[nmenon]

Originally Posted by Prathiiik

Getting into the Freestyle isn't a tough job. You don't sit very low, nor do you sit as high as you would do in a WagonR. Ingress/Egress is quite easy, you do not have to crouch and get in. Getting in isn't as tough as a swift or a Honda city. Even Egress is quite easy in the Freestyle.

Older people wouldn't find it very tough to get into the Freestyle due to the raised height. Personally, my Grandfather (68) found it easy to enter and exit the Freestyle.

Thanks. That means it should probably be ok. Will go check it out when folks at home have time.

If it is comfortable for them the Freestyle goes on my list.

[Flyer]

Ford Freestyle Accessories.

Automatic Headlamps: This is standard on the top Titanium+ varient and available as accessory in other varients.



Rear view camera: An accessory for the base Ambient varient. All other varients have this as standard.



15 inch alloy wheels: An accessory option for Ambient and Trend varient.



Body Stripe: The body stripe for the Ford Freestyle comes in two colours and two designs.



Roof Wrap: Also available in two colors.



Roof Cross bars: The crossbar and roof rail combo can carry loads up to 50 kilogrammes.



Spoiler



Shark Fin: An aesthetic enhancement.



Rain Guards



Sun Blinds



Ambient Lighting: If you want your Ford Freestyle to feel a bit more premium, you can opt for the ambient lighting package. The set of four LEDs, with five colours, can be fitted in the front and rear footwell. The brightness of these LEDs can be adjusted using a mobile app.



Seat Covers: Available in three designs, the seat covers also features a ‘Freestyle' stitching.



Neck Rest & Pillow: Comes with freestyle badging.



Anti theft lugs: Can be loosened or tightened only using a special key.



Engine Undershield: If you plan to take your Freestyle out for some rough driving, the underbody shield can protect the engine from serious damage.



Car Cover

Pic courtesy: DriveSpark

Ford Freestyle Brochure

[vaasscit]

Someone has to tell Ford that they need LED-DRLs and Project headlamps to sell cars in India.

Most of the potential customers wouldn't bother much about TCS/ESP/Roll over protection and other gizmos.

Fortunately, they've got this sexy looking touchscreen ICE if not i'd have written this one off.

[blackasta]

The 'Engine Undershield', if priced sensibly, should be picked up as a must have accessory irrespective of the fact one drives offroad or not.
We have seen umpteen examples of rocks / bricks left in the middle of the road (usually by truckers , who after fixing their tires/axle whatever, do not bother to remove them). One bad case of a well placed hit, and you are looking at trouble.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by vaasscit

Someone has to tell Ford that they need LED-DRLs and Project headlamps to sell cars in India.

Most of the potential customers wouldn't bother much about TCS/ESP/Roll over protection and other gizmos.

Fortunately, they've got this sexy looking touchscreen ICE if not i'd have written this one off.

A simple sunroof would have doubled the sale of the topend variant, sad to see the market still not being mature enough to consider safety, it's always the case of " it will never happen to me".

Hope Ford doesn't bump the price up once they get decent bookings, lot of work needs to be done to make customers trust ford again.

[Blow Horn Ok]

Had a chance to check out the freestyle. It was late and I couldn't take a test drive but I could feel that the build has improved. Especially the thickness of bumpers. The clutch felt super light to press and the gear shifts felt more precise and sure slotting.

If I had the funds I would have surely exchanged my 2010 Figo Diesel with a freestyle petrol.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by blackasta

The 'Engine Undershield', if priced sensibly, should be picked up as a must have accessory irrespective of the fact one drives offroad or not.

The 'Engine Undershield' for the Ecosport cost us 8k in 2016 & the part looks similar to the one on the Freestyle. So, I believe even for the Freestyle, the cost should be similar. I too believe that on our roads, some sort of under-body protection is necessary.

