Ford Freestyle India launch April 18, bookings open: What to expect?

Ford India will reportedly launch the Figo-based Compact Utility Vehicle (CUV) –Freestyle—in the country in April. The new Ford Freestyle is already open for bookings at the dealerships of the company with a token amount of Rs 30,000.

Although Ford is yet to reveal the exact launch date of the new Freestyle, the latest report of OverDrive claims that the model will be launched in India, April 18. Ford has commenced the pre-launch activities for the new Freestyle and is expected to begin the dispatch to respective dealerships soon. Ford Freestyle was unveiled in India in January 2018.

To be launched in four variants — Ambiente, Trend, Titanium, and Titanium+, the new Ford Freestyle gets the new 1.2-liter three-cylinder Dragon series petrol engine under the hood. The petrol mill is tuned to churn out 95 bhp of power and 120 Nm of torque. The tried-and-tested 1.5-liter diesel engine also powers the diesel models of the Freestyle, which produces 99 bhp and 215 Nm of peak torque. Ford Freestyle will get a different look from Figo hatchback.

It has a rugged and off-road look and shows a new black-colored mesh grille on the front along with blacked-out headlights and metallic roof rails. Features such as faux skid plates, beefy front and rear bumpers and a new bonnet body cladding add to the new look of the model. The highlight of the Freestyle is its higher ground clearance, which is 15mm more than the Figo.

The Freestyle rides on 15-inch 185/60 alloy wheels and comes with 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, automatic climate control, push-button start/stop, an automatic headlamp and rain-sensing wipers. On the safety front, Freestyle comes equipped with six airbags, ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Active Rollover Prevention and Emergency Assist.

To be positioned between the Ford Figo hatchback and the new Ford EcoSport compact SUV in India, the new Freestyle will be pitted against Toyota Etios Cross, Hyundai i20 Active, and Honda WR-V.