Production Version of Ford Fairlane To Be Christened "Flex"

DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford Motor Company will take the wraps off the boxy full-size crossover vehicle called Flex that it plans to launch next year at the upcoming New York auto show. The Flex is the production version of Ford's 2005 Fairlane concept.

The Flex is due to hit showrooms in late summer of 2008 as a 2009 model, although industry sources tell Inside Line that the company may try to get the vehicle to market sooner. The Flex will be built in Oakville, Ontario, and will range in price from $27,995 for a base model to about $40,000 for a top-of-the-line model. The Flex will use Ford's all-purpose 3.5-liter V6. Horsepower is expected to be around 265. The Flex is larger than the Ford Edge and shares a platform with the Five Hundred sedan.

A Lincoln version of the new crossover, with a 3.7-liter V6, is also in the works. It will differ from the Flex in terms of styling, with a much curvier exterior than its boxy counterpart. It also will be build in Oakville. Sources tell Inside Line that the automaker will likely stick with an alphanumeric nameplate, possibly MK-F.

It is not clear if the production version of the Flex will retain the Fairlane's signature center-opening clamshell doors.