Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!
Ford has been in need of new models to bolster its new car lineup for some time, and the upcoming Five Hundred sedan and Freestyle crossover SUV could be just what is needed.
I was recently invited to test both during a press event that had journalists making time on high-speed Interstates, exercising the suspension systems on curving, potholed rural backroads, and even taking on a gravel pit to test out the all-wheel drive system, on our way from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois.
If you've never been, Milwaukee is a clean, architecturally stimulating city with wide open prairies on one side and water as far as the eyes can see on the other. Ford chose the impressive Santiago Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM), located right on the lakefront, as a backdrop to launch the new models, symbolizing the contemporary styling approach design head J. Mays has taken with the pair.
I particularly like the minimalist lines of the Freestyle. There's nothing particularly new about its styling, especially the trademark Ford grille that appears in some form or another on most of the brands sport utilities, but just the same it is attractively understated.
Walking up to my test car after leaving the MAM, it didn't look as large as I expected it to be. After all, Ford's North American regional president Joe Padilla had just been informing me, along with a group of fellow journalists, that its new entry features more interior room than segment rivals Buick Rendezvous and Chrysler Pacifica.
Ford has been in need of new models to bolster its new car lineup for some time, and the upcoming Five Hundred sedan and Freestyle crossover SUV could be just what is needed.
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| Ford has been in need of new cars to reinvigorate sagging sales, and the new Five Hundred sedan and Freestyle crossover SUV could be just what the doctor ordered. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
If you've never been, Milwaukee is a clean, architecturally stimulating city with wide open prairies on one side and water as far as the eyes can see on the other. Ford chose the impressive Santiago Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM), located right on the lakefront, as a backdrop to launch the new models, symbolizing the contemporary styling approach design head J. Mays has taken with the pair.
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| Although there's nothing particularly new about the Freestyle's design, it is attractively understated. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Walking up to my test car after leaving the MAM, it didn't look as large as I expected it to be. After all, Ford's North American regional president Joe Padilla had just been informing me, along with a group of fellow journalists, that its new entry features more interior room than segment rivals Buick Rendezvous and Chrysler Pacifica.