The new Escape compact crossover is Ford's latest vehicle to shed a boxy façade for more finessed contours, a change that executives say improves fuel economy.
When Ford first launched the Escape a decade ago, designers sought to make it look rugged, like an SUV, rather than streamlined like Honda's CR-V or Toyota's RAV4. But shoppers are now looking for sleeker design, said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas.
Despite continuing popularity in the global marketplace, the sport utility and crossover vehicle have taken a lot of heat from environmental-minded people. Some view the compromise of fuel economy for increased driving utility as one reason to object more truck-like vehicles while others see crossover products as another facet where excessive resources are devoted to build automobiles. Finally, some view sport utility or crossover vehicles as a technological step backwards from progress made in respect to cars.
The outgoing generation of the Ford Escape leaves the compact sport utility vehicle market with a unique legacy of combating the stigma of taller automobiles. Adopting the Escape Hybrid in 2005, Ford even bested Toyota by producing a compact utility product capable of fuel economy in the low 30 mile per gallon range. Revealed on the 2011 Detroit North American International Auto Show concept car called the Vertrek (a vehicle pictured above believed to strongly suggest the styling direction for the 2013 model year replacement for the Escape), Ford Motor Company is prepared to launch crossover vehicles deeper across their trail; changing conventional thoughts.
Ahead of this week’s opening of the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford Motor Company has been stoking interest in pending debut of the 2013 Ford Escape by announcing some design and technology evolutions waiting automotive enthusiasts can expect to see employed.
When Ford first launched the Escape a decade ago, designers sought to make it look rugged, like an SUV, rather than streamlined like Honda's CR-V or Toyota's RAV4. But shoppers are now looking for sleeker design, said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas.
Despite continuing popularity in the global marketplace, the sport utility and crossover vehicle have taken a lot of heat from environmental-minded people. Some view the compromise of fuel economy for increased driving utility as one reason to object more truck-like vehicles while others see crossover products as another facet where excessive resources are devoted to build automobiles. Finally, some view sport utility or crossover vehicles as a technological step backwards from progress made in respect to cars.
The outgoing generation of the Ford Escape leaves the compact sport utility vehicle market with a unique legacy of combating the stigma of taller automobiles. Adopting the Escape Hybrid in 2005, Ford even bested Toyota by producing a compact utility product capable of fuel economy in the low 30 mile per gallon range. Revealed on the 2011 Detroit North American International Auto Show concept car called the Vertrek (a vehicle pictured above believed to strongly suggest the styling direction for the 2013 model year replacement for the Escape), Ford Motor Company is prepared to launch crossover vehicles deeper across their trail; changing conventional thoughts.
Ahead of this week’s opening of the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford Motor Company has been stoking interest in pending debut of the 2013 Ford Escape by announcing some design and technology evolutions waiting automotive enthusiasts can expect to see employed.
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