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All-new Ford Freestar

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#1 ·
The 2004 Ford Freestar, unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, is designed to be Ford's highest quality, best driving, most comfortable, most versatile and safest minivan ever.

The Freestar features major upgrades in safety innovation, interior design, flexible fold-flat seating, steering, ride and performance - including a new 4.2-liter V-6 engine with best-in-class torque.

"Ford has built a solid reputation for bringing cutting-edge safety technology to the minivan segment, and the 2004 Freestar adds new technologies designed to further improve on Ford's strong reputation for safe minivans," says Steve Lyons, president of Ford Division. "We've also listened to the needs of minivan customers and designed in unparalleled levels of interior comfort and flexibility, along with major improvements in quality and durability.

Major features of the new 2004 Freestar include:

An available segment-exclusive Safety Canopy™ side curtain air bag system offers protection in side impact collisions and rollovers for all three rows of seating
Improved access to the third row seat, which can fold flat into the floor and disappear without having to remove the head restraints
An elegant new cabin and instrument panel design that reflects Ford Motor Company's major across-the-board investment for vastly improved interior quality
The largest engine in a minivan - the newly available 4.2-liter V-6 - offering best-in-class torque for improved passing and towing performance
A new power liftgate, which will be available later in the model year
Latest generation Ford four-speed automatic transmission with fast-acting hydraulics for seamless shift quality and improved downshift response
New, larger four-wheel disc brakes with a new "Panic Brake Assist" system as standard on models equipped with Ford's AdvanceTrac™ stability enhancement system

"The number of vehicle choices for families is growing, but we're confident Freestar's safety, comfort, style and flexibility will be hard to beat," Lyons says. "We're in a very strong competitive position, and we have a good opportunity to gain volume and share in the minivan segment."

The 2004 Freestar will go on sale in fall 2003. Four series will be offered: Freestar, Freestar LX, including an LX Sport Appearance Package, Freestar SE and top-of-the-line Freestar Limited. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.


Safety: A Ford Minivan Tradition

When it came to designing the company's next-generation minivan, Ford engineers looked no farther than their own garage for guiding inspiration on how to design a safe family hauler. The 2004 Freestar, complete with smarter air bags, a stronger structure and improved functional attributes, builds on Ford's legacy of safety leadership and is expected to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor when it comes to attaining the government's highest crash test ratings for front and side impacts.


For 2004, Ford designed the Freestar with additional safety features like the segment-exclusive Safety Canopy™ rollover curtain air bag system, a reinforced structure designed for offset frontal impacts and three-point safety belts at all seating positions.


"When you set out to design a minivan, it's easy to set your priorities - just ask yourself, 'what kind of vehicle you would like your own family to travel in,'" says Kapadia. "That's why the 2004 Freestar will be a safety leader. It also explains why we have placed so much emphasis on comfort, seating flexibility, powerful and refined powertrains and interior design."

In total, the 2004 Ford Freestar offers more standard safety features than any of its competition, with the added security of available features like the Safety Canopy™ rollover curtain air bag system, a fail-safe cooling system for the engine that allows the vehicle to continue running for a short period following the loss of coolant, the Reverse Sensing System, signal mirrors, adjustable pedals, self-sealing tires, Smart Locks, keyless entry keypad, available 17-inch wheels and tires and predictable, confidence-inspiring handling.


Smarter Air Bags, Stronger Structure, Larger Brakes

A survey conducted at the 2003 North American International Auto Show by the Detroit-based Women's Economic Club revealed that nearly 75 percent of women buyers believe safety features are a critical factor in their purchasing decisions. The 2004 Freestar is a safe, smart purchase because:


