Photo: Ford China
After the nameplate was phased out from production in Europe in 2002 and in North America in 2003, the iconic Escort moniker will return to dealers in January. Chinese dealers, that is. In comparison to its forerunners, the new Escort is a China-only affair that'll be built by the Changan-Ford joint venture.
Doesn’t it look remarkably similar to the Mk2 Focus sedan from the side profile? Still, as funny as it may sound, the Mk2 Ford Focus sedan is still alive and kicking thanks to Jia Yue, another Chinese-based venture. But that’s not nearly as important as this new Escort slated to make its debut very soon.
More specifically, the Blue Oval decided to unveil the production-ready 2015 Escort at the 12th Guangzhou Auto Show, which will open its doors on November 20th. Aided by the cheap C1 platform, a 13-year-old design, the Chinese Escort will reportedly start at 90,000 yuans ($14,715) and stop at 130,000 yuans ($20,900) for the range-topping specification.
For that kind of money, the Chinese get a car that has a 2,687-mm wheelbase, translating to enough space for seating five adults, as well as a modern and visually enticing body shell compared to other China-only low-cost machines. Those slender proportions are joined by Hyundai i30-like headlights and the Aston Martin-esque front grille present on virtually every Ford model from recent times.
When going on sale on January 20th, 2015, the Ford Escort will be available with a 1.5 four-cylinder Ti-VCT gasoline mill rated 115 ponies and 142 Nm (105 lb-ft). A five-speed manual comes as standard, while the other option is a six-speed auto. Creature comforts and tech? There’s not much to talk about to be frank, except for a sea of cheap plastic and a basic Connect Radio system with Bluetooth connectivity.
More specifically, the Blue Oval decided to unveil the production-ready 2015 Escort at the 12th Guangzhou Auto Show, which will open its doors on November 20th. Aided by the cheap C1 platform, a 13-year-old design, the Chinese Escort will reportedly start at 90,000 yuans ($14,715) and stop at 130,000 yuans ($20,900) for the range-topping specification.
For that kind of money, the Chinese get a car that has a 2,687-mm wheelbase, translating to enough space for seating five adults, as well as a modern and visually enticing body shell compared to other China-only low-cost machines. Those slender proportions are joined by Hyundai i30-like headlights and the Aston Martin-esque front grille present on virtually every Ford model from recent times.
When going on sale on January 20th, 2015, the Ford Escort will be available with a 1.5 four-cylinder Ti-VCT gasoline mill rated 115 ponies and 142 Nm (105 lb-ft). A five-speed manual comes as standard, while the other option is a six-speed auto. Creature comforts and tech? There’s not much to talk about to be frank, except for a sea of cheap plastic and a basic Connect Radio system with Bluetooth connectivity.
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