Driving the Freestyle in traffic-filled Jaipur was actually quite easy as I was able to drive it at speeds as low as 40 km/h in third gear with the engine running at just 3,000 rpm. This clearly shows that the power and torque start coming in early, which makes it utterly easy to drive in the city. The engine is smooth and refined with almost no vibrations. It also sounds quite nice but only at high rpm. Anyway, the low-end delivery makes it an easy to drive car in the city and on the highway.
Ford cars are known for being good handling cars and the Freestyle is no exception. It shares the suspension with the Figo, however, the engineers have changed the setup a bit for the Freestyle making it a tad firmer in the process. These changes have also resulted in a ground clearance of 190 mm, which is one of the highest in the segment. The ride-quality, on smooth roads, was fine as it absorbed most undulations without any fuss. On slightly bad roads, too, the Freestyle maintained its composure well. It was only on really bad roads where the ride felt stiff but, apart from that, there was not really any other problem with the ride quality. Handling-wise, the Freestyle was as impressive as any other Ford car. Sudden directional changes were taken care of with utter brilliance and the car held its line perfectly through tight corners. The steering feel and feedback was nice although the brakes were not up to the mark in terms of feel.
Overall, the Ford Freestyle is a pretty good hatchback. I say ‘hatch’ because it feels like one, regardless of Ford calling it a utility vehicle. It has ample space, modern-day features, good handling, ride quality, and a decent performing engine and gearbox combo. Everything now depends on the pricing. Ford have launched the Freestyle in India and the prices start at Rs 5.09 lakh (ex-showroom) for the petrol variant and Rs 6.09 lakh (ex-showroom) for the diesel variant, which makes it quite a good contender in the crowded cross hatchback market. We will soon bring you the road test review of the Freestyle, so, watch this space.