The standard Personal Safety System™ incorporates passenger-weight-sensing technology designed to automatically deactivate the front passenger air bag when the seat is empty or occupied by a small child. This tailors the response of the restraints systems to particular crash factors and helps Freestar earn excellent ratings in frontal crash tests.
Available Signal Mirrors project Freestar's turn signal indicator in the sideview mirrors, providing incremental warning to other drivers.
Freestar's patented Safety Canopy™ air bags deploy from the headliner to cover most of the glass area along all three rows of seating. In a rollover, they deploy on both sides of the vehicle and remain inflated for as long as six seconds to help protect occupants from multiple impacts and prevent occupants from being ejected.
For front seat passengers, the protection of the Safety Canopy™ is complemented by seat-mounted side impact air bags.
Three-point seat belts - an occupant's best line of defense in crashes - are standard in all seating positions. The belt for the center position in the third row retracts into the roof panel when not in use.
Freestar will be one of only a few minivans to offer AdvanceTrac™, an electronic stability enhancement system that continuously checks the vehicle's path compared with the driver's input. If a deviation is detected, AdvanceTrac™intervenes to help restore stability.
The Reverse Sensing System helps to detect objects in the rear of the vehicle and assist negotiation distances while parking.
Ford's adjustable pedal system, available on Freestar, allows drivers to position their seat farther away from the air bag while still maintaining a comfortable and safe driving position.
Larger, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock control and electronic brake-force distribution are standard. AdvanceTrac™-equipped models also have Panic Brake Assist, which can help reduce stopping distances in a panic stop.
The front structural rails have been engineered with laser welds on their outer surfaces to help Freestar to achieve an excellent result in offset crash tests.

Well-Designed Interior Places Emphasis on Seating, Storage & Refinement

In a minivan more than any other type of vehicle, "form follows function" defines the basic shape of the exterior. With this in mind, Ford focused the bulk of its creative energies on designing an attractive, well-crafted cabin environment with the utmost utility and flexibility in the segment.


"We listened carefully to our customers when we set out to design the 2004 Freestar," says Steve Lyons. "Number one on their list of 'wants' was a safe vehicle, but they also desired a stylish, high-quality comfortable interior. The new Freestar gives them all of this, while achieving new levels of interior refinement and durability."


Ford has tripled its investment in interior design and development, and the Freestar's all-new instrument panel - with its exceptional quality of fit and finish, ergonomic controls and appealing colors and textures - is a direct result of this effort.

The instrument cluster is mounted directly in front of the driver - the optimal position by tradition and experience. Vehicle and engine speed, coolant temperature and fuel level are displayed on four round gauges. On Limited models, they are trimmed in chrome. The Limited also includes a round analog clock mounted in the center of the instrument panel.


The upper and lower instrument panels are divided by a wood appliqué in Limited models; all series have a two-tone color design differentiating between the upper and lower sections of the instrument panel and door trims. The audio and climate controls, which are housed in a center stack, are new designs. The buttons are mounted semi-flush and have clean, highly-legible graphics.


A four-spoke steering wheel with an inset Ford oval, quality-feeling instrument stalks, ergonomically placed window switches and attractive door panels complement the overall harmony of the interior. Three separate overhead consoles accommodate displays for outside temperature, a compass, Ford's exclusive "Conversation Mirror" that enables drivers to keep a close watch on children in the rear seats, controls for the power sliding doors, auxiliary rear air conditioning controls and an optional DVD entertainment system.


Designing maximum space inside the Freestar was also a major objective, and the vehicle will not disappoint with seating for up to seven passengers and more than 135 cubic feet of cargo volume - one of the largest interiors in a minivan. Maximum space can also be afforded when the third-row seat is stowed in the floor and the second-row seats are removed, allowing enough space to fit four-by-eight sheets of work materials into the cargo area.


"The active, unpredictable lives of minivan owners demand a vehicle that can adapt to their needs, so we completely redesigned the seating system to make it as flexible and easy to use as possible," says Larry Erickson, chief designer of the Freestar.


Disappearing Seats, Plentiful Storage

A new standard folding third-row seat can be neatly stowed in the vehicle's floor when not in use, freeing space and creating a completely flat load floor. The seat is counter-balanced for nearly effortless function, with notable pop-up head restraints that do not need to be removed when storing the seat. The need to reconfigure the interior invariably arises far from home, so not having to struggle to remove a heavy, bulky seat is a major convenience.


