Spec comparison: Ford Freestyle Vs Hyundai i20 Active

The Indian consumer’s love for SUVs is well known. Lately, the crossover segment too has been gaining a lot of popularity among potential buyers in the country.  The upcoming Ford Freestyle has arrived as a strong contender in this segment and will take on the likes of the Hyundai i20 Active in India. Here we have the Freestyle Titanium+ and the i20 Active SX, the top spec diesel versions of the both the cars. Let’s take a look at how these two cars stack up against each other.

Engine

- The Freestyle is available with a 1.5-litre diesel engine that generates 99bhp/215Nm. The i20 Active on the other hand is powered by a 1.4-litre CRDi diesel that generates 89bhp/220Nm.
- Although the Freestyle churns out an additional 10bhp over the i20 Active, it surprisingly gets a five-speed manual, while the latter gets a six-speed manual transmission.
- Both the cars offers 40 litres of fuel tank capacity

Exterior

- The Freestyle gets basic halogen headlamps while the i20 Active wins hands down with the automatic projector headlamps with cornering lamps and LED DRLs and positioning lamps.
- Stylish body cladding is common between both the cars, however the i20 Active gets additional chrome elements.
- Both the cars get turn indicators on the ORVMs and stylish roof rails.
- The Freestyle additionally offers customisation options in the form of body stripe kit and roof wrap, while the i20 Active is available in a dual-tone body shade for an addition Rs 24,000.
- The Freestyle sits on 15-inch alloy wheels while the i20 Active gets 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.

Interior

- The Freestyle gets a charcoal black interior with dual tone seats in sienna and black. The i20 Active on the other hand offers interior colour pack in optional shades of brown, satin red and alps blue.
- The Freestyle gets a pretty modest interior while the i20 Active offers a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob.
- The Freestyle gets an important feature like distance to empty, while the i20 Active misses out on the same.

American car manufacturer Ford is known to offer a host of safety features. Supporting claims, the top-end Titanium+ boasts of six airbags, anti-rollover prevention system, HLA (Hill launch assist), ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and TCS (Traction Control System). Then, there's emergency assistance too, which in the event of an accident shuts down the fuel supply and automatically shares your GPS location with emergency contact numbers. The Hyundai i20 Active SX on the other hand offers four-airbags and EBD in the i20 Active SX. The crossover from Hyundai also gets impact sensing auto door unlock and speed sensing door locks for safety.

Prices for the Ford Freestyle are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, the Hyundai i20 Active is priced at Rs 9.80 lakhs. Pricing will be the key determining factor for the success of the Freestyle in India, as it gets a modest set of features and a slightly more powerful engine.