Pricing for All-New Ford Five Hundred and Freestyle Announced

But can Ford be that far away with a hybrid Five Hundred? It only makes sense that a hybrid electric version of the Five Hundred

With the help Ford is getting from Toyota on the Escape Hybrid, can a Five Hundred or Freestyle hybrid be that far off? Toyota's Highlander (shown) will get the hybrid treatent for 2006. (Photo: Toyota Canada)

becomes available, as Ford has shown its support of the technology by producing its new Escape Hybrid, with help from Toyota.

Hybrids aside, the Freestyle achieves 8.7 L/100 km on the highway and 11.8 L/100 km in the city in front-wheel drive trim and 9.8 city and 12.4 city when set up with all-wheel drive. Comparatively the Chrysler Pacifica gets 10.2 L/100 km on the highway and 13.8 in the city, plus 10.7 on the highway and 13.8 in the city in front- and all-wheel drive configurations respectively. Buick's Rendezvous comes close to the Ford at 9.0 L/100 km on the highway and 12.4 in the city when fitted with front-wheel drive, and 9.8 L/100 km on the highway and 13.1 in the city in AWD mode. How does Toyota fare? In V6 trim the front-wheel drive Highlander manages 9.4 L/100 km on the highway and 12.4 in the city, while the all-wheel drive Toyota gets 9.8 on the highway and 13.1 in the city. Like the Camry, Toyota will introduce a Highlander HEV for 2006, which will improve on the 3.3-liter V6's power while reducing fuel consumption too. Ford will no doubt be considering the adaptation of its Escape Hybrid powertrain into the larger Freelander to combat Toyota.

For consumers, the new Chryslers (300C shown) and Fords offer the choice of expressive styling or understated elegance, powerful performance or miserly fuel economy, respectively. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

With the clear fuel economy advantage currently in Ford's court, those looking to reduce monthly budgets may want to consider the Five Hundred or Freestyle. Those looking for power should be better satisfied by Chrysler's 300C, which delivers and impressive 340 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque through rear- or all-wheel drive. The HEMI-powered Chrysler also offers a variable displacement feature which can reduce the firing cylinders from eight to four when under low loads.

As expensive as gasoline has become, North American buyers haven't shown a major shift away from larger V8-powered vehicles such as SUVs. Still, with slow sales overall it is difficult to speculate whether the sales of large vehicles will pick up with sales of all vehicles, if and when the economy improves, or when fuel prices fall back toward affordability. If fuel prices don't drop, however, Ford could be sitting pretty with its thrifty new entries.