The Oakville-built Ford Flex can carry a load up to 303 cm – almost 10 feet long. An optional rear refrigerator keeps your road pops cool.

Flex time

Ford’s interesting new crossover is in a class all by itself

by TONY WHITNEY

One quick look at the 2009 Ford Flex tells you this baby is “different.” It might just be the most interesting vehicle to emerge from a domestic automaker for years and already it’s selling strongly – proving that a little creative boldness can pay off.

The Flex doesn’t really fit into any clear vehicle category but is, one supposes, a kind of crossover product. And it doesn’t seem to borrow styling cues from any other vehicle on the market, though the eagle-eyed might point to the Honda Element and the U.S.-market Scion XB. From most standpoints, though, the Flex is unique.

It’s angular shape is avant-garde, promising to look fresh and modern many years from now. It certainly is all practicality, as we’ll see, but it is undeniably trendy – this could become something of a cult vehicle with design-conscious people. I was amazed at the number of heads the Flex turned as I drove by and the people who stopped to talk about it at curbside.

This is no compact by any means and is quite lengthy, though its low-slung lines tend to thwart any sense of bulk. Front styling is aligned with Ford’s current look – the grille looks great with its huge Ford blue oval badge. Aft of the A-pillar, it is squared off and boxy but easy on the eye due to its basic sleekness. Ribs along the bodysides preclude any slab-sided appearance. The roof is white on all body colours, enhancing a hunkered-down sleekness. Big 19-inch wheels set off the look very nicely indeed.

You can order a Flex for seven passengers and amazingly, in this configuration, the rear seats are very roomy, even for fairly tall adults. They also are ranged higher than the first two rows so rear passengers get a theatre-style view out the windows. My test Flex had some impressive leather trim – as good as anything I’d seen in quite a while from any maker. It just seemed to look and feel opulent and the texture was tastefully chosen too. My tester came with the optional panoramic roof – great to have, but a $1,700 extra.

The rest of the interior boasts a high level of quality, fit and finish. Rather than a dreary monotone approach, there are several different materials involved, all complementing one another nicely. The overall effect when climbing into a Flex is that you’re about to ride in a very upscale vehicle – yet my loaded-to-the-gills example was priced at well under $45,000.

For interior stowage space there seemed to be bins, cubby holes and trays everywhere, some with lids to keep valuables out of sight. The glove box is small, but there are plenty of other places to stow your stuff. On models where it is available, the rear floor well that accommodates the rearmost seats when folded is very deep – the perfect spot to stow grocery bags. No bags sliding around the cargo area and emptying themselves.

When the two rear rows of seats are folded down, you get something resembling a giant station wagon or even a small minivan. It’s possible to carry a load up to 303 cm in the back of a Flex – that’s almost 10 feet long! For keeping your cans of pop cool on touring trips, there’s a rear refrigeration console available – a worthwhile luxury on a hot day or for picnicking jaunts.

As one might expect, there are some interesting aspects to the powertrain department too. The familiar Ford 3.5-litre V-6 engine delivers 262-horsepower. The Flex is fast and quiet and rides very comfortably too. It’s not a sports car and doesn’t pretend to be, but some drivers would be surprised by its stability in tight turns – maybe it has something to do with that low-rider look. Transmission is a six-speed automatic that is hardly noticeable, thanks to seamless shifts at all the right power levels.

In common with vehicles in this class, there are all kinds of electronic stability and braking aids in case things threaten to get out of control. Similarly, there’s a full suite of air bags to protect all occupants. Even the rearmost passengers get the protection of Ford’s Safety Canopy side-curtain air bags.

Optional is Ford’s intelligent all-wheel drive system, aimed at providing confident driving in all weather conditions. I would guess that most Canadian buyers will go for the AWD option.

Incidentally, the Flex is built at Ford’s Oakville plant in Ontario.

Specifications – Body style: Four-door, seven-place crossover. Engine: 3.5-litre V-6. Transmission: Six-speed automatic. Towing capacity: Over 4,000 lbs. Fuel economy: 13.5 litres/100 km city; 9.2 litres/100 km hwy. Price: $36,999 base, $45,529 as tested mv