Automotive Faqs

At the introduction of the 2009 Ford Flex, nobody bothered explaining the naming of Ford’s newest crossover. Flexing what? With about 265 horsepower, it’s not flexing a conspicuous amount of muscle, and the 3.5-liter V-6 isn’t a flex-fuel engine.

Ford displayed a vehicle customized by Funkmaster Flex in New York, but that was an Expedition. The only explanation we can think of is that the Flex offers a great range of interior flexibility, but in this the Flex is no better than many three-row crossovers and certainly offers nowhere near the interior adaptability of the minivans that Ford dropped from its lineup.

This is a vehicle whose looks we get excited about. A nearly perfect doppelgänger for the Fairlane concept shown at the Detroit show in 2005, the Flex sits ramrod upright, with four strakes along its flanks, tinted glass all around, and a body-color top or a Mini-esque contrasting top that will be available in white or silver. A brushed-metallic appliqué spans the liftgate on Limited models; lesser Flexes make do without.

Predictably, Ford’s corporate three-bar grille treatment is tattooed on the square nose. The overall look of the Flex is somewhere between stylish cube van and jumbo Mini but will be mistaken for nothing, except for the as-yet-unnamed Lincoln version of the Flex, which we expect to surface soon with a 3.7-liter V-6.

The Flex’s originality ends with the sheetmetal, as there are only so many ways to put seven seats (six with the optional second-row buckets) into a vehicle. Thanks to the upright stance, interior space and visibility are optimized. Two available sunroofs, a traditional one over the front seats and a jumbo fixed panel over the rear seats, brighten the interior. An interesting retro touch is the faux tweed on the base Flex SE’s seats.

Instead of leather seat inserts, which could snag the hearts and earnings of pipe-smoking English professors everywhere, the base trim has miniature houndstooth patches instead. On upgraded trim levels, the seats are wrapped in leather. Mechanically, there is nothing new about the Flex. It shares its running gear with the Edge, with the same 3.5-liter V-6 likely producing the same 265 horsepower connected to the same six-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive will be standard, all-wheel drive optional.

In 2008, Ford will bring to market its TwinForce V-6. Although not confirmed for use in the Flex, Ford has said a V-8 won’t be offered, so it’s logical to assume the TwinForce will be the optional engine at some point. This direct-injection twin-turbo gasoline engine will produce more than 320 horsepower and have fuel economy nearly as good as a diesel producing similar power.

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