Press Release
“Escape's new exterior is designed to appeal to city dwellers looking for a vehicle that offers more fun, flexibility and toughness than a sedan. It will also appeal to traditional SUV customers who want a more refined combination of luxury and ruggedness,� – Ford Asia Pacific and Africa Chief Designer Paul Gibson.
"The Escape’s tough and dynamic character has been completely redesigned to give it a more stylish, urban look.
"The new-look Escape gains a sleeker, more sophisticated appearance while retaining the purposeful stance of a traditional off-roader with short overhangs and wide tracks. The four-door SUV adds more refinement to its rugged appeal with a reworked front end featuring new sheet metal."
Gibson explained how considerable customer research had shown SUV owners wanted a vehicle that expressed their sense of adventure, while also reflecting their professional or personal success.
“Escape’s rugged styling promotes confidence, while it also features refined, sophisticated touches.
“Its tough exterior underlines its ability to fulfill owners’ dreams of getting to places others can’t go. At the same time, they know its confident on-road presence houses a strong, safe structure that will help protect them, their friends and family.�
Making a bold statement about its Ford SUV DNA, Escape now features a larger grille comprising three bright horizontal bars and a bigger, more prominent Ford oval.
Escape’s powerful new 'face' blends seamlessly with the reshaped hood, which features a bright garnish at the front edge, further emphasizing the Ford oval. The hood, which is a totally new pressing, is a bolder style with its sharper, cleaner cut lines that flow seamlessly towards the front.
New four-chamber, chrome-ringed headlamps with integrated turn signal lamps add a touch of high-end style, which is accentuated by the smoked housing.
While giving the front end a contemporary look, the distinctive and stylish headlamps also importantly improve the beam pattern and provide a brighter light with jewel-like reflectors.
V6 models boast a re-profiled front bumper that blends a more sophisticated look with traditional SUV cues by incorporating a revised skid plate.
Front fog lamps, recessed in the bumper of Limited and XLT models, complement the new headlamps and enhance Escape’s SUV image while also providing more intense light.
Luxury design touches at the front also extend to the rear with the taillamps featuring a smoked housing. Lens covers for the new rear combination lamps feature a honeycomb pattern and LEDs for a more luxurious effect.
The design of the new rear bumper reflects the front-end design with the availability of an integral skid plate on V6 models.
The luxury theme continues with the tailgate, which now features a chrome garnish engraved with 'Escape'. The liftgate retains the popular flip-up glass that provides easy access to the cargo area.
Escape’s profile has also been refined with sculpted new door mirrors that improve wind flow and reduce wind noise. Turn signal lamps are incorporated into the mirror housing on the range-topping Limited model.
Easy-grip door handles are body coloured with a bright insert for a more luxurious appearance.
Gibson explained the modern appearance of Escape is enhanced with new wheel designs, with a new seven spoke 16-inch alloy design for the XLT Sport V6, and a new three spoke 16-inch alloy wheel for the XLT 2.3L and Limited.
The XLS 2.3L retains the six-spoke 16-inch steel wheel of its predecessor.
Escape has been built with a rigid monocoque structure, which results in a light weight, combined with superb stiffness and rigidity, for occupant safety and responsive handling.
Extensive computer-aided engineering work was undertaken during the design process to improve Escape’s performance and durability in the event of an impact.
The design, including body zones that help absorb impacts, assisting in controlling and dissipating impact energy.
Front fender reinforcement helps to direct the energy load of a crash between the lower frame rail and an upper path that goes through the roof.
Reinforcements in the roof, floor and sides – including side-door impact beams – further enhance safety and rigidity. Single-piece body sides improve manufacturing quality and safety with fewer build variations and more accurate door openings.
Interior design
“Interior changes make driving easier and more pleasant, especially for long distances and off-road adventures. At the same time, we’ve added modern, luxury features that give the new Escape an added quality feel. The result is a spacious cabin with maximum comfort, convenience and flexibility for five adults and their cargo.� – Ford Asia Pacific and Africa Chief Designer Paul Gibson.
The interior of the new Ford Escape has been revamped to create a more pleasant environment for driver and passenger alike.
Responding to customer input, the modern interior of Escape has been redesigned to provide a more up-market ambience along with greater comfort and convenience.
It features high-end materials, particularly for the seats, and better placement of controls to make driving easier. It is also much quieter with less noise, vibration and harshness entering the cabin.
Gibson said his team’s focus was to improve the interior as much as possible to satisfy key customer wants.
