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The Ford Freestyle also known as Ford Taurus X is a crossover utility vehicle that was sold by Ford from 2005 to 2009. Essentially the replacement for the Ford Taurus station wagon, the 2005-2007 Freestyle was produced in a single bodystyle with six or seven-passenger seating. As the Taurus made its return for 2008, the Freestyle was rebadged the Taurus X. Manufactured alongside the Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, Mercury Sable, and the 2008-2009 Ford Taurus, the Ford Freestyle/Taurus X shared the Volvo-derived Ford D3 platform. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive as an option. All versions were produced at Chicago Assembly, in Chicago, Illinois. Unlike the D3 sedans, the Freestyle/Taurus X was sold exclusively as a Ford. Following its discontinuation in 2009, it was not directly replaced, but its role in the Ford line was largely taken over by the larger Ford Flex. The Taurus X ended production on February 27, 2009 and was marketed in the United States and Canada, as well as South Korea and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. ==History== The Freestyle was previewed at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show with a Freestyle Concept before entering production for the 2005 model year. The vehicle was originally going to be called the Ford CrossTrainer, but had been renamed the Freestyle by the time the concept was released, due to Ford adopting an ill-fated naming scheme in which all Ford-branded passenger cars except the Mustang and Thunderbird would have a name start with the letter "F".〔http://www.thecarconnection.com/tips-article/1004213_spy-shots-05-ford-crosstrainer〕 The vehicle used the Ford D3 platform, which it shared with the Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, and various Volvos including the XC90. Although it shared its platform with the XC90, the two vehicles were significantly different. The Freestyle had three rows of seats with seating for seven, like many large SUVs (e.g. Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition) and minivans. The Freestyle featured what Ford describes as "command seating," seating with a higher H-point, to increase driver visibility and ease of entry and exit. Power came from a 3.0 L (181 cu in) Duratec V6, with an output of at 5750 rpm.〔http://media.ford.com/products/presskit_display.cfm?vehicle_id=1463&press_section_id=398&make_id=92〕 The Freestyle, along with the Five Hundred, Mercury Montego, and the Ford Escape Hybrid, were the first American Ford vehicles to use a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Five Hundred and Montego used a belt type CVT, while the Escape Hybrid used a CVT transaxle that utilized a planetary gearset controlled by the electric generator, similar to the Toyota Prius. All Freestyles were equipped with the CVT, but only all-wheel drive (AWD) Five Hundred and Montego models used the CVT (FWD versions used an Aisin F21++ six speed automatic). 55% of buyers selected the Haldex Traction-equipped all-wheel drive model rather than the expected 40%. The Freestyle was nominated for the ''North American Truck of the Year'' award for 2005 (second behind Escape Hybrid). The Freestyle was renamed the Taurus X when a facelifted model was unveiled at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show as a 2008 model, alongside its siblings the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable, re-badged, restyled versions of the Five Hundred and Montego, respectively. Ford CEO Alan Mulally said that Ford's scheme to make all its cars names start with the letter F was a bad move, as it made Ford's new cars easily forgettable. The Taurus X featured a grill with three horizontal, chrome bars with center-mounted blue oval. At the time, the Taurus X also offered an Eddie Bauer trim-line, similar to that of the Ford Explorer. The Taurus X had an updated powertrain, which included the discontinuation of the CVT transmission as well as the 3.0 L V6 in favor of the newly developed six-speed 6F automatic as well as the all-new 3.5 L Duratec 35 V6 which put out at 6250 rpm.〔http://media.ford.com/products/presskit_display.cfm?vehicle_id=1942&press_section_id=398&make_id=92〕 The vehicle also received new power options, including power-folding second-row seats and a power lift gate. While the renaming of the Five Hundred as the more consumer-familiar Taurus did boost sales of that model, sales of the Taurus X plummeted, although this was partially due to the automotive industry crisis of 2008–10, of which Ford was relatively healthy from compared to fellow Detroit "Big Three" automakers General Motors and Chrysler, as well as a general decline in sales of SUVs and SUV-like crossovers. After 2009, the Ford Flex replaced the Freestyle as a full size CUV. The Flex also replaced the Ford Freestar minivan simultaneously. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ford Taurus X」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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