[strawhat]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

The 'Engine Undershield' for the Ecosport cost us 8k in 2016 & the part looks similar to the one on the Freestyle. So, I believe even for the Freestyle, the cost should be similar. I too believe that on our roads, some sort of under-body protection is necessary.

On Ford genuine accessories site the cost is 4267/-.

On another note, I really like the design of alloys on Freestyle. Hope Ford fits these on Ecosport as well. Also I wonder why Ford doesn't offer alloys as an accessory for Ecosport lower variants.

[shivshan]

Can anyone confirm whether Navigation is enabled in the Titanium+ version of the Freestyle through Apple CarPlay/SYNC3? I was told that Navigation is only supported through Android Auto/Google Maps and I am better off with the Titanium version's builtin Navigation. However, it doesn't seem to have real time traffic updates.

[suku_patel_22]

Originally Posted by shivshan

Can anyone confirm whether Navigation is enabled in the Titanium+ version of the Freestyle through Apple CarPlay/SYNC3? I was told that Navigation is only supported through Android Auto/Google Maps and I am better off with the Titanium version's builtin Navigation. However, it doesn't seem to have real time traffic updates.

As per the spec sheet, Titanium seems to have the Fly Audio system with inbuilt navigation and no real time traffic updates.

After using Sync 3 on my Ecosport, i would go with whichever variant gets Android Auto/Carplay. Its a breeze to use and real time traffic update is a boon.

I am yet to beat Google's ETA.

[nmenon]

Had a chance to test drive the Freestyle Titanium TDCi today.

Unfortunately the showroom didn't have a petrol variant or Titanium + variant even on display.

Two of us drove it. Myself and my friend.

The Driving Experience:

Getting in to it you feel that you sit a bit higher than the Figo but the real difference is felt only when you jack up the seat height.
The TDCi is quite smooth and pulls off well in first gear. It stays quite silent especially if driven with a light foot.
We had 5 people in the car, a couple of 6 footers one in front and one in the back and 2 slim guys and myself (rather wide and heavy but not tall).
The car felt quite sprightly and didn't feel like it was overloaded.

It handles reasonably well and is quite confident taking wide sweeping bends in the highway at 80 km/h with 5 people in it.
The gearbox is good but a the shift has to be made positively it's not hot knife through butter smooth. Steering felt good enough but out test drive didn't involve much cornering so I will not be able to elaborate.
The showroom have promised to bring a petrol version home for a test drive whenever we want after next week when they will receive a test drive vehicle.

On the return journey my friend drove it , he has an aggressive style and accelerates harder and prefers quick overtakes.
He was of the opinion that it is a lot quicker than the other diesels he drives (i20, Indica Vista quadrajet, Ritz DDiS) and he felt confident with the acceleration to overtake slower traffic.

Small points :
The stereo in the Titanium variant is not Sync3 but a different system and looks a bit aftermarket in its fitment and there is only I USB port.
Titanium also comes with HLA, TCS and ESP.
There is a lane change functionality in the indicator system.
Seatbelts are height adjustable in front.
The diesel alone has a collar to be lifted before engaging reverse gear even though it is a normal 5 speed.
The MID is basic but there is a digital bar for the Temperature while the Tacho, Speedo and Fuel gauge are analog.
Prices are good especially the Petrol variant.

We did notice a strange behaviour in the engine.
When trying to take a U Turn we started accelerating and then had to halt to let a vehicle by (buses don't really care about anyone else).
After the halt we observed that the engine was alternating between idle and 1200 rpm sort of like you would keep revving a 2 stroke bike to keep it from stalling when stationary. We pointed this out to the showroom guys who said they'll get it checked because the variation was exactly like someone revving the engine and letting off the accelerator ( sort of like vroom.... vroom....) .

Overall I liked the car but will need a longer test drive and a trip to the showroom with the family before I can decide whether a Freestyle will be my ride for the next 10 to 15 years.

Could take only a few photos due to a lack of time.
Unable to upload now will post them from PC.

