Ford has announced that it will unveil a new
‘Compact Utility Vehicle’ in India on 31 January, 2018. The new CUV has been
dubbed the Ford Freestyle by the Indian web media.
The Ford Freestyle brings SUV-inspired styling to
the Ford Figo hatchback. Spy shots have revealed that the Ford Figo Freestyle
features additional body cladding, raised ride-height, black roof rails, black
mesh grille with black surround, distinctive front bumper, black ORVMs, chrome
beltline, chrome door handle trim and unique 15-inch black alloy wheels wrapped
in 185/60 R15 tyres. The Freestyle variant offers 189 mm of ground clearance,
15 mm more than the regular variant.
Inside, the Freestyle has a newly designed centre
console with a large colour display for the new SYNC 3 infotainment system.
Powering the crossover is a new 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine from the
Dragon engine family. The naturally aspirated engine produces 95 hp and 115 Nm
of torque and sends drive via Getrag’s new MX65 5-speed manual transmission.
Ford may introduce an automatic transmission option at a later stage. For those
preferring a diesel engine, Ford will offer the 1.5-litre TDCi engine that
produces 100 PS and 215 Nm of torque.
Ford hasn’t confirmed, but the Freestyle’s launch could
take place sometime next month.