"When the Freestar's third-row seat is in use, owners benefit from increased cargo room afforded by the bin the seat folds into," says Kapadia. "About the size of a hockey duffel bag, this spot is a perfect location to store smaller items that might otherwise slide around while driving."


Freestar engineers maintained enough clearance below the seat well for a special full-diameter spare wheel and radial tire - the first known application of this type of tire. Compared to the temporary spares of competitive minivans, the full-diameter tire provides increased capability in the event of a flat. It's even rated for towing.


The standard adjustable second-row bench seat tips and slides horizontally along its rails when the lever is pulled. Dual captain's chairs, standard on LX with the Sport Appearance Package, SE and Limited models, have a fold-and-tumble feature similar to those of the Ford Explorer and Expedition. For remarkably easy access to the third row, the second-row seats are easily moved out of the way with one hand and by a single lever. At the flick of another lever, they can also be completely removed from the vehicle for those times when maximum cargo space is needed.


Knowing that families make lots of short trips loaded with snacks, games, toys and other gear, Ford engineered dozens of storage features into the Freestar. In addition to the large third-seat storage bin, the front doors have holders for 20-ounce bottles and dual map pockets stacked vertically to hold plenty of kid-paraphernalia.


The rear sliding doors also incorporate sizable storage bins for books, toys and other items; while the driver's seat has a "kangaroo" pouch at the front of the cushion. On top of the instrument panel, Ford has placed a covered storage compartment for small items. In total, Freestar has cup holders for up to nine beverages.

Exterior Design Emphasizes Refinement, Variety

With the goal of creating a cohesive exterior, the Freestar design team set out to create a vehicle with excellent fit, finish and consistency. The Freestar sports a stronger stance and more confident proportions than past Ford minivans. Three distinctive front styling themes, a generous paint pallet and a variety of wheel and trim options provide Freestar with broad differentiation between model series.


Large, upright headlamps and grille integrate seamlessly with the hood and front fenders for a distinctive, Ford-family look. A short front overhang and upright nose, combined with integrated body side cladding improves Freestar's overall proportions. Contoured rear bumpers provide a low lift-over height, flowing neatly into the one-piece liftgate and taillamps for a quality appearance. New tooling for much of Freestar's sheet metal, fascias and moldings have resulted in constant alignment between panels and made body gaps uniform.


Extensive Series Segmentation

Different front, rear and body-side design treatments give each Freestar model its own character. Freestar and Freestar LX models have monochromatic, body-color fascias and a body-color grille. On the Freestar SE and Limited, the grille is chromed and the bumper fascias and cladding have bright trim strips. Limited models also have color-coordinated two-tone lower body paint.


For athletic looks and to accommodate larger brakes, Freestar, Freestar LX and SE models are equipped with standard 16-inch wheels and tires. Aluminum alloy wheels with a painted finish are fitted to Freestar SE and LX with the Sport Appearance Package. A 17-inch aluminum wheel with a machined finish is optional on Limited, LX and SE models (late availability).


Freestar's paint color choices include Arizona Beige clearcoat metallic, Black clearcoat, Matador Red clearcoat metallic, Medium Steel Blue clearcoat metallic, Silver Birch clearcoat metallic, Tropic Green clearcoat metallic and Vibrant White clearcoat. Interior trim is either Flint or Pebble.


Quality

In the past few years, Ford has steadily improved the quality and refinement of its minivans through changes in design and manufacturing - and a fanatical attention to detail. Quality has already been improved by more than 20 percent, according to independent analysis, over previous model Ford minivans. For 2004, Ford has taken quality and refinement to a higher level with the all-new Freestar.


A well-designed front structure for offset crash performance, and to the rear structure for the fold-into-floor third seat, inspired a re-tooling of most of the stamping equipment for Freestar's sheet metal. This improved the consistency and stiffness of the body.


