We recently got a hands on experience of the upcoming Ford Freestyle and noticed some features that make the car stand out. While the bookings of the vehicle will commence tomorrow and the launch of the car will follow soon, let's take a look at the top seven features.
1. Beefed up exterior
The Freestyle is based on the Figo, but gets new bumpers and body cladding that give it a muscular look. The SUV-like traits are evident through the silver roof rails, silver skid plates and a high ground clearance of 190mm.
2. New petrol engine
The Freestyle will be offered with both petrol and diesel engine options. However, it's the first car from Ford to get the 1.2-litre Dragon series naturally-aspirated petrol engine, which produces 94bhp of power and 120Nm of torque, 7bhp and 8Nm more than the old 1.2-litre engine on the Figo.
3. A touch-screen system
Ford has equipped the Freestyle with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system compatible with SYNC3, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We found it to be responsive and practical, easily making it one of the best in the segment.
4. 15-inch wheels
All variants of the Freestyle will get 15-inch wheels, bigger in size than the standard Figo. The top-of-the-line trim gets funky looking alloy wheels too.
5. Sienna seat upholstery
The Freestyle’s interior is similar to the standard Figo, but pepped up with the help of a new fabric for the seats.
6. Segment-first safety equipment
Ford is known for providing a host of safety features, and all variants of the Freestyle will get dual front airbags with ABS and EBD. In fact, the top-end Titanium Plus 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 services.
7. Ford My key
The carmaker has brought in Ford My Key with the Freestyle which allows the driver to set speed warnings, activate seat belt warnings and even limit the car's top speed.
