Ford Flex Replacing Minivan in NY

2005 Ford Fairlane concept

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The Dow Jones newswires reports that Ford’s new crossover vehicle, loosely based on the Fairlane concept from the 2005 Detroit show, will be shown in production-ready form at next month’s New York auto show.

The Flex, Dow Jones says, is a larger crossover that Ford will use to effectively replace its minivans. The new vehicle will be built inOakville, Ontario, and will enter production on Sept. 15. The company will build 100,000 Flexes each year.

The Flex program, codenamed D471 inside Ford, has been one of the projects green-lighted as Ford reshuffles its product lineup, axing old vehicles and those in segments where Ford fell far behind in the 1990s. Ford’s last minivan, the Freestar/Monterey, is exiting production this year.

The Flex will features doors that open like French doors, the Dow Jones reports, and will sport three rows of seats. A Lincoln version is expected, but not for public launch in New York.

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Ford To Debut Flex Crossover, Aiming To Redefine Minivan—The Wall Street Journal