Improved Sealing, Better NVH, Quieter Ride

Making Freestar very quiet was a top engineering priority. This directed particular attention to body and door sealing, manufacturing processes, sound insulation and powertrain mounting technology. New body sealing measures and special task forces at the Oakville Assembly Plant, home to the new Ford Freestar, ensure proper seal installation to reduce by half the amount of air that leaks out of a Freestar when tested in a special pressure cell. This improvement translates directly to reduced wind noise - and better heating, air conditioning and defroster performance.


"A quiet cabin is important to customers because it makes a strong statement about overall quality," says Kapadia. "A quiet cabin is particularly important on long journeys because it reduces driver and passenger fatigue."


New mounts isolate the passenger compartment from engine vibration and road impacts. An additional fluid-filled engine mount and a new powertrain roll restrictor dampen engine harshness, while new shear-style front subframe mounts and a fluid-filled lower control arm bushing contribute to reduced discomfort from rough roads.



Freestar also has considerably more sound insulation than past Ford minivans. Notable treatments include thicker front side windows, revisions to the roof rack and exterior mirrors, a noise-absorbing dash panel and a sound-blocking technology called Conformable Constrained Layer Damping that contributes to making Freestar the quietest Ford minivan ever. All help to aid a quieter ride which, in addition to reducing the stress of driving long distances, improves overall quality.


Significantly Improved 4F50N Automatic Transmission

Quality and durability improvements have more than doubled the life of the 4F50N automatic transmission based on Ford's "Key Life" testing. Improvements include:

New 5-pinion final drive gear set replaces the previous 4-pinion set for smoother shifts and improved durability.
New "fast-acting" hydraulics - a result of simplifying and subtly refining the convoluted passages that execute gear changes - provide refined, faster shifts.
New torque converter provides more responsive launch performance from a stop.

On the Road: Effortless Power, Smooth Ride, Responsive Handling

Customers want a minivan to feel responsive and nimble, and to handle predictably in all situations. These are traits that build driver confidence - and they are the precise qualities that define the driving experience of any Ford - from Focus to Expedition.


The Ford Freestar handles very predictably and rides better than any previous Ford minivan. A new MacPherson strut front suspension system with "reverse L" lower control arms, liquid-filled rear lower control arm bushings and shear-style subframe bushings help provide good steering response and a smooth ride. At the rear of the van, a laterally and torsionally stiff twist-beam axle decreases understeer. Shock valving has been tuned for ride comfort with good body control, and the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system has good on-center feel.


New 4.2-liter Engine, Refined 3.9-liter Power

Freestar's standard 3.9-liter V-6 is at the top of the minivan segment in terms of torque, with 240 foot-pounds available in the heart of its power band. A new intake camshaft that allows more intake and exhaust valve overlap helps deliver peak torque some 500 rpm lower in the rev range than before. Fully 90 percent of peak torque is available at a very low 1,500 rpm. For smoothness and refinement, internal tolerances, including main bearing clearance, have been improved.

A major boost in response comes from the newly available 4.2-liter V-6 engine. With 265 foot-pounds of torque on tap - more than any competitor - passing maneuvers, hill climbing and towing are effortless. Fuel economy is expected to remain comparable to the standard 3.9-liter engine, at 18 mpg in the EPA city cycle and 23 mpg on the highway - and coupled with Freestar's 26-gallon fuel tank - provides a best-in-class driving range of more than 500 miles. Like the 3.9-liter V-6, the new engine has a ULEV emissions rating.


In addition, both engines share free-flowing intake manifolds, a new crankshaft damper, a new structural oil pan and an all-new powertrain mounting system, which includes hydraulic engine mounts and a powertrain roll restrictor. Engine radiated noise is reduced by 25 percent on the 3.9-liter engine, and the transmission of noise and vibration into the cabin is cut sharply.

