Ford Flex says farewell after a decade-plus of the funky wagon
Was it a wagon? A crossover? Minivan? Who knows, but it became a niche favorite for thousands.
See you around, Flex.
Ford's got big plans to renew or replace 75% of the the vehicles it sells in the US by the end of next year, but the strategy isn't short of casualties. While we've already said so long to the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Taurus sedans , it's the Ford Flex that's now met the chopping block.
The Blue Oval announced on Monday that after 11 years, it's laying the Flex to rest. In that time, Ford sold 296,000 of the uniquely wagonlike vehicle marketed as a crossover. In reflection, the automaker said the Flex helped shape how crossovers could behave. With a more conventional car-like drive, the Flex could still seat seven people across three rows of seats. Behind everyone, 20 cubic feet of space was available, and folding the seats down revealed a cavernous 83.2 cubic feet.
"It had both crossover and minivan elements in a hip, trendy package that stood out from what was becoming a really boring minivan segment," said Chris Kessler, Ford Flex marketing manager. "Its design traced its roots to the traditional family station wagons that many of our customers remember growing up with," he added, but it was fully meant to embrace the popular design of SUVs .
It's not clear if anything will directly replace the wagon-like Flex, but we know Ford has at least three new crossovers and SUVs in the pipeline. Those who find the new Escape too carlike will have a "Baby Bronco" to mull over, a "Mustang-inspired" electric SUV will debut in less than a month and, of course, the highly anticipated return of the Bronco is on the horizon.
As for the Oakville assembly plant in Ontario, Canada, that built the Flex, the workforce still handles Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus production. The Flex's corporate cousin, the Lincoln MKT , ended production last month.
