2008 Ford Flex news, pictures, and information

2009 FORD FLEX: AN ALL-NEW FULL-SIZE CROSSOVER REDEFINES THE JOURNEY FOR THE AMERICAN FAMILY

Bold, expressive design and exclusive innovations define the new Flex.

'The Ford Flex has the power to move people emotionally as well as physically,' said J Mays, Ford's group vice president of Design and chief creative officer.

'This crossover has been created for people who know it's the journey – not the destination – that matters most,' Mays added. 'Its upright, upscale design, versatility and clever touches allow Ford Flex to stand out in an increasingly crowded sea of crossovers.'


The Ford Flex brings to production the Ford Fairlane concept vehicle that turned heads at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

'Flex is following in the tire tracks, so to speak, of Ford vehicles like the Taurus, Explorer and Mustang. It's the next iconic Ford,' said Peter Horbury, Ford's executive director of Design for The Americas. 'It shatters today's image of people movers.'

Flex's signature exterior design includes:

• Ford's signature chrome horizontal three-bar grille, which builds on the family 'face' that defines the Ford Edge and Taurus X crossovers, as well as the Ford Fusion sedan. (concept carz)

• A unique, all black 'greenhouse' – defined as the windshield, rear and side windows, and the pillars separating and connecting them to the roof. The design brings together seamlessly the body wîth the available multi-panel roof. Customers can pair a White Suede or Silver roof option wîth one of Flex's 10 available exterior colors or choose a body-color roof.

• Standard 18-inch or available 19-inch bright aluminum wheels, which plant the new crossover firmly on the road.

• Flex's integrated rocker panel design, which eliminates the need for customers to step over the rocker panel when getting in and out of the vehicle.

• Edge-inspired taillamps, which are outlined in chrome. Flex Limited models have LED taillamps and a brushed satin finish metal appliqué spanning the center of the liftgate.


Interior Quality

Inside, Ford Flex delivers textures, features and functionality – including §egmènt exclusives – that create an ideal atmosphere for discerning customers and their families.

'More than 90 percent of crossover customers make their vehicle purchases based in part on
the overall quality of interiors,' said Kate Pearce, Flex marketing manager. 'When they see
the Flex's exterior, they'll be intrigued. When they see its interior, they'll fall in love.'

Flex's interior provides a level of craftsmanship inspired by fashion and furniture design,
with modern materials and soft touch points.

Details include tweed-like fabric for the base-level Flex SE's seats, wîth inserts in a miniature houndstooth. Meanwhile, the Flex SEL features a soft insert wîth a more pronounced grain on the seat bolsters, while the Flex Limited features unique diamond-pattern perforations on the leather seat inserts. Contrast stitching also is available on leather seats and the center console.

Cool Features Built Right In

Flex is set apart from other vehicles thanks to a long list of surprising features. They include:

• Class-exclusive refrigerator, mounted between the second-row captain's chairs. Únlike competitors' systems that merely keep cold beverages cool, the Flex's available compressor-driven refrigerator can cool up to seven 12-ounce cans, four half-liter bottles or two 20-ounce bottles from room temperature to 41 degrees in just more than two-and-one-half hours. That's 40 percent faster than a standard home refrigerator.

• Multi-Panel Vista Roof™. It not only brightens the interior, it gives Flex occupants seated in each row their own special skylight.

• Second-row, best-in-class legroom, including class-exclusive adjustable and removable footrests. The Flex's second-row seats fold and tumble to provide access to the third-row and fold flat into the floor for added cargo space. An available one-touch system folds and tumbles the second row.

• Seven-color programmable ambient lighting. Flex owners can choose interior lighting to fit their mood. With this feature – which also is being introduced on the 2008 Ford Focus – customers use a dashboard switch to change the lighting on two LEDs mounted on the front console, two on the footwells and two around the cupholders.

• Capless fuel filler system. This exclusive feature eliminates the likelihood of forgetting to put the gas cap back on after fueling. It also saves time by doing away wîth unscrewing and replacing a fuel-filler cap and provides a better seal, cutting down the emissions of smog-forming vapors.

• Ford Sync™, Ford's -exclusive, voice-activated hands-free in-car communications and entertainment system. This available system fully integrates mobile phones and digital media players into the vehicle. The Sync in-car communications system was developed in collaboration wîth Microsoft and will be offered exclusively on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles later this year.

• Ford's next-generation navigation system, featuring voice recognition technology and more than 150 hours of music storage. Úsers can browse the music jukebox via touch-screen or by using voice recognition. They can also create custom play lists and burn CDs for storage on the system's hard drive. The system also integrates the climate control and SIRIÚS Satellite Radio into one easy-to-use, smudge-resistant, 8-inch touch-screen display. Premium AM/FM/MP3 audio systems also are available wîth a six-CD changer, auxiliary jack to accommodate MP3 players and the latest generation DVD entertainment system wîth a large 8-inch, drop-down screen.

• Ford's exclusive second-generation door-entry keypad . Housed within the vehicle's black B pillars, the flat-panel, backlit keypad eliminates the need for door-mounted buttons and gives customers the ability to unlock doors, disarm the alarm system and disable the auto-lock function by entering a five-digit code.

Quiet, Confident Ride

The Ford Flex's chassis was designed to be capable, including more than 4,000 pounds of towing capacity, while still delivering the quiet, confident ride that crossover customers demand.

'A quiet ride is no longer a luxury,' said Gary Boes, Flex chief engineer. 'It's something
that customers have come to expect from their vehicles and equate wîth quality. Flex has
been engineered from the onset wîth reduced noise, vibration and harshness in mind.'

Engineering advancements include a new independent rear suspension system (IRS) wîth
unique geometry that allows for better tuning to deliver a broad range of capabilities without compromising the interior package. Interior noise was minimized by using sound-deadening materials in the dash panel, headliner and under the carpeting.

In addition, a 6-millimeter thick windshield helps reduce wind and powertrain noise, while specially selected tires make road noise nearly unnoticeable.

Powerful V-6 wîth AWD

	Vital Stats
Engine : 3.5 L., 6-cylinder Power: 260 hp Torque: 245 ft-lbs
6-speed Automatic

Flex is powered by Ford's award-winning 3.5-liter V-6 engine and is mated to a fuel-efficient
6-speed transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com) The powertrain is expected to deliver more than 260 horsepower,
245 lb.-ft. of torque and good fuel economy.

Flex's available intelligent all-wheel-drive system is tuned to provide confident driving in all weather conditions. Intelligent AWD uses an active, on-demand electronic center coupler to allocate a precise amount of torque from front to rear – up to 100 percent to either axle. The system also can anticipate wheel slip before it happens.

Safety Families Demand