Crossovers are all about pleasing everybody, with SUV room and all-weather capability, sedan-like handling, and wagon versatility. Ford says, the Freestyle will eventually be seen as the standard bearer for crossovers everywhere. The also all new Five Hundred sedan, on the other hand, will take care of traditionalists who don't want a wagon but still want the benefits of the Freestyle's chassis. Freestyle is part wagon, with its seven-seat interior, part technical marvel, with an unconventional continuously variable transmission, and part SUV with clean SUV-esque lines.

Nice package

The Freestyle and the Five Hundred are based on the same architecture. For the Freestyle, the new architecture delivers seven-passenger seating and tremendous flexibility. The crossover rides on a long 112.9-inch wheelbase, is 199.8 inches long overall, is 73 inches wide, and stands 64.9 inches tall. The Freestyle's other two rows of seating are superior to the Pacifica 's, too. The front seats have taken a lesson from the seats of most Volvos: they're firm, upright, and need little adjustment to feel comfy for hours. And the second row offers up good choices: a bench seat is standard, but twin buckets can be ordered, with or without a console separating them. All seats except the driver's fold forward and flat (nearly flat in the case of the front passenger seat), creating a huge cargo area that's large enough to haul about ten linear feet of cargo.

In any seating configuration, the deep cargo well behind the rear seats can swallow lots of luggage or groceries.

Geared for change

Ford says the powertrain that propels the Freestyle gives it the power to overcome the competition.  The continuously variable transmission isn’t widespread yet, though it’s offers benefits in fuel economy and performance. The idea is a little complex to visualize, but in essence, a pair of pulleys and a multi-link chain work together to create an infinite number of gear ratios. Ford says its CVT has the same multi-link belt that Audi uses in its CVTs, where it's also used with a high-torque V-6 engine. And Ford says the CVT in combination with the Duratec V-6 endows the Freestyle with the performance to rival the 250-hp Pacifica or even Honda's Pilot.

The Duratec is rated at 203 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque and in tandem with the CVT, Ford promises it will dash to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds.

The Freestyle has available all-wheel drive supplied by Haldex, the same company that delivers AWD to Volvo. The system can deliver a maximum of 40 percent of available torque to the back wheels when things get slippery Ford expects 40 percent of buyers will opt for the all-weather peace of mind.

Style

The Freestyle's front end plants the Freestyle squarely in SUV territory, and the side profile echoes Outbacks and Discoverys and other versatile lifestyle vehicles.

Inside, the shapes and ergonomics are all appealing. The metallic rings on some trim levels are a nice touch, and the wood-like panels of the Limited replace the carbon-fiber-ish design on other versions. Both are pretty well done. The best touches are the big control buttons, nice brightwork touches, the wide door panel that doubles as a truly useful armrest, and the big center console. There's a "conversation mirror" that lets the driver quickly absorb the skirmishes that third-row seats seem to encourage. The DVD entertainment system will be available at launch, but the DVD navigation system will not.

Freestyle carries as much safety equipment as most buyers want or will pay for. Anti-lock brakes are standard, as is traction control. All-wheel drive is available on all trim levels for $1700. Side-curtain airbags will be optional too. And though the Freestyle hasn't been crash-tested yet, Ford officials are hopeful they'll get the government's best ratings.

Ford thinks the Freestyle will define the crossover segment like the Taurus did for the American sedan of the 1980s. And they're pricing it to get strong first looks from all sorts of customers: it starts from $25,595, including the third-row seat, front-wheel drive, ABS, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The SEL is priced from $26,900 and includes fog lamps, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, steering-wheel audio controls and five-spoke alloys. The Limited, at $29,100, gets leather seating, better speakers, a power passenger seat, and 18-inch wheels.

Freestyle doesn't need much to be truly captivating. It's tough to imagine a more useful vehicle for anyone looking to get out of an SUV, a minivan, or a sedan but not quite ready to slam the door behind them.

2005 Ford Freestyle

Base price: $25,595-$29,100

Engine: 3.0-liter V-6, 202 hp/207 lb-ft

Drivetrain: Continuously variable, front- or all-wheel drive

Length x width x height: 199.8 x 73.0 x 64.9 in

Wheelbase: 112.9 in

Curb weight: 3959 lb (front-wheel drive); 4112 lb (all-wheel drive)

EPA City/Hwy: 20/27 mpg (FWD); 19/24 mpg (AWD)

Safety equipment: Dual-stage front airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock control, traction control

Major standard equipment: Air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, AM/FM/CD player, door keypad, 17-inch wheels

Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles