Ford Freestyle crossover: Launch, bookings, variants and everything we know so far

Ford Motor Company in India is gearing up to enter the crossover hatchback segment, which is currently the domain of Hyundai i20 Active and Toyota Etios Cross.

Ford India will soon foray into the burgeoning crossover hatchback segment in India with the Freestyle. Pitched as India's first compact utility vehicle (CUV), the Ford Freestyle is based on the new Figo hatchback.

The rugged model is not an SUV for an outright off-road variant. It is a mild off-roader which is ideal for the city dwellers. Ford India has already revealed a major chunk of the information on the Freestyle, barring the price. We have compiled all the information you need to know about the rival of Toyota Etios Cross and Hyundai i20 Active.

Ford Freestyle- Launch and booking

Ford India is expected to launch the Freestyle April 18. The company has opened bookings online for the first 100 customers via e-commerce website Amazon India from April 14, 2.00pm onwards. Aspiring buyers can also place the order at Ford India dealerships.

Ford Freestyle: exterior and interior

The jazzed up version of the Figo comes with black honeycomb grille up front. The Freestyle also gets faux silver skid plates, beefy front and rear bumpers with black body cladding. Metallic roof rails and wider 185/60 R15 wheels accentuate off-road lean of the Freestyle. The Freestyle comes with 15mm extra ground clearance and sporty suspension set up over the regular Figo variant.

The Freestyle gets Sienna-themed interior. Colour coordinated seats, door accents, as a Sienna dashboard adds richness to the model.

Ford Freestyle features

The crossover will come with a 6.5-inch touchscreen at the top center of the dashboard which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All-new Freestyle will also flaunt push-button-start, Ford MyKey technology, automatic climate control, rearview camera, automatic headlamp, rain sensing wipers and others.

Ford Freestyle: Engine and transmission

Ford Freestyle will be powered by a new 1.2-liter Ti-VCT petrol engine tuned to churn out 95bhp of power and 120Nm of torque. The diesel mill, on the other hand, will be tried-and-tested 1.5-liter unit producing 99bhp and 215 Nm of peak torque. Both engines will come mated to five-speed manual transmission.

Ford Freestyle: Safety

The Freestyle will come equipped with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, HLA, and ESP as well as other measures depending upon the variant. It will also get Active Rollover Prevention as standard.