2007 New York Auto Show: 2009 Ford Flex

Is there going to be a "Funkmaster" edition?
 
Update 04/04/2007 8:07 PM PDT - I just answered my own question. It's a good possibility.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/blog/?p=562

Can't say much about the looks of this thing but the features list looks quite nice. My favorite is the new keypad. Always was one of my favorite features, but it looks tacky. This new one is invisible (or at least partially hidden) until you go up to the vehicle and activate the backlight. I saw a version of it that was integrated into the sheet metal. Doesn't look like it made it into production.

OMG It's a huge mini cooper
I liked it when it was the concept but not so sure I like it so much now

All right, I have to credit Ford for keeping it very close to the concept, but I still don't know. What's with the aluminum on the back? It would look ten times better with the following fixed:
 
Same-color roof.
Some of the pillars painted- this makes it look like it was designed by Land Rover.
Sliding minivan doors. I know, I know, but what in the world does Ford need this for when they have three SUVs that seat seven comfortably, not including the Freestar. Just make one of them a real minivan with the utility of sliding doors, and you'll have a real winner.
 
A lot of these things don't look half bad on stuff like the Land Rover and Mini Cooper, but in a people-mover, I don't know.

I have to say that this car is VERY appealing! The feature list on this car sounds incredible: Footrest for rear seat passengers, FordSYnc, LED tailights, HID headlights, Voice Activasted Nav, MOOD LIGHTING, REFRIGERATOR, POwer tailgate, good engine, and the list goes on! The interior appointments look amazing, and i love the new dash/ tach! I want one!
 
ps. autoblog has some excellent coverage on this vehicle if you want to see pictures of the awesome interior and a complete features list...

Phreddkark hit the mark with his comments. I like the center stack and interior but those gauges are a bit much (too much retro?) as is the tail, sides, and roof. The problem at Ford is maybe they paid too much attention to the auto journalists and their overzealous enthusiasm for the concept. But again, how does a people mover without sliding doors and volume of a minivan compete in the market? I bet they'll find they could have sold more freestars if they had put half the development in it that they did this. Yes, impressive features and I love the sync tech. Looks like GM got all the smart kids in the design class.

I think Ford deserves some credit for being adventuresome, and that's definitely the best Ford/Lincoln/Mercury interior for sale right now by far, but I don't know that the execution is quite appropriate. The Nissan Quest comes to mind. I'm gonna agree with imacarguy2 - GM got it right.

not a bad effort and I really like the features that it has especially the Sync system the fridge and a decent engine that should have been made a long time ago on the freestar. But as a few posters have said when it comes to design GM has an edge. The back reminds me of a land rover but the alumnim on the back looks a bit tacky. while its a nice departure from the all too familiar minivan profile (think town and country) and it has some features other vans don't it could have been done better and the retro look is not as popular as it was when the retro craze first hit but of course i'm not going to make any final judgements until this car is actually out on the road

I'm not sure about the aluminum on the back, but I know the two tone roof is an option, not standard. Here's Ford's official website. (Caution: It's a bandwidth hog!)
 
2009 Ford Flex

Sadly, they castrated the Fairlane concept.
 
This seems to have lost the intesting shape. It no longer looks like a Grand Mini Cooperm, but rather an extremely plain box.
 
I guess the practical shape will help things inside, but the Freestyle is already practical yet that never helped it sell.
 
I loved the Fairlane concept, too bad this doesn't have the same visual appeal. They only kept the colors. :-(

The family station wagon has been reborn, ladies and gentleman. It just happens to go by the moniker 'crossover'. With the vintage name kick Ford's been on lately and styling that vaguely recalls Ford's large people movers of the mid to late 60's(particularly with the two tone paint job), they should have named this the Country Squire. Because that's exactly what it is.
The styling is on the classy side of conservative. Despite what some are saying, I actually think the aluminum tailgate panel and two tone paint are nice design touches and distinguish it from the competition. The interior is extremely well executed and the feature list is very impressive.
While I'm hesitant to say this vehicle will save Ford or live up to Ford's claim of 'leading the crossover market' (GM has that pretty well in hand), I will say that it given its all around appealing package of crisply conservative styling, fashionable interior and superb features list, this should sell very well if Ford prices the Flex VERY competively with the other CUV's in the market. Though I suspect Flex sales may be heavily cannibalized by another FoMoCo offering, the equally practical yet much more stylish Mazda CX-9... if I was in the market, I'd much rather have the CX-9 in my driveway than the Flex. Just a matter of personal taste.

