2013 Ford Flex Made in Oakville
The Oakville Assembly plant manufactures Lincoln MKX, Ford Edge and since the 2009 model year, the
Ford Flex.
Oakville Ford Plant Production of Ford Flex
Last month, car sales in Canada were up 2.1 per cent to 125,680
vehicles in October, 2011 compared to 123,154 a year earlier, according to data
compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Reports.
For the year, sales will be higher than last year despite uneven
demand over the year. This is another
sign that the Canadian economy remains positive and stable. Car sales in Canada
for the first 10 months of the year are up about 1.5 per cent at 1.3 million
units. “I think it’s an indication
that conditions are improving in Canada,” said Scotiabank auto analyst
Carlos Gomes, who has projected annual sales growth of about two percent.
The Ford Flex made at the Oakville Assembly Plant takes advantage of the flexible
production facility and their ability to streamline the manufacturing process
and minimize redundancy in tooling, floor space and manpower. As uneven demand may hamper the single line
production facilities, the Oakville plant is flexible enough to shift and
allocate resources to accommodate that. The same person who puts seats in a
Ford Edge is the same person who can do it for the Flex.
The Ford Flex is a full-size crossover vehicle made by the Ford Motor Company and originally
styled after the Ford Fairlane. It was
originally unveiled to the public in 2005 and was put into production in the
summer of 2008 for the 2009 model year.
This model replaced the Ford Freestar minivan on the assembly line which
was made in Oakville previously. Some
passers by may have noticed the lettering of the Freestar removed from the
plant in 2008. The Ford Flex is sold in
North America as well as the Middle East.
The new 2013 Flex has received an exterior upgrade, more
technology, and increased fuel-efficiency for 2013, all of which should help
the popular seven-passenger, three-row crossover remain popular and in
production for years to come helping provide a stable workforce for Oakville
and surrounding areas as Ford is one of the largest employers in the G.T.A.
The 2013 Flex now features SYNC with the new generation of
MyFord Touch, which makes it even easier to manage information, control
features and adjust settings and wifi settings allow in-production-line
programming at the plant.
MyFord Touch includes two 4.2-inch screens in the instrument
cluster and an eight-inch screen in the center stack.
The new Flex is also equipped with new technology such as a
Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert.
The new 3.5-litre Ti-VCT V6 puts out 285 hp (20 hp more than
previous engine) and 255 lb-ft of torque. The popular 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 can
also still be found on the Flex and is capable of 355 hp and 350 lb-ft of
torque. Both engines are connected to a six-speed SelectShift Automatic
transmission.
Ford is placing heavy emphasis on the new EcoBoost technology
and maintains that by 2013 more than 90 per cent of the North American lineup
will be available with the new technology.
The Ford Flex is built at Ontario’s Oakville Assembly Complex in Oakville Ontario, Canada
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