Smoother Shifting Transmission

Freestar uses the latest-generation Ford four-speed automatic transmission. It has been designed with "fast-acting" hydraulics - a result of simplifying and subtly refining the convoluted passages that execute gear changes - to help the transmission shift quicker and smoother. In addition, a new torque converter provides better initial acceleration from a stop.


Properly equipped, the Freestar can tow up to 3,500 pounds. Combined with more than 135 cubic feet of cargo space, Freestar has the power and capacity to handle the toughest minivan tasks.


Preliminary Specifications (subject to change prior to on-sale date)
All dimensions and capacities are in inches unless otherwise noted.
 

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#3 ·
Ford debuts Freestar minivan

Windstar's successor stresses safety features
February 14, 2003
BY MARK PHELAN
DETROIT FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

CHICAGO -- Ford Motor Co. introduced its Freestar minivan Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show, making it the third in what is to be a group of four seven-passenger vehicles.

The Freestar replaces the Ford Windstar minivan this fall. It shares its major mechanical components with the new Mercury Monterey minivan, which will be built alongside it at the Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant.

The Freestar strongly resembles the Windstar and, like that minivan, emphasizes safety and interior utility, said Steve Lyons, Ford division president.

"Providing vehicles for affordable family transportation has always been what Ford does best," Lyons said. "It's a core strength."

Ford's other seven-seaters are the Explorer, Expedition and the Freestyle crossover wagon, which is to go on sale in 2004 as a 2005 model. "2003 is the year of the truck at Ford," Ford North America President James Padilla said of the Freestar, Monterey and new F150 pickup, all of which are to go on sale this fall as 2004 models. "We feel very confident."

Ford needs a strong showing in the truck segment to reverse its falling share of the U.S. passenger vehicle market. Ford had 21.6 percent of the U.S. market in 2002. In 2003, Padilla predicts Ford will take 21.7 percent as the new trucks hit the market and complement the sport-utility vehicles the company launched last year.

Ford's four seven-seaters will eventually account for about 700,000 sales a year, said Cisco Codina, Ford division general marketing manager.

"We will have the largest line of family vehicles in the industry," Lyons said. "The Freestar is the most refined, comfortable, flexible and powerful minivan Ford has ever built."

The minivan market has been declining. Windstar and Mercury Villager sales fell from 201,641 in 2001 to 165,317 last year.

The market for minivans will probably continue to drop as more car-like family haulers like the Freestyle and Chrysler Pacifica hit the market over the next decade, George Pipas, Ford's U.S. sales analysis manager, said.

"However, they'll remain around a million sales a year, and a full-line manufacturer like Ford must be in the segment."

Pipas expects crossover wagons to be the fastest-growing part of the market over the next 10 years.

The Freestar's rear seats will fold into the floor, a feature popularized by the Honda Odyssey. The Freestar will be available with a 200-horsepower, 3.9-liter V6 or a 201-horsepower, 4.2-liter V6 that produces a class-leading 265 pound-feet of torque.

Horsepower doesn't matter much to minivan buyers, said Jim Hall, vice president of industry analysis for consultant AutoPacific. Torque, which helps the heavy vehicles accelerate onto highway ramps, is extremely important to the Freestar's potential customers, he said.

Minivan buyers study safety equipment the way sports car owners ogle horsepower numbers, and the Freestar will match the Windstar's four-star crash ratings for front and rear passengers, Lyons said.

The Freestar's safety equipment will include roof-mounted air bags to protect passengers' heads in side impacts and rollovers. "No other minivan comes close to the Freestar in terms of safety," Lyons said.
 
#4 ·
Ford Drops Windstar Name, Unveils Freestar Replacement

Posted 02/13/03 1:40 p.m. CST
—Reported by Michelle Krebs for cars.com;
Images by Adrian McDermott for cars.com;
Streaming video produced by Joe Wiesenfelder
and Eric Hoglund, cars.com

2004 Ford Freestar

CHICAGO — Ford took the wraps off its 2004 minivan today at the Chicago Auto Show. No longer called the Windstar, the new minivan has been renamed the Freestar, and it goes on sale in the fall.

