2015 Ford Escort

All-New Ford Escort Makes Global Debut at Auto China 2014; Offers Elegant Design, Exceptional Roominess and Outstanding Safety in a Compact Car

• Ford unveils the all-new Ford Escort at Auto China 2014, confirming production of the company's latest new vehicle for China, built for Chinese consumers using Ford's global capabilities

• Built on Ford's global C-car platform, the all-new Ford Escort is designed specifically for Chinese customers who value interior roominess, superior safety and sophisticated design in an attainable compact car

• Featuring a fuel-efficient 1.5L Ti-VCT engine, the all-new Ford Escort will offer outstanding fuel economy and smooth power delivery

• The all-new Ford Escort will be built in China through Changan Ford (CAF), Ford's passenger car joint venture, and distributed through CAF dealers

Building on its deep understanding of consumer needs in the world's largest automotive market and leveraging its global product development capabilities, Ford unveiled the all-new Ford Escort today at Auto China 2014, Asia's largest motor show.

At the unveiling, Ford announced that the all-new compact car will be manufactured by Ford's Changan Ford joint venture, proving Ford's continued commitment to introducing 15 new vehicles to China by 2015.

The unveiling and production announcement follows the reveal of the Ford Escort Concept in Shanghai last year. Built on Ford's global C-car platform, the Ford Escort has been designed specifically to meet the needs of consumers in China, and extends Ford's offerings in China's fast-growing compact car segment, which accounts for more than 25 percent of the country's total vehicle industry.

'The Ford Escort is a perfect example of how Ford's global approach can be fine-tuned to meet the needs of individual markets by listening to customer feedback,' said Marin Burela, president, Changan Ford Automobile. 'Taking Ford's hugely successful C-car platform as a foundation, the all-new Ford Escort puts us in a perfect position to serve Chinese customers looking for an alternative and attainable compact car.'

Ford's market research found that many Chinese customers in the compact car segment want a sedan that places a premium on exceptional interior space, outstanding storage and great practicality.

The Escort is the result of a vehicle development program aimed at addressing these needs, which brought together a team of Ford designers and engineers from across Asia Pacific and around the globe. Ford's Australia-based Asia Pacific design team, working closely with the Ford Research and Engineering Center in Nanjing, focused on combining the best of One Ford design and engineering capabilities to deliver a world-class vehicle created solely to meet the needs of Chinese consumers.

Together, they created a vehicle with a stylish and unpretentious exterior housing a refined and roomy interior, outstanding safety features and innovative technologies.

The Ford Escort will join the company's best-selling Ford Focus to provide more choices for consumers in China's compact car segment, which is expected to grow to 7.2 million vehicles by 2017 – bigger than the total auto market in Germany, the Ú.K. and France combined.

'Even as the Ford Focus remains the best-selling nameplate in China, we recognize that many consumers in China are looking for something else in a compact car,' said Luo Minggang, executive president, Changan Ford Automobile. 'The Ford Escort is the answer to the question of what these consumers really want and value in a car for themselves and their families.'

Harmonious, elegant design

To help it stand apart in the competitive compact segment, Ford designers gave the Ford Escort a clean, harmonious and sophisticated design built on the One Ford global design language.

At the front, elongated, jeweled headlamps set apart from the distinctive inverted trapezoidal grille give a greater sense of width. Moving around the side, designers extended the wheelbase and pushed back the A-pillar to create more athletic, premium proportions. At the rear, tail lamps that echo the headlamp design are embraced by an elegant line that creates a sculpted shoulder. Throughout the design, crisp edges and harmonious details add to a refined and elegant appearance.

The design of the Ford Escort's interior extends the elegance of its exterior. Inviting, roomy, and refined, the interior features premium materials, exceptional second-row legroom and design elements more typically seen in luxury vehicles.

Outstanding safety and fuel efficiency

Passive safety features on the all-new Ford Escort include an advanced airbag restraint system, with six airbags delivering outstanding crash protection for occupants. Offering excellent safety characteristics while improving efficiency, the body of the Ford Escort features high-strength steel, which helps to reduce the vehicle's overall weight and improve fuel economy.

Fuel economy is also optimized thanks to an advanced 1.5-liter four-cylinder Ti-VCT engine that offers smooth power delivery and high efficiency.

Ti-VCT, or Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing, allows precise, variable control of 'valve overlap,' the window of time in which both intake and exhaust valves in an engine are open at the same time. By continuously adjusting this overlap, the engine can maximize fuel economy and power output depending on conditions. For the driver, this means improved low-speed torque, increased fuel economy and greater power, all while delivering lower emissions.

To extend the benefits of this fuel-efficient engine, Ford has implemented a number of features on the Ford Escort to drive fuel consumption even lower, including Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) and advanced battery technologies to reduce engine load.

Innovative and convenient technologies


Inside the elegantly designed cabin, the Ford Escort comes with a host of useful features to keep drivers and passengers entertained without compromising safety.

With the Device Dock, an innovative central dock located above the vehicle's center console, the Ford Escort introduces a new way to store, mount and charge devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players and satellite navigation systems, seamlessly integrating them into the in-car entertainment system. Drivers will appreciate the convenience of the Device Dock as it perfectly houses an array of portable devices and keeps them within easy reach.

