<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/" rel="tag">Crossover</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/"><img hspace="0" border="0" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/05/flexecoboostreview11-630.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2010 Ford Flex Ecoboost - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
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Despite its many functional charms, the U.S. car market has simply never warmed up to the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/flex">Ford Flex</a> in the two years it has been on sale. Nonetheless, <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> will persevere with the big wagon even after the all-new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/explorer">Explorer</a> goes on sale later this year. The Flex and Explorer will share much of their underpinnings but will be marketed to different audiences.<br />
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While the Flex is promoted as a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/">crossover</a>, the Explorer will apparently be targeted at its traditional <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/suvs/">SUV</a> audience. The styling of the Explorer will be more in keeping with the high-riding SUV aesthetic than the tall station wagon Flex. The Flex may not have the kind of sales volume that Ford had hoped for, but those that are being sold are going at higher transaction prices with lots of options so the automaker is likely making money on the vehicle. <br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/">Review: 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351853"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_11_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351847"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351849"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_13_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351855"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351856"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20100512/BUSINESS01/5120328/1014/rss13">Detroit Free Press</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/13/freep-ford-committed-to-building-flex-even-with-new-explorer-i/">Freep: Ford committed to building Flex, even with new Explorer in the wings</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 13 May 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/13/freep-ford-committed-to-building-flex-even-with-new-explorer-i/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19474130/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/13/freep-ford-committed-to-building-flex-even-with-new-explorer-i/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2010 Ford Flex Ecoboost - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Despite its many functional charms, the U.S. car market has simply never warmed up to the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/flex">Ford Flex</a> in the two years it has been on sale. Nonetheless, <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> will persevere with the big wagon even after the all-new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/explorer">Explorer</a> goes on sale later this year. The Flex and Explorer will share much of their underpinnings but will be marketed to different audiences.<br />
<br />
While the Flex is promoted as a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/crossovers-cuvs/">crossover</a>, the Explorer will apparently be targeted at its traditional <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/suvs/">SUV</a> audience. The styling of the Explorer will be more in keeping with the high-riding SUV aesthetic than the tall station wagon Flex. The Flex may not have the kind of sales volume that Ford had hoped for, but those that are being sold are going at higher transaction prices with lots of options so the automaker is likely making money on the vehicle. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/">Review: 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351853"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_11_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351847"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351849"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_13_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351855"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/review-2010-ford-flex-ecoboost/#2351856"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/10/flexecoboostreview_05_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20100512/BUSINESS01/5120328/1014/rss13">Detroit Free Press</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/13/freep-ford-committed-to-building-flex-even-with-new-explorer-i/">Freep: Ford committed to building Flex, even with new Explorer in the wings</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Thu, 13 May 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/13/freep-ford-committed-to-building-flex-even-with-new-explorer-i/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19474130/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/13/freep-ford-committed-to-building-flex-even-with-new-explorer-i/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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