2005 Ford Freestyle to Offer Multitude of Options

The 2005 Ford Freestyle crossover SUV, with a chassis and certain styling characteristics similar to the Ford Five Hundred, has been officially launched by Ford Motors.

Descriptions of the new Ford Freestyle, as reported by a Ford marketing press release, include Ford Freestyle as a midsize crossover sport utility that could be described as a Ford 500 station wagon. It will be marketed to compete against the Toyota Highlander, which is also a crossover version of the Toyota 4Runner SUV.

Features of the Ford Freestyle are reported to include third row seating, foldaway seats, leather front bucket seats, 3.0-liter, 203-horsepower V-6 engine (similar to the Five Hundred) and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

Fuel economy of the Freestyle rates at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 24 on the highway. Pricing is said to begin at at $25,595 for the two-wheel-drive base Ford Freestyle SE model and $27,295 for the all-wheel-drive version.

Freestyle options include power moon roof, 18-inch aluminum wheels, fog lights, rear climate control, factory Ford roof rack, DVD entertainment center with ceiling-mounted LCD screen, power and heated folding exterior mirrors, keyless-entry keypad on the driver's door, automatic headlights, backup sensing safety system, leather-trimmed seats, Audiophile AM/FM/CD stereo with in-dash, six-disc changer, eight-way power driver's and four-way power passenger's seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, side air curtain, and driver and passenger side air bags, anti-theft perimeter alarm, woodgrain interior accents, driver message center, heated front seats, power windows and door locks with remote, cruise control, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, power adjustable floor pedals with memory and power steering.