The
Ford Flex is a full-size crossover manufactured by
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
. Its styling is based on the Ford Fairlane
conceptA concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.General Motors designer Harley Earl is...
unveiled at the 2005
North American International Auto ShowThe North American International Auto Show , is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
. The production vehicle made its debut at the 2007
New York International Auto ShowThe New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in late March or early April. It is usually held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center...
. Sales of the Flex began in summer of 2008 as a 2009 model. The Flex is produced on the same assembly line as the
EdgeThe Ford Edge is a premium mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Ford, based on the Ford CD3 platform shared with previous generation Mazda6 and marketed in slightly modified form as the Lincoln MKX. The platform is shared with Mazda CX-9 crossover , the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and the...
and
Lincoln MKXThe Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover from Ford's Lincoln division and a de facto successor to the Lincoln Aviator luxury SUV. It debuted as a 2007 model in December 2006 as a production version of the Lincoln Aviator Concept shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show...
crossovers at the
Oakville AssemblyOakville Assembly Complex is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, occupying the same site as and combining the former Ontario Truck plant and Oakville Assembly Plant. The first car plant on this site opened in 1953...
Plant in
Oakville, OntarioOakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
, where the first Flex was driven off the line at the beginning of June 2008.
The
Ford Flex is a full-size crossover manufactured by
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
. Its styling is based on the Ford Fairlane
conceptA concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car prototype made to showcase a concept, new styling, technology and more. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced.General Motors designer Harley Earl is...
unveiled at the 2005
North American International Auto ShowThe North American International Auto Show , is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
. The production vehicle made its debut at the 2007
New York International Auto ShowThe New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in late March or early April. It is usually held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center...
. Sales of the Flex began in summer of 2008 as a 2009 model. The Flex is produced on the same assembly line as the
EdgeThe Ford Edge is a premium mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Ford, based on the Ford CD3 platform shared with previous generation Mazda6 and marketed in slightly modified form as the Lincoln MKX. The platform is shared with Mazda CX-9 crossover , the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and the...
and
Lincoln MKXThe Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover from Ford's Lincoln division and a de facto successor to the Lincoln Aviator luxury SUV. It debuted as a 2007 model in December 2006 as a production version of the Lincoln Aviator Concept shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show...
crossovers at the
Oakville AssemblyOakville Assembly Complex is a Ford Motor Company automobile factory in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, occupying the same site as and combining the former Ontario Truck plant and Oakville Assembly Plant. The first car plant on this site opened in 1953...
Plant in
Oakville, OntarioOakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
, where the first Flex was driven off the line at the beginning of June 2008. It replaced the
Ford FreestarThe Ford Freestar is a minivan that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 2004 until November 2006. It replaced the Ford Windstar for the 2004 model year. The name change accommodated Ford's strategy to rename all their cars to words beginning in F...
minivanA minivan, multi-purpose vehicle , people-carrier, people-mover or multi-utility vehicle is a type of automobile similar in shape to a van that is designed for personal use...
and therefore is the first crossover to feature both minivan and SUV properties delivered by Ford. The Flex is only sold in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and in the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Interior
The 2009 Ford Flex includes seven-passenger seating, including adjustable and removable footrests for second-row passengers. The second and third row seats fold flat into the floor. The vehicle includes a class-exclusive optional interior "mini-fridge" refrigerator in the middle console mounted between the second-row seats. A voice-activated communications and entertainment system, called
Ford SyncFord SYNC is a factory-installed, in-car communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. It is based on the Microsoft Auto platform...
, integrates the functions of cell phones,
SIRIUS Satellite RadioSirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in the United States and Canada, owned by Sirius XM Radio. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and...
,
compact discA Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store sound recordings exclusively, but later it also allowed the preservation of other types of data. Audio CDs have been commercially available since October 1982...
,
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
and other media players, navigation systems, and was developed in collaboration with
MicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...
. The interior is lit with programmable "mood lighting" available in seven colors, along with a multi-panel Vista Roof, similar to that on the
Ford EdgeThe Ford Edge is a premium mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Ford, based on the Ford CD3 platform shared with previous generation Mazda6 and marketed in slightly modified form as the Lincoln MKX. The platform is shared with Mazda CX-9 crossover , the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and the...
, for skylighting. The Navigation system has a built in hard drive for music and picture storage.
