Ford Flex D-Pillar Speaker Size
The Ford Flex D-Pillar accommodates a 3.5 inch speaker size across all available model years. Midrange units are the compatible speaker type for the audio system in that location. The specifications cover the 2009 to 2019 model year range.
| Year | Type | Size (inch) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2018 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2017 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2016 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2015 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2014 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2013 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2012 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2011 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2010 | Midrange | 3.5 |
| 2009 | Midrange | 3.5 |
Speaker Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Midrange | A driver for the middle of the audible range, typically from about 300 Hz to 5,000 Hz, where vocals and most instruments sit. It is often paired with a tweeter and a woofer. |
Additional Notes
- The D-pillar is the rearmost structural pillar in an extended or multi-row vehicle body, positioning speakers at the far rear of the cabin, near the third-row seating area.
- In the Ford Flex, the D-pillar location places speakers within a confined structural column, which limits the available mounting depth and baffle area compared to door or rear deck installations.
- A 3.5 inch driver occupies a small mounting footprint, making the format well-suited to the spatial constraints typical of a pillar cavity, where larger cone diameters would not physically fit without significant modification.
- The 3.5 inch cone diameter produces a relatively small radiating surface area, which corresponds to a higher usable frequency range and reduced low-frequency output compared to larger drivers in the same vehicle.
- Midrange speakers are designed to reproduce frequencies roughly between 300 Hz and 5,000 Hz, covering the band that contains much of vocal intelligibility and the tonal body of instruments.
- A midrange driver in the D-pillar of the Ford Flex positions that frequency band reproduction at the rear of the cabin, addressing the acoustic distance between the front soundstage and third-row passengers.
- The 3.5 inch midrange format does not extend significantly into bass frequencies, so the D-pillar position functions as a supplemental mid-frequency fill rather than a full-range source.
- Pillar-mounted speakers typically aim toward the cabin interior at an angle determined by the pillar's structural geometry, which influences dispersion pattern and the effective listening area reached by the driver.
- A 3.5 inch midrange in a pillar location has a relatively narrow wavelength-to-cone ratio at the upper end of midrange, which can concentrate directional energy toward the interior rather than dispersing broadly.
- The Ford Flex D-pillar speaker specification of 3.5 inch midrange applies uniformly across the 2009 through 2019 model years, indicating a consistent mounting cavity dimension across the full production span of the model.