Since invention of Gen I in 1998, the company produced several generations of products licensed to and customized for some major automotive brands, ...

-equipped

model rather than the expected 40%.

Model history

Ford Freestyle (2005–2007)

Introduced as a 2005 model largely in place of the Ford Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle was marketed as a crossover utility vehicle, a new market segment at the time. As with the Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego, the Freestyle was available with front-wheel drive as standard with all-wheel drive as an option; the CVT of the all-wheel drive Five Hundred was the sole transmission on the Freestyle. The 203hp 3.0L

V6 was the standard engine. In contrast to a Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle featured forward-facing third-row seating (similar to the Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition). Although designed with ground clearance between a sedan and a small SUV, the Freestyle featured what Ford described as "command seating," seating with a higher

H-point The H-point (or hip-point) is the theoretical, relative location of an occupant's hip: specifically the pivot point between the torso and upper leg portions of the body — as used in vehicle design, automotive design and vehicle regulation ...

, to increase

driver visibility A blind spot in a vehicle or vehicle blind spot is an area around the vehicle that cannot be directly seen by the driver while at the controls, under existing circumstances. In transport, driver visibility is the maximum distance at which the dr ...

and ease of entry and exit. The Freestyle was nominated for the '' North American Truck of the Year'' award for 2005 (placing second behind the Ford Escape Hybrid).

Ford Taurus X (2008–2009)

In 2007, shortly after becoming CEO of Ford Motor Company,

Alan Mulally Alan Roger Mulally (born August 4, 1945) is an American aerospace engineer and manufacturing executive. He is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ford Motor Company. He retired from Ford Motor Company on July 1, 2014. Ford ...

called for a revision of the Ford and Mercury model ranges, saying that the shift towards Ford nameplates starting with the letter "F" was forgettable in the eyes of consumers. A key part of the decision was the reinstatement of the Ford Taurus nameplate, which would take the place of the Ford Five Hundred as a mid-cycle update for the 2008 model year. As the Ford Taurus would be produced exclusively as a sedan, the all-new Ford Taurus X nameplate was introduced to take the place of the Freestyle. The nameplate change was announced shortly after its unveiling at the 2007

Chicago Auto Show The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center. It is the largest auto show in North America. History Samuel Miles, formerly a promoter of bicycle shows, produced the first "official" Chic ...

as a 2008 production model. To bring it in line with the styling of other Ford light-truck lines, the Taurus X was given a flush-mounted three-bar horizontal chrome grille (similar to the

Ford Edge The Ford Edge is a range of crossover SUVs manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for the 2007 model year, the Edge is the first mid-size CUV marketed by Ford in North America; the model line is currently in its second generation. ...

, as are the headlights). As with the Freestyle, on non-Limited trims, the lower body and wheel well trim were painted in a contrasting color (as with all Ford SUVs). Matching the Ford Explorer, the Taurus X introduced an outdoors-themed

Eddie Bauer Eddie Bauer, LLC is an American clothing store chain headquartered in Seattle, Seattle, Washington. Eddie Bauer sells its merchandise via retail stores, outlet stores, and online and via phone, with a call center in Groveport, Ohio. Its flagship ...

trim level. As with its sedan counterpart, the Taurus X featured major powertrain updates over its predecessor. The 203hp 3.0L V6 was replaced by an all-new 3.5L Duratec 35 V6 engine, raising output to 263hp. The ZF-Batavia CVT was replaced by an all-new Ford/GM 6-speed automatic transmission, while all-wheel drive remained an option. To increase its functionality, the Taurus X featured new power options, including a power-operated rear liftgate and power-folding second-row seats. Although the renaming of the Taurus sedan would improve its sales over the Five Hundred, the renaming of the Freestyle to the Taurus X would have the opposite effect, leading to a major decrease in sales. During its production, the Taurus X was partially affected by the automotive industry crisis of 2008–10. Although more fuel-efficient than SUVs such as the V8-engined Ford Expedition and Ford Explorer, full-size crossovers such as the Taurus X were avoided in favor of smaller crossovers and sedans. In 2009, the

was introduced as the replacement for the discontinued Ford Freestar/Mercury Monterey. The Taurus X was discontinued for the 2009 model year, with the Flex unofficially serving as its replacement.

Trim levels

The 2005-2007 Ford Freestyle, and the 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, were offered in several different trim levels: The base SE trim level, only offered on the Freestyle between 2005 and 2006, was the "base" trim level, and offered the following features as standard equipment: a 3.0L "DuraTec" V6 engine, a CVT transmission (Freestyle only) or a 6 speed automatic transmission (Taurus X only), seventeen-inch alloy wheels and tires, an A/M-F/M stereo with a single-disc CD player and a four-speaker audio system, manual front and rear air conditioning with front controls, cloth seating surfaces, power windows, power door locks, keyless entry, an aluminum interior trim piece, black door handles and side mirrors, and matte gray lower body trim. The SEL was the mid-level trim level between 2005 and 2006, and the base trim level from 2007 until 2009. It added the following options to the base SE trim level: a 3.5L "DuraTec" V6 engine (2008 and 2009 Taurus X ONLY), a six-speed automatic transmission (2008 and 2009 Taurus X ONLY), sport-styled seventeen-inch alloy wheels, a security system, an A/M-F/M stereo with a single-disc CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack, dual-zone automatic air conditioning with rear controls, a power front driver's seat, a woodgrain interior trim piece, and either Gray Metallic or Arizona Beige Metallic lower body trim. The Limited was the top-of-the-line trim level from 2005 until 2009. It added the following options to the mid-level SEL trim level: dual front heated power seats, leather-trimmed first and second-row seating surfaces (the third-row bench seat was vinyl-trimmed), an A/M-F/M stereo with a six-disc, in-dash CD/MP3 changer (later with an auxiliary audio input jack and Ford SYNC) and a premium "Audiophile" seven-speaker audio system with rear-mounted subwoofer and external amplifier, satellite radio, color-keyed exterior door handles and side mirrors, and color-keyed lower body trim. The Eddie Bauer Edition, only offered on the Taurus X between 2008 and 2009, was the "luxury" trim level, and added the following options to the base SEL trim level: an A/M-F/M stereo with a single-disc CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack with Ford SYNC, satellite radio, two-tone leather-trimmed first and second-row seating surfaces (the third-row bench seat was vinyl-trimmed), dual heated power front seats, color-keyed door handles, and Arizona Beige Metallic or Ingot Silver Metallic lower body trim.

Other versions

Since 2005, the Freestyle nameplate has been used as an off-road styling trim for the EcoSport and the Ka in Latin America, the latter also sold as the Ford Freestyle in India and as the Ford Figo Freestyle in South Africa.

Sales (United States)

References

2011 Ford Explorer: First Photos of New Car-Based Ford Explorer

External links

Ford Vehicles.com Official Website
{{Ford vehicles X Crossover sport utility vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Front-wheel-drive vehicles Ford D3 platform Cars introduced in 2004 Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Partial zero-emissions vehicles