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Facelifted Ford Flex to Debut at L.A. Auto Show

By: J. P. Vettraino

By AutoWeek Nov 8, 2011 8:00AM

The 2013 Ford Flex will get revised exterior styling including a new grille. (Photo by Ford.)




Ford's Los Angeles auto show reveals will include a facelifted Flex people mover.


The 2013 Ford Flex has a mildly revised look, starting with love-it/hate-it F-L-E-X script along the leading edge of the hood. Projector-beam headlights are standard, inside a bright, oblong ring circling the light clusters and grille, with integrated LED segments around the projector beams. In back, dual exhaust tips are spread near the edges of new under-bumper valance.


The base 3.5-liter V6 gets a significant power boost, up 23 hp to 285 hp, with an extra 5 lb-ft of torque, to a peak 253 lb-ft. And despite the extra thrust, Ford expects a 1-mpg increase in city and highway EPA mileage ratings. The optional EcoBoost 3.5-liter turbo engine continues at 355 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, and all-wheel drive remains an option.


Inside, there are new seats, gauges and switch clusters. The 2013 Flex will be available with an improved MyFord Touch control interface and the inflatable rear seatbelts introduced in the Ford Explorer. The Sync voice-recognition system has been improved to recognize shorter commands with fewer layers. The Flex also will offer more driver aids, including radar-enabled adaptive cruise control, collision warning with brake support and a blind-spot warning system with cross-traffic alert.


The next Flex should reach showrooms by late summer 2012.


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5Comments
xquzit98
Nov 9, 2011 10:32AM
avatar

The FLEX was already a qwirky niche market car, so no hard done making it even qwirkier! 

 

The wierdos who buy them will love um!  (That said, they actually are very good cars.)

mrchriss
Nov 9, 2011 9:04AM
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Some cars that I initially thought were ugly, I enventually ended up liking.  This one hasn't...

Troy Monroe (great_life)
Nov 9, 2011 5:51AM
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Just when I thought Ford made the Flex ugly, they beat my expectations and made it even more uglier then before. I think Ford is trying to win the ugly contest from Honda because now this is the ugliest car on the road.
CoreyDL
Nov 9, 2011 4:35AM
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I like it, and I also like the FLEX across the front.  I think such wording makes it look more upscale (e.g. Range Rover).
Annatar
Nov 8, 2011 12:38PM
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The front is strongly reminiscent of a 1988 Wartburg 353:


Ford is going "IFA design" now? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!
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