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The new compact sports utility vehicle was among the FG Falcon and FPV models in four-cylinder-only guise. Whereas the Mazda side of this particular product-sharing arrangement had the V6 and the four-cylinder on offer from 2001, the Escape series only had the V6 for its first two years on sale, with the four-cylinder arriving in 2004.
Now the only drivetrain on offer is a 109kW/199Nm 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with the four-speed automatic transmission, which leaves the Territory as the only six-cylinder SUV in the local Ford range.
Marketing and sales vice-president Mark Winslow says the changes were made to better differentiate between the two SUV model lines.
“There is now a clear-cut, discernible difference between what Escape and Territory represent and what they offer our customers,” he says. “The two models now complement each other in the showroom better than ever.”
The Escape exterior has been given the once-over, as has the interior and safety equipment.
But the best news for potential buyers of the smaller Ford SUV is the drop in price.
The nose and tail get new lights, new 16-inch alloys fill the arches and there are some minor cosmetic changes to the trim inside and out.
Safety features added to the new-look car include front side/head thorax airbags as standard. The refreshed Escape goes on sale this month at $31,990, which is nicely down from the $33,490 of the comparable 2.3-litre four-cylinder XLT that it replaces.
“With on-demand all-wheel-drive, automatic transmission and front seat, side head/thorax airbags as standard, the changes announced today have further strengthened Escape's overall appeal,” says Winslow.
“It makes it one of the best-value proposition SUV packages available.
“The ZD Escape is the perfect introduction to the Ford Sport Utility Vehicle range, delivering on attributes expected of a recreational SUV in a compact yet extremely functional package.”
Fuel economy for the four-cylinder model — perhaps a likely reason the V6 was dropped from the range — is 10.5 litres per 100km.
But towing capacity is unchanged at 750kg unbraked and 1000kg for braked loads.
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