The production-ready Ford Ka FreeStyle (Ford
Freestyle/Ford KA+) was officially unveiled in Brazil this week. Ford has
already sold 440,000 units of the new generation Ford Ka in the country, and
the SUV-inspired variant will help it boost the sales.
The Ford Ka FreeStyle has a tougher styling with
various modifications for an SUV-like exterior and more robustness. It features
a beehive-shaped front grille painted in pearl grey colour, headlamps with
black bezels and chrome frame, front bumper with C-shaped details and
cannon-type fog lights, black body cladding and 15-inch alloy wheels in pearl
grey colour. Trancoso brown is the new variant's launch colour.
On the inside, the Ford Ka FreeStyle's dashboard,
centre console and door panels and combination leather (leather with fabric)
seat covers have a black/brown dual-tone colour scheme. Other interior
highlights include a 6.5-inch central display, two illuminated USB quick-charge
ports, and FreeStyle-branded door sills.
The Ford Ka FreeStyle not only looks different but
also drives differently. It has a differently tuned suspension, larger tyres
(185/60 R15), a larger diameter (23 mm) stabilizer bar and uniquely calibrated
steering. Ford has even enhanced the structure with the application of special
steels and additional reinforcements in the pillars, ceiling, and floor. The
FreeStyle variant offers a higher ground clearance of 188 mm (+17 mm).
The Ford Ka FreeStyle is powered by the 1.5-litre
Ti-VCT Flex three-cylinder engine that produces up to 136 PS and up to
158 Nm of torque. This flex-fuel engine is from the Dragon engine family and it
powers the new Ford EcoSport as well. It is paired to the new MX65 5-speed
manual transmission or the new 6F15 6-speed automatic transmission.
The Ford Ka FreeStyle will go on sale in Brazil in
the second half of 2018. It is priced at BRL 63,490 with the
MX65 5-speed manual transmission and at BRL 67,990 with the
6F15 6-speed automatic transmission. It is sold in India as the Ford Freestyle
with prices starting INR 5.09 lakhs (ex-showroom) onwards.
