2013 Ford Flex V6

The Flex crossover has been anything but a success for Ford but the Detroit-based automaker is giving it another shot with a mild makeover for the new model year that will receive its world premiere at next week's Los Angeles Auto Show.

On the outside, the 2013 Flex waves goodbye to the current model's razor-blade grille and welcomes a sharper looking [pun intended] grille that is linked with the revamped headlamps.

Ford also removed its blue oval logo from the front, which now only bears the Flex badge, while the new front bumper has been tucked in and now features a sleeker lower air vent design.

The standard dual exhaust and available rear appliqué, along with a refreshed pallet of colors and alloy wheel designs sum up the exterior changes.

Moving on to the interior, the 2013 model year Flex gains a redesigned dashboard, the latest iteration of the company's MyFord Touch system with two 4.2-inch screens in the instrument cluster and an eight-inch screen in the center stack, a restyled steering wheel, and new seat trim.

The seven-passenger, three-row crossover also gets Ford's rear inflatable seatbelts along with an available radar-enabled adaptive cruise control (ACC) and collision warning with brake support and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with cross-traffic alert.

The new model year brings an updated version of Ford's naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine that benefits from the addition of twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT). The V6 is now rated at 285HP and 255 lb.-ft, an increase of 23HP and 13 lb-ft respectively from the previous engine.

Ford says that the new Flex 3.5L V6 is projected to deliver 1 mpg better fuel economy, at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with 355 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque remains unchanged.

Finally, Ford has added a new otpiotnal Appearance Package for the Limited and SEL models, which includes two-tone roof and mirrors, 20-inch machined alloy wheels, leather seats, unique door trim panels and numerous other interior upgrades.