Ford Flex 2013

The new Flex features SYNC® with the new generation of MyFord Touch®, making it easier to manage information, control features and adjust settings.

"We've listened to our customers and have improved what they love about MyFord Touch," said Kenneth Williams, systems integration engineer. "In this upgrade, the screens have a cleaner, clearer display. The words on the screens are larger and easier to read, the pressable areas on the screen look more like buttons, and we have made the functions clearer for faster navigation.

"What separates MyFord Touch is that there are multiple ways for customers to manage and control what they want through voice commands, menus accessed through the steering wheel controls, touch screen, buttons or knobs - whatever they prefer."

MyFord Touch includes two 4.2-inch screens in the instrument cluster and an eight-inch screen in the center stack. The feature pairs with the latest version of SYNC.

The base SYNC package includes:

• Hands-free, voice-activated calling via a Bluetooth®-connected mobile phone or USB-connected digital music player
• 911 Assist™, the automated emergency calling service that is free for the life of the vehicle
• Vehicle Health Report, the on-demand diagnostic and maintenance information service.
• driver-aid technologyThe new Ford Flex is equipped with the automotive world's first production rear inflatable belts to offer improved comfort and protection for rear seat passengers. Last month, this safety innovation was named a Breakthrough Product Award winner by Popular Mechanics, part of the magazine's seventh annual Breakthrough Awards.
  
  
   The advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries.
  Advances in airbag inflation and safety belt construction methods have enabled Ford and its suppliers to develop inflatable seat belts that are designed to deploy over a vehicle occupant's torso and shoulder in 40 milliseconds in the event of a crash.
  The new second-row belts operate like traditional safety belts in everyday use and inflate when sensors indicate a collision event. Each belt's tubular airbag inflates with cold compressed gas, which flows through a specially designed buckle from a cylinder housed below the seat.
  The new Ford Flex also boasts available radar-enabled adaptive cruise control (ACC) and collision warning with brake support and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with cross-traffic alert. These technologies help drivers avoid potential accidents using radar to detect the relative position of other vehicles and warn the driver with a combination of visual and audio alerts.
  
  Fuel economy bolstered by engines, technologies
  Under the hood, Ford Flex's new base engine delivers even more efficiency and performance with the addition of twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) to the 3.5-liter V6.
  The upgraded 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine provides 285 horsepower - an approximate 20 horsepower increase from the previous engine - and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. The new Flex also is projected to deliver 1 mpg more fuel economy, with projected fuel economy of 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
  
  
   This efficient V6 allows precise, variable control of valve overlap, or the window of time in which both the intake and exhaust valves in an engine are open at the same time. By adjusting overlap continuously, the engine can operate at optimum settings for peak fuel economy or peak power output as conditions demand.
  The popular 3.5-liter EcoBoost® V6 remains on the new Ford Flex, bringing the fuel economy of V6 engines with all-wheel-drive capability and V8-like performance of 355 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque.
  A key contributor to EcoBoost fuel efficiency is direct injection of gasoline. This system precisely delivers a fine mist of fuel directly into each cylinder for optimal performance, economy and emissions.
   new look, touches - inside and out
  Ford Flex's new front end rounds out the previously boxy edges, creating more visual harmony between the front and the rest of the vehicle. The signature Ford blue oval has been removed from the front, which now solely bears the Flex badge.
  
  
   In the rear, Flex now has standard dual exhaust and available rear appliqué.
  Inside the Ford Flex customers will find a modern, sophisticated driver zone with new clusters, steering wheel and electronic finish panels, as well as new seat trim and foam.
  Class-exclusives include the available second-row refrigerated console and the latest generation of MyFord Touch with SYNC.
  Appearance Package and paint, wheel choices
  Also new is an Appearance Package on Limited and SEL models that includes an available two-tone roof and mirrors, 20-inch machined aluminum wheels with painted pockets, leather seats, unique door trim panels and other interior upgrades for a truly distinctive, premium look and feel.
  The new Flex comes in nine exterior colors, including three new colors for the 2013 model year: Ruby Red, Deep Impact Blue and Kodiak Brown. Customers also can choose from body-color roofs, or two-tone with white, gray or black available on the Appearance Package.
  Six wheel styles are available for Ford Flex as well.