This thing looks like it has styling from an old station wagon, and was put onto a minimally changed Ford Fairlane.

It looks fresh and different, and the interior is more Volvo than Ford, which is exactly what is needed.
 
I like everything but the name. Reminds me of a body-building magazine, which I don't think Ford was going for.

I really wish the front looked more like the concept. I dont know why ford insists on putting the taurus/500 front on every car now. It didn't work on the 500 and its not gonna work on anything else!

This thing is utterly hideous!!! Personally, if they tweaked it to make it a little more conventional, it would have been a pretty cool minivan. I dont understand why Ford thinks they need the Freestyle/Taurus X and this. Much of the components are shared, they seem to have the same seats (w/ different materials) and cargo space, and are roughly the same size. Obviously this is a bit more radical, but is that what the people (moms) who would buy this car want?

Clearly Ford is way too obsessed with crossovers....havent they learned anything from the freestyle couple years ago?! The freestyle looked better than this one and now the Flex has to compete with the edge and the freestyle. Lay off on the crossovers!! I don't hate the geometric design but i wish they added more curved edges in there. probably won't last through the next product cycle.

Great, just what we need.... another hearst on the road.

I wish Ford would fire their NAmerican designers and just start sharing their Euro design with us. I mean, come on, who told them that a stupid amount of blocky chrome counts as an attractive grille?

Ford has brought over Euro designers. Peter Horbury was brought over in 2004 from Volvo to head up North American design. Morray Callum was brought over from Mazda (his brother Ian designed the Jaguar XK). I believe Morray was in charge during the MX-5 redesign.
 
This vehicle doesn't quite hit the right notes for me in terms of design, but it's pretty out there and bold. I don't think you'll ever confuse it with something else. Whether that's a good thing remains to be seen.

Not bad but it looks like a bad redo of a expedition. Why does the public need that. I have to agree with phreddkark it should have sliding doors. It would be better for getting kids in and out of and more practical yet. Otherwise it is just another dupe to an exhausted line of SUVs by making a CUV that looks more like one its even worse. Interior looks nice though. Name is horrid though why not Country Squire instead?

It's interesting, looks a bit different and will get some strong reactions (good and bad) unlike the taurus-x and the taurus. I just think the name is a travesty... flex? Fairlane is a much better name.
 
Well, if they make a Funkmaster flex, like the 1st poster alluded to, maybe the name will be tolerable.

Ford already uses the name Fairlane for a sedan in Australia.
 
Here the exterior dimesion of the Flex compaired to those of a freestyle.
 
Length: F 202.3 | FS 200.3
Width: F 79.9 | FS 74.9
Height: F 67.6 | FS 67.4
Wheelbase: F 117.9 | FS 112.9

wow, just wen i thought ford couldn't get any worst at their automotive designs, this fugly range rover/ xB comes along and brightens my day with another car thats going to lose them millions.....i can't wait to see ford die!!!

Do you guys sincerely think this will be a failure? Minivan space + crossover versatility + lots of technology goodies = A hit as far as I'm concerned. Land Rover's are fairly popular as far as high priced SUV's go, but suddenly if you stick a Ford badge on the front, it the ugliest thing Ford has ever made... although I'll take mine without the optional white roof and definitely in a different color.

Oldmanshirt - Don't worry. I'm sure they'll rename it the Taurus F in due time.

I never actually thought it would happen but I really am starting to think ford's not going to make it this time around...