The Ford Escape joins Ford’s SUV line-up this month, with five-star safety, excellent fuel efficiency, and keen pricing.
The Ford Escape is the latest addition to Ford New Zealand’s expanding SUV range, with Ford the second largest SUV brand in the world, offering robust heritage in the segment.
“We are thrilled with the new Escape joining our line up,” said Simon Rutherford, Ford NZ managing director. “More important, our customers will be thrilled too. With stunning new design inside and out, smart technologies, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines, and five-star safety, it’s a vehicle that will be so many things for our customers.”
As preference for SUVs continues grow in New Zealand, so too does the demand for greater choice; Ford has responded with the addition of a front-wheel drive mid-range Trend, and sharpened pricing across the range.
Key changes for Ford Escape over the Ford Kuga include:
- Refreshed design inside and out.
- Improved specification and features across the range.
- Improved value for money.
- Improved fuel economy for 2-litre models thanks to automatic start/stop as standard.
- $37,990 entry point.
The new Escape features Ford’s latest design language shared with other Ford SUVs, including the Edge arriving in New Zealand in 2018. The Escape’s large upper trapezoidal grille and a smaller lower grille are flanked by sleek new headlamps incorporating daytime running lights complemented by functional, stylish fog lamps.
Restyled tail lights complete the exterior look, plus a new range of 18-inch and 19-inch alloy wheels, and two new colours.
“Our designers went to great lengths to ensure the vehicle and its many different features, large and small, are smart, yet provide welcome benefits to even daily routines,” said marketing manager Jeremy Nash. “The hands-free power tailgate on the Titanium, for example, is something customers have really grown to appreciate.”
Other convenience features include Isofix anchorage-points, an electronic parking brake, improved storage in the centre console, rear tray tables on the Titanium, and rear air vents on all models.
There’s up to 1,603 litres of cargo space with the rear seats folded, while the steering wheel and air-conditioning controls operate through fewer and more easily distinguishable buttons and switches. There are paddle-shift gears, plus laminated front side glass.
And the latest Sync 3 connectivity system allows drivers to control audio, navigation, and climate functions plus connected smartphones, using simple, more conversational voice commands.
By pushing a button and saying “I need a coffee” for example, Sync 3 will find nearby cafés. Other simple voice commands can also find petrol stations or car parks, train stations, airports, and hotels.
Sync 3 can then guide the driver to the selected destination via the embedded navigation that’s standard across the Escape range.
Drivers can operate Sync 3’s eight-inch touch screen – the largest in this class – in the same way that they use their smartphones; a new interface features larger, easier to operate buttons and enables pinch and swipe gestures for the first time.
There’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as AppLink which enables f voice-activation from the driver’s seat of a range of smartphone apps that now includes Spotify, AccuWeather and Pandora.
Enhanced safety features include adaptive front lighting which monitors ambient light conditions and automatically optimises visibility by adjusting the beam angle of the new bi-xenon headlights depending on the vehicle’s speed, steering angle and distance to an object in front. It features anti-glare capability, as well as country road, city street and also manoeuvring beam shaping abilities.
The Escape has an enhanced version of Ford’s Active City Stop collision avoidance system, which now operates at speeds of up to 50km/h, increased from 30km/h, and there’s new perpendicular parking in the semi-autonomous Active Park Assist technology.
Powertrain
1.5-litre EcoBoost,134kW/240Nm, six-speed auto, 7L/100km (FWD), 7.4/100km(AWD), towing 2,000kg braked (FWD); 1,850kg braked (AWD).
2-litre EcoBoost. 178kW/345Nm, six-speed auto, 8.6L/100km, towing 1,500kg braked.
2-litre TDCi diesel, 132W/400Nm, six-speed auto, 5.4L/100km, towing 1,500kg braked.
Key additional features
Ambiente
- Dual zone climate control with rear air vents
- Reverse camera and rear parking sensors
- Cruise control
- Push-button start
- Front and rear fog lamps
- Electronic parking brake
- Ford MyKey
- Paddle shifters
Trend
- Active City Safe
- Blind Spot Information System
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Privacy Glass
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Auto dimming mirror
- Automatic headlights
- Follow-me home lighting
Titanium
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Smart keyless entry
- Power folding mirrors
- Approach light bi-xenon HID headlights
- Adaptive beam shape headlights
- LED daytime-running lights
- Leather upholstery
- Heated front-seats
- 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- Front parking sensors
- Adaptive cruise control
- Enhanced Active Park Assist
- Lane keeping aid
- Panoramic glass roof
- Hands free power tailgate
- LED tail lights
- Nine-speaker audio system
Prices
Ambiente
1.5 FWD $37,990
1.5 AWD $40,990
Trend
1.5 FWD $41,990
2.0 AWD $44,990
2.0 TDCi AWD $46,490
Titanium
2.0 AWD $53,490
2.0TDCi AWD $54,990