Stephen G. Lyons, Ford vice president and president of the Ford Division, acknowledged that the Freestar “looks familiar” on the outside. In fact, it appears little changed from the Windstar, which has been around since 1985. However, the Freestar is completely restyled inside and is upgraded under the hood.

“The Freestar is the highest-quality, best-driving, most comfortable, most versatile and safest minivan Ford has ever built,” Lyons said.

Lyons said the Freestar uses the same body construction that earned the Windstar the government’s five-star safety ratings. The Freestar adds an airbag canopy with rollover protection to cover all three rows of seats — a segment exclusive, Ford claims — Ford’s AdvanceTrac electronic stability system and improved four-wheel antilock brakes with a new “Panic Brake Assist” feature that applies added pressure when it detects emergency braking. The Freestar also comes with a reverse obstacle detection device, three-point safety belts for all passengers, Ford’s Personal Safety System that senses when a seat is occupied by a child or is empty for appropriate airbag deployment, side-impact airbags and adjustable pedals.

“No minivan comes close to the Freestar in safety,” Lyons said.

The Freestar also features improved access to the third-row seat. The second-row bucket seats tumble and fold forward, locking into position and providing a clear pathway to the back of the minivan. The third-row seat folds flat into the floor, a la the Honda Odyssey and new Toyota Sienna. It can also be positioned with the seats facing rearward for tailgate parties. A power liftgate will be available later in the 2004 model year.

Ford Motor Co. has been putting tremendous focus on upgrading its interiors in recent years, with the new Lincoln Aviator and Navigator as prime examples. The Freestar is yet another. The interior has been designed to be more upscale and classy. The top-of-the-line Freestar Limited unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show is outfitted in creamy leather upholstery, wood trim and chrome-ringed instrument gauges. The Freestar also features a touch used in the Aviator and Navigator — a watchlike clock situated in the center stack.

Under the hood, the Freestar is equipped with what Ford claims is the largest engine in any minivan — a 4.2-liter V-6, with the segment’s highest torque at 265 pounds-feet. Horsepower is rated at 201. The Freestar is also available with a 3.9-liter V-6 engine rated at 200 hp and 240 pounds-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with Ford’s latest generation four-speed-automatic transmission.

The Freestar will be available in four levels: Freestar; Freestar LX, including an LX sport appearance package; Freestar SE; and Limited. No pricing was announced.

Lyons acknowledged that the minivan market remains stagnant at about 1 million sales per year with Ford’s competitors introducing new models this year and in upcoming years. “You’ll have to take your market share from somebody else,” he warned.

Lyons further claimed that with the addition of the Freestar minivan, the upcoming Freestyle crossover and the new Expedition, Ford has the most extensive and affordable lineup of seven-passenger vehicles in the industry.

In addition to unveiling the Freestar, Ford used its press conference to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Special Vehicle Team (SVT) at the Chicago Auto Show, where it all began in 1992 with the unveiling of the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra and SVT F-150 Lightning. To commemorate the occasion, Ford unveiled a 10th anniversary edition of the SVT Mustang Cobra, available this summer, and a European appearance package for the SVT Focus, which goes on sale this spring.

Only 2,003 anniversary-edition Cobras will be made. They will feature special 10th anniversary badging, unique wheels, black leather seats with red leather insets and carbon-fiber look trim. The European appearance package on the SVT Focus features a black leather interior highlighted with Recaro front sport seats.

SVT Director John Coletti said SVT started as a “skunkworks” and now is a full-fledged business unit, part of Ford’s recently formed Performance Group. Since the unit was launched a decade ago, it has produced more than 100,000 performance vehicles, including coupes, convertibles, sport sedans, pickup trucks and “pocket rockets.” Coletti promises that more SVT models are to come.

(Photo) Steve Lyons and the 2004 Freestar minivan.
 

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