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Ford flexes its newest muscle, proving you don’t have to sacrifice beauty for a little brawn.
Call me offside, but Ford’s Flex just doesn’t feel like a North American car.
Don’t get me wrong. It definitely handles like one, (especially when you’re initial test-drive entails slaloming through Connecticut’s hilly puzzle of jagged road and infinite forestry). It’s big enough to take on a Tahoe (202 inches long on a 117.9-inch wheelbase) and it’s burly too (262 horses firing 245 pound-feet of torque).
But as Ford insists, this is no minivan (nor is it an SUV, for that matter). And even though Ontario’s Oakville plant is currently pumping out armies of these beasts to the tune of $34,999 (base) a pop, make no mistake – Crossover killed the Freestar. Granted, this vehicle was designed with families in mind (seven plush seats, built-in refrigerator, voice-activated navigation with new "Sync" media centre), but it’s not accepting that word in its title anymore. It prefers "trendsetter," not soccer-mom machine.
This, ladies and gentelmen, is an all-wheel warrior with the muscle (3.5-litre Duratec V6 engine) of an American and the body of a Brit (Giant Mini Cooper, anyone?). Not only will it pull your trailer up a mountain without breaking a sweat, it’ll look good while it does it too. If you see one today on your commute, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Unlike the Edge and the Lincoln MKX, style-wise this is very, very different for Ford, and I suspect this is what will make it insanely popular in the summer months to come.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The Flex was designed by a British man by the name of Peter Horbury – Volvo’s former 11-year Design Director. If you don’t recognize the name, take a look at the new Focus. Notice the recent "facelift?" That was Horbury’s touch. He’s recently been appointed with full design authority over all Ford, Mercury and Lincoln products in North and South America.