“You design the outside for others to see, but customers spend most of their time with the interior.
"We have recognized that fact with the refined craftsmanship of the interior and by making it quieter, improving the ergonomics and using luxury fittings and materials.�
Attention was paid to the driver’s cockpit area with improved placement of major controls, including transmission and handbrake levers.
"The automatic transmission lever has been moved from the steering column and is now mounted on the floor between the centre stack and centre console, making gear changes simpler.
"The driver also benefits with the handbrake lever being repositioned to make it easier to operate. It has been moved to a more natural, convenient position on the right-hand side of the transmission tunnel and sits higher for easier access."
Gibson explained these two changes resulted directly from feedback received from customers and other SUV owners.
“Many first-time SUV customers have come from years of owning sedans, so they feel more comfortable with car-like placement of these important controls.�
Passenger comfort has been improved with a more efficient air-conditioning system featuring a larger capacity for faster cool-down.
As an added luxury feature, the air-conditioning system on the Limited, XLT 2.3L and XLT Sport V6 models comes with automatic climate control to maintain a constant cabin temperature chosen by the occupants.
Vents are placed on the instrument panel and near the side windows for efficient circulation and passenger comfort.
Major dials, controls and switches have been updated to provide maximum information and ease of use without distracting the driver, with sound system and climate controls located in the easy-to-reach centre stack.
"New rotary controls provide clear operation and a fresh look. They are logically arranged so the sound-system buttons, which are used more frequently, are placed above the climate-system controls."
A new instrument cluster features metallic-rimmed circular dials on a black finish with blue backlighting for easier night-time viewing.
The instrument panel, laminated to reduce vibration, now has a more luxury feel with a two-tone design. The instrument dials are large and legible with dial-type speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge, and an electronic trip odometer, for recognition of key information at a glance.
Gibson explained Escape is designed to accommodate five adults and their luggage in comfort.
"The cargo area, with the seats up, offers 935 litres of storage space. Added flexibility and convenience is provided with numerous storage areas, including the new centre console with two-tiered armrest storage.
"It is ideal for holding pens and cards in the shallow upper section and larger items in the deeper, lower storage area."
The instrument panel incorporates a lockable glovebox and a covered box at the base of the centre stack that is large enough to hold CD cases, while the XLT 2.3L, XLT Sport V6 and Limited models come with an overhead sunglass holder.
Occupants can also store various items in the covered drink holders between the seats, while the door bins are designed for large street directories.
Open storage bins that can hold a first-aid kit or emergency road-side triangle are located in the rear-quarter panel on both sides of the cargo area. A 12-volt power point is located in the cargo area.
Gibson said new seat fabrics have been chosen for their comfort as well as adding a modern, luxury touch to the new Escape, with the range-topping Limited model boasting leather trim.
"The front bucket seats provide excellent comfort for people of all shapes and sizes, while the rear seats, which can now be reclined for improved comfort, can also fold flat for increased cargo space.
"Other interior features include sun visors with straps for holding documents or glasses and illuminated vanity mirrors. The doors feature a two-tone trim with a soft-feel armrest, revised window switches and larger audio speakers with chrome surrounds."
The Limited also comes complete with a sunroof as standard fitment.
Escape’s rigid monocoque structure has helped reduce overall interior noise. A laminated instrument panel reduces vibration while sound-deadening mats are used under the hood, on the bulkhead, under the carpet and on various trim panels. Expandable foam seals are used in the vehicle’s pillars to reduce transmitted noises.
Escape maintains high levels of safety, beginning with great visibility from the tall cabin design and large windows that allow a commanding view of the road.
Escape comes standard with driver and front passenger airbags, while the range-topping Limited model also features front seat-mounted side airbags.
When a collision is detected by sensors, the side airbags inflate between the seat and door trim to provide additional protection for the occupants’ head and upper body.
Energy-absorbing materials throughout the cabin help protect occupants during a crash, while the adjustable steering column is also designed to help absorb impact forces.
Escape also features energy-absorbing knee bolsters, located below the instrument panel, to help reduce the risk of leg injuries for front seat occupants.
In the event of a crash, pretensioners in the front seatbelts automatically take up slack in the belts while load limiters reduce the risk of chest injuries. Child seat anchors are located in the rear roof, to ensure luggage space is not compromised.
The centre-rear seat, like the other four seats, is now fitted with a lap-sash seatbelt and a retractable headrest, with the seatbelt retracting into the roof.
