Photo: Instagram | automotive.ai
Besides the new-gen Mustang and the commercial vehicle lineup, Ford's US portfolio comprises only high-riding vehicles with a closed cargo area or an open bed design.
The crossover/SUV family starts with the Escape and includes the Bronco Sport, Bronco, Explorer, Edge, Expedition, and the all-electric Mustang Mach-E. At first glance, it appears that they have most mainstream segments covered, but could there be room for additional vehicles with many inches between their bellies and the road?
That's obviously a yes, especially in today's car world, which is dominated by such models. And in this story, it is the Ford Flex that has been resurrected with a CGI twist. You do remember this ride, don't you? It was neither a crossover nor a minivan but more of a family wagon with an emphasis on comfort. Built at the Oakville factory in Ontario, Canada, between 2008 and 2019, it was based on the D4 platform. The unibody construction was shared with the fifth- and sixth-gen Taurus, previous-gen Explorer, Lincoln MKS, and MKT.
Power was supplied by two different 3.5-liter V6 engines. The standard one was a naturally aspirated Duratec, making 262 hp initially and 287 hp for the mid-cycle refresh. The turbo'd EcoBoost kicks out 355 and 365 hp. Both were paired to a six-speed manual transmission with available all-wheel drive. It is estimated that a little over 300,000 units were sold stateside until 2019, when production ended altogether. The reason for pulling the plug on it was the Blue Oval's plan to concentrate on faster-growing segments.
But could the Ford Flex return for a new era? That's a definite maybe. We are unaware of any plans to resurrect this nameplate, though it has been brought back from the dead in the rendering realm. Automotive.ai released a few digital illustrations of it on social media earlier this week, and it is not only instantly recognizable as a Flex but also uses different underpinnings. Beneath the familiar fresh metal lies a lengthened version of the platform used on the Bronco. According to the rendering artist, it would slot between the Bronco Sport and Explorer in the brand's modern-day lineup, sporting three rows of seats inside the boxy construction.
Moreover, it would have excellent off-roading credentials due to the body-on-frame architecture shared with the Bronco, so it would target the overlanding crowd with only a few mods. A modern-day Ford Flex based on the same construction as the Bronco would get our seal of approval, but would it also get yours? Drop a line below and tell us if you would be willing to kick the Bronco out of bed for it. Who knows, maybe they'll make it happen if there is enough demand for it.
That's obviously a yes, especially in today's car world, which is dominated by such models. And in this story, it is the Ford Flex that has been resurrected with a CGI twist. You do remember this ride, don't you? It was neither a crossover nor a minivan but more of a family wagon with an emphasis on comfort. Built at the Oakville factory in Ontario, Canada, between 2008 and 2019, it was based on the D4 platform. The unibody construction was shared with the fifth- and sixth-gen Taurus, previous-gen Explorer, Lincoln MKS, and MKT.
Power was supplied by two different 3.5-liter V6 engines. The standard one was a naturally aspirated Duratec, making 262 hp initially and 287 hp for the mid-cycle refresh. The turbo'd EcoBoost kicks out 355 and 365 hp. Both were paired to a six-speed manual transmission with available all-wheel drive. It is estimated that a little over 300,000 units were sold stateside until 2019, when production ended altogether. The reason for pulling the plug on it was the Blue Oval's plan to concentrate on faster-growing segments.
But could the Ford Flex return for a new era? That's a definite maybe. We are unaware of any plans to resurrect this nameplate, though it has been brought back from the dead in the rendering realm. Automotive.ai released a few digital illustrations of it on social media earlier this week, and it is not only instantly recognizable as a Flex but also uses different underpinnings. Beneath the familiar fresh metal lies a lengthened version of the platform used on the Bronco. According to the rendering artist, it would slot between the Bronco Sport and Explorer in the brand's modern-day lineup, sporting three rows of seats inside the boxy construction.
Moreover, it would have excellent off-roading credentials due to the body-on-frame architecture shared with the Bronco, so it would target the overlanding crowd with only a few mods. A modern-day Ford Flex based on the same construction as the Bronco would get our seal of approval, but would it also get yours? Drop a line below and tell us if you would be willing to kick the Bronco out of bed for it. Who knows, maybe they'll make it happen if there is enough demand for it.
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