When the 2001 Escape was introduced, the majority of small utilities on the market were crude and unrefined, many featuring solid rear axles – and even solid front axles – and part-time four-wheel-drive systems which were limited to off-road use only. A handful of utility vehicles featured very car-based design and equipment, including unibody construction, a fully independent suspension, and either front-wheel or four-wheel drive configurations.

'It was clear that there was an unmet opportunity in the market place,' says Barry Redler, Ford SUV Group marketing manager. 'The other entries were one-dimensional, either focused only on off-road, SUV attributes at the expense of refinement, or focused on car-like ride and handling at the expense of off-road adventure. Escape was an instant success because it offered customers something no one else did: The best of both worlds.'

Escape incorporated the wide, solid stance and successful design cues of Ford's larger SUVs in a more compact package. Escape also mets Ford Tough Truck standards, subjected to durability testing in the heat of the Australian outback, the sub-zero cold of Manitoba, Canada, and pulling a 3,500-pound trailer up the severe grades of the Davis Dam in Nevada. Off-road capability was enhanced by almost eight inches of maximum ground clearance and an advanced all-wheel-drive system that automatically divided torque between the front and rear axles.

Escape featured lightweight, unibody construction, MacPherson front struts, independent rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering system for agile handling and improved ride comfort. Underhood, Escape featured either a four-cylinder or V-6 engines for impressive fuel economy –which was further enhanced with the Escape Hybrid in 2004. The advanced all-wheel drive system also provided all-weather traction by instantly transferred toque to the rear wheels.

This unique combination of benefits catapulted the Escape to the top of the compact SUV segment in its first full year of production – selling 164,184 units in the 2001 calendar year.

by Ford

2001 Ford Escape: Small SUV for Big-City Lifestyles

The all-new Ford Escape - with unibody construction and go-anywhere four-wheel-drive capabilities - provides refined ride and handling, an outstanding package, good fuel economy and low emissions in a small, tough SUV that's versatile enough for the most active lifestyles and easily maneuverable in urban traffic.

Introduced today at the 2000 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Ford's newest sport utility vehicle marks the company's expansion into the growing small SUV segment. Sales in that segment have more than doubled in the United States in the last four years, from 1995 sales of 250,000 vehicles to well over 500,000 through the end of 1999.

' Ford pioneered the modern SUV market with the Explorer in 1991. Since then, SUV sales in the U.S. have climbed an average of 17 percent per year,' explains Jim O'Connor, Ford Division president and vice president of Ford Motor Company. 'The 2001 Escape provides a logical extension of the Ford SUV family and will help us maintain our proven leadership by providing customers with a bold new choice in the small SUV market.'

The new Ford Escape, smaller than the best-selling Ford Explorer, is designed to appeal to younger buyers as well as the 'young at heart' - drivers who want fun, agile, sporty, durable yet affordable transportation for their active lifestyles.

The 2001 Ford Escape offers customers:

• Nimble maneuverability

• Sport styling with rugged capability for off-road driving

• Most spacious interior package in its class at 132.9 cubic feet with versatility for carrying cargo as well as passengers

• Driving safety and confidence

• A capable vehicle designed, tested and built to Ford truck standards

'We believe Escape will appeal to a wide variety of consumers, including those who have not owned an SUV before, but whose life's activities now require the space and versatility that an SUV provides. Those people might not consider a larger SUV, but Escape will provide them with the perfect solution,' says O'Connor. 'Whether they are young singles, newlyweds, small families or empty nesters, the Escape will be an affordable and fun option that will allow them to do all of the things that they enjoy such as skiing, camping and biking.'

by Ford