The Ford Escort also features Connect Radio, a smart system that allows the driver to connect a smart phone to the vehicle's radio using Bluetooth.

'With its smart, safe and green features, the all-new Ford Escort is a compelling and attainable addition to China's compact car segment, and a sign of how Ford continues to go further to serve customers old and new in markets around the world,' said Burela.

Source - Ford

All-New Ford Escort Challenges Compact Car Expectations with Sophisticated, Harmonious Design

• Ford Escort offers sleek, stylish design, exceptional space, and high levels of craftsmanship in an all-new compact car

• Reflecting the One Ford global design language, a stylish and unpretentious exterior houses a generously roomy interior

• Design reflects extensive consultation with Chinese consumers to better understand local market needs

• Spacious, inviting cabin and quiet, refined ride fulfill the needs of Chinese customers looking for a new alternative in the compact car segment

Bringing new sophistication to the compact car segment, the all-new Ford Escort offers elegant design, exceptional roominess and refined craftsmanship to appeal to discerning modern families in China.

Ford's market research revealed that there is a sub-group of Chinese consumers in the compact car segment who are looking for a sedan that is stylish without appearing arrogant or pretentious, one that fits comfortably into a balanced life with family and friends.

The Ford Asia Pacific design team in Australia worked together with Ford's Research and Engineering Center in Nanjing to meet this market need with the Ford Escort, combining Ford's global capabilities with its knowledge of the Chinese market.

'The Ford Escort offers a premium aesthetic without sacrificing important features like rear-seat space and practicality for everyday use,' said Andrew Collinson, exterior design manager, Ford Asia Pacific. 'Combining our global strength and local expertise, we've created a compact sedan that defies expectations for this segment with a clean, harmonious and sophisticated design.'

Premium exterior, athletic proportions
The Ford Escort's design begins with a distinctive inverted trapezoidal grille set high on the front, reflecting the One Ford global design language. Chrome highlights on the five-bar grille give the Ford Escort a premium appearance, and headlights set apart help to define the vehicle's overall proportions at the front for a greater sense of width.

Details within the vehicle's face reflect the Ford Escort's Chinese market focus and the attention designers paid to even the smallest detail. Elongated jeweled headlamps feature a floating turn signal and LED signature lighting, and chrome graphics within the headlamps are carefully designed to resemble the lucky number eight. In another unique and distinctive touch, chrome highlights around the fog lamp bezels call to mind the letter E on the Escort's rear-mounted nameplate.

Throughout the design process, designers focused on creating a harmonious yet distinctive vehicle based on the traditional three-box sedan style required by Chinese consumers.

Working from Ford's global C-car platform, the design team pulled the A-pillar rearward as far as possible to maximize the dash-to-axle ratio, creating premium, athletic proportions. The sides of the Ford Escort further highlight the vehicle's sleek and balanced look. On high-series models, chrome trim emphasizes the clean beltline and adds a premium feel.

'The design of the Ford Escort features crisp edges with very precise radiuses, very tightly executed,' said Collinson. 'You see precision edges like these on a high-end watch. It's a simple design, but one with exceptional surface quality.'

Contributing to a sense of harmony, an upward kick at the rear of the beltline suggests the shape of the rear window edge where it meets the trunk lid. Harmony is also apparent in the tail lamps, which feature LED signature lighting, and are shaped to echo the headlamps. An elegant line crosses the rear of the Ford Escort, embracing the tail lamps and creating a sculpted shoulder and a wider appearance.

'Details like these bring a complete, harmonious feel to the vehicle because things are not fighting against each other – they're consciously lining up,' said Collinson.

Space to stretch out


Much as with the exterior, extensive consultation with Chinese consumers informed the design of the Ford Escort's interior. The result is an inviting, roomy and refined cabin with exceptional attention to detail. Premium materials like perforated leather surpass customer expectations for a compact car.

To emphasize the cabin's width, designers pushed the outer air vents as far outwards as possible to create a beautiful aesthetic and help to give the instrument panel an immersive, wraparound feeling. On the Trend series, the instrument panel features a stitch line running the width of the interior, a design element more typically seen in luxury vehicles.

Drivers and passengers alike will appreciate the lengths to which designers went to ensure comfort in both front and rear. In the front, seats with pronounced, padded bolsters are inviting and supportive yet comfortable over long journeys. In the rear, passengers will find comfortable seats with integrated headrests, and excellent knee- and legroom thanks to the vehicle's long wheelbase and smart front-seat design.

For long trips, or when stuck in traffic, rear seat passengers can use a 12-volt power outlet to charge devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones. A 5-volt ÚSB charger located in the instrument panel also lets drivers and front-seat passengers charge their mobile devices.

On the road, the Ford Escort has been designed to provide a quiet and refined ride, even with the windows open. To minimize the throbbing sound that occurs when driving at speed with one window down, designers and engineers worked to optimize the design of the vehicle's side mirrors and their interaction with the body sides. They tested and optimized the Ford Escort's body structure using advanced computer-aided engineering software to minimize throb and create a quieter cabin.

'The Ford Escort is a testament to the importance and relevance of smart, elegant design in the compact segment,' said Collinson. 'In every element – shape, materials, detail and finish – the design illustrates Ford's uncompromising approach to going further for our customers, to meeting and exceeding their needs.'

Source - Ford