♠ Posted by Admin in Ford,Ford Escape 2013 at 06:00
2013 Escape's new, more efficient
powertrains, improved refinement and spiffy new technology. Where we can
see a lot of eyebrow-raising, however, is in the Escape's design. Now,
we'll go on record as saying that we like the looks of the new model,
but part of the reason we suspect the Escape was selling so well in 2011
(aside from low prices, of course) was because there are plenty of
shoppers who actually preferred the rugged, SUV-like design versus the
new crop of sleeker, more car-like CUVs that have come to market.
But
think about it: The current Escape wears one of the oldest designs in
the entire Ford portfolio. And while the automaker understands that
loyalists really valued and appreciated the SUV-ness of the outgoing
model, the company is "confident that [the new] design resonates with
target customers," according to Hau Thai-Tang, vice president of
engineering for global product development. Versus the outgoing model,
the 2013 Escape is 3.4 inches longer, half an inch wider and 3.8 inches
shorter in height. The new car also rides half an inch closer to the
ground, making ingress.
Interior
is comfortable, pleasant and, more importantly, quiet. At highway
speeds, there's a bit of wind and road noise nothing out of the
ordinary, though but at lower speeds, it's librarian-approved silent in
there. Visibility is good from all angles, but even so, Ford offers the
Escape with a host of safety goodies like a rearview camera, cross
traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and active park assist to keep you
from dinging into cars, shopping carts, poles and people.
The
majority of Escapes you'll see on the road will have EcoBoost power
part of Ford's strategy to offer turbocharged engines on 90 percent of
its models by 2013. The standard engine on the volume SE and SEL models
is the all-new 1.6-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, good for 178 hp and 184
lb-ft and also mated to a six-speed automatic (read: not the
dual-clutch PowerShift that's been so poorly received in the Focus and
Fiesta). We didn't have a chance to test the 1.6 while in San Francisco,
but other journalists we talked to said that it was plenty powerful.
The
big win for the 1.6 EcoBoost, though, is fuel economy. Ford is still
awaiting official EPA ratings, but this smaller turbo-four is expected
to achieve 24 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg on the highway
class-leading stuff for automatic-equipped CUVs. Only the 2013 Mazda
CX-5 with its six-speed manual 'box is more efficient.
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