[srinath34]

Surprised to see the colour Canyon Ridge missing in the list of colours in the price list. Is that available or just for the demo vehicles?

Update: Just went through the brochure in one of the above posts and found this colour. Could be a miss on the price list.

[cogWheel]

Drove the petrol Freestyle Titanium+ on a short test drive a few days ago (Dealership: Cauvery Ford, Padil, Mangaluru).

Had posted my initial impressions on the appearance, interiors and features earlier.

Originally Posted by cogWheel

Saw the Freestyle on display at my city’s dealership...

• I could find a reasonable seating and steering position (I am 5’ 11’). Lumbar support was adequate. Thigh support could have been better.
• Seating is low. No different from the Figo. However ingress / egress is easy. Forward visibility is good. OVRMs are adequate
• Driveability of the petrol motor is good. Not at all sluggish like the old 1.2L. Sufficient grunt for city driving. Did not get much of a chance to check the top end, but seemed promising. Should be better than the old motor on the highway too.
• The gear shifts were quite smooth. Had no trouble in finding the right slots. The clutch was light and felt right.
• The roads I drove on were generally good and the ride quality on these was good. Drove on a short stretch with a few moderate curves. Handling felt better than the current Figo. But I think the old Figo felt tighter and more planted. Steering is relatively light and seemed to be uniformly heavy / light over the speeds that I could drive (up to about 80 kmph). It is stil not in the league of the old Figo.
• Braking felt adequate and predictable.
• The Sync infotainment system is excellent.Best display I have seen in this segment by far. Audio quality was a little on the brighter side for me but wasn’t too bad. But then, Iam no audiophile.
• Lack of adjustable headrests and split seats in the rear compromises the cars utility as a rounded family car for long intercity trips.

Overall impression: The Dragon Engine petrol Freestyle definitely drives better than the current Figo and probably handles better too. The interiors are clearly better. The external looks are subjective of course. Amongst the cross hatches, this one is more subtle and understated. With the six airbags, ESP, TCS and ARP this car makes a compelling choice for those looking for a car in this segment as long as they are OK with Cross / wannabe SUV looks.
It will be interesting to see if the Figo facelift gets similar interior and suspension updates. If it does, it may prove to be a great VFM option for those looking for a purer driver oriented, safe hatchback, particularly in the diesel variant.

Dealership experience: Impressive. The SA who attended to us, Rivan Colaco, was knowledgeable. Followed up for a test drive without being pushy. Was willing to offer the test drive on a holiday.

[Chugh_H]

Originally Posted by cogWheel

It will be interesting to see if the Figo facelift gets similar interior and suspension updates. If it does, it may prove to be a great VFM option for those looking for a purer driver oriented, safe hatchback, particularly in the diesel variant.

Absolutely! Really hoping Figo does borrow a lot from Freestyle, including all the new features and the VFM proposition it carries. Figo with these updates would be a good choice for people looking to buy a F-A-S-T hatch with a decent feature list. It would be interesting to see how the market reacts to these updates though - If Ford is unable to push any numbers this time around, it's going to be quite a bummer for the product team.

I must also say that the new dashboard color scheme doesn't really look bad in pictures, plus the touchscreen uplifts the overall appearance by a margin.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by nmenon

Had a chance to test drive the Freestyle Titanium TDCi today.

We did notice a strange behaviour in the engine.
When trying to take a U Turn we started accelerating and then had to halt to let a vehicle by (buses don't really care about anyone else).
After the halt we observed that the engine was alternating between idle and 1200 rpm sort of like you would keep revving a 2 stroke bike to keep it from stalling when stationary. We pointed this out to the showroom guys who said they'll get it checked because the variation was exactly like someone revving the engine and letting off the accelerator ( sort of like vroom.... vroom....) .

That sounds like the clutch switch which increases the revs when releasing the clutch pedal to avoid stalling the engine.
At times it goes bonkers and keeps revving the engine even when the pedal is fully depressed.