Exterior
The Flex continues Ford's signature chrome horizontal three-bar grille design, as seen on the
EdgeThe Ford Edge is a premium mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Ford, based on the Ford CD3 platform shared with previous generation Mazda6 and marketed in slightly modified form as the Lincoln MKX. The platform is shared with Mazda CX-9 crossover , the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and the...
,
Taurus XThe Ford Taurus X is a 6- or 7-passenger full-size crossover SUV that was produced by Ford Motor Company in the United States. It was originally introduced in 2005 as the Ford Freestyle, before being renamed Taurus X for the 2008 model year. In Ford's lineup, it replaced the Ford Taurus station wagon...
,
FusionThe Ford Fusion is a mid-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 2006 model year.The Fusion is manufactured at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly plant in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, where the similar Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ are also built...
, and 2008
TaurusThe Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
. The windows and pillars appear blacked out, and the roof is available as either white, silver, or body-colored. The SEL and Limited models offer
LEDLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
tail lampsThe lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front, sides and rear of the vehicle...
and
BiXenon headlampsA headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by the great...
, and a "capless" fueling system without the traditional fuel door and cap, which provides better sealing to reduce evaporative emissions from the fuel tank. The standard wheels are diameter, with 19- and 20-inch (480 and 510 mm) versions available.
Safety and security
An optional back-up camera, mounted just above the bumper, allows the driver to see obstructions behind the vehicle, displayed on the navigation display screen, whenever reverse gear is engaged. The Flex comes with Ford's AdvanceTrac traction control system with roll stability control which helps the driver maintain control on low traction surfaces and during emergency maneuvers. All-wheel-drive is available as an option.
Powertrain
The Flex's
V6 engineA V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
produces and , and is paired with the 6-speed
6FGeneral Motors and Ford Motor Company teamed up in 2002 to create a new automatic transaxle, designed for transverse engine applications in cars and light trucks...
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. A direct-injected twin-turbocharged EcoBoost version is available for the 2010 model. The EcoBoost produces and of torque. AWD is required with the EcoBoost engine option. Towing capacity is . The all-wheel drive system is capable of transferring up to 100% of torque to the front or rear axle as needed.
Chassis
The Flex includes an independent rear suspension system. It is built on the Ford D4 platform, a reengineered and enlarged version of the Ford D3 platform which underpins the 2005-2007
Five HundredThe Ford Five Hundred is a full-size sedan that was produced by the Ford Motor Company during the 2005 to 2007 model years in North America. In North America, the name evoked the classic Fairlane 500 and Galaxie 500 models of the 1950s through 1970s.The Five Hundred was introduced at the 2004...
/Freestyle, 2008-2009
TaurusThe fifth-generation Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 2008 until 2009. It is the fifth in six generations of the Ford Taurus...
/
Taurus XThe Ford Taurus X is a 6- or 7-passenger full-size crossover SUV that was produced by Ford Motor Company in the United States. It was originally introduced in 2005 as the Ford Freestyle, before being renamed Taurus X for the 2008 model year. In Ford's lineup, it replaced the Ford Taurus station wagon...
, 2009
Lincoln MKSThe Lincoln MKS is a full-size luxury sedan from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. The MKS first appeared in concept form at the North American International Auto Show in January 2006 with the production version, a 2009 model, appearing later at the Los Angeles International Auto Show...
and 2010
Ford TaurusThe sixth-generation Ford Taurus is a full-size car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since June 2009. It is the sixth generation of the Ford Taurus.-Development and marketing:...
.
Active Park Assist
Offered on the Flex is Ford's Active Park Assist system, which finds and measures a suitable parking space, then operates the steering wheel to accomplish the parallel parking task. This feature uses software control of the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system in response to inputs provided by
ultrasonic sensorUltrasonic sensors work on a principle similar to radar or sonar which evaluate attributes of a target by interpreting the echoes from radio or sound waves respectively. Ultrasonic sensors generate high frequency sound waves and evaluate the echo which is received back by the sensor...
s. A competing camera-based system from
LexusLexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, where Lexus has ranked as the highest-selling maker of luxury cars, as of 2006 Lexus vehicles are sold in 68 countries and territories worldwide...
takes three times as long.
Marketing
As part of the 'electrifying the night' campaign, Ford partnered with Esquire Magazine in the magazine's first issue with a cover using
E InkE Ink is a type of electronic paper manufactured by E Ink Corporation, founded in 1997 based on research started at the MIT Media Lab.It is a proprietary material that is processed into a film for integration into electronic displays, particularly for e-Readers such as the Sony Reader, the iLiad,...
technology.
External links