Name That Shifter, No. 34: 2001 Ford Escape XLS

July 27, 2011 at 4:15pm by Car and Driver

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On Monday we presented this week’s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. The tall, trucklike shifter helped several of you recognize the car, a 2001 Ford Escape XLS. The first commenter to correctly identify this first-generation Escape was Zachary Young. He’ll receive a Save the Manuals button and sticker as a reward.

The Escape pictured here is from our December 2001 issue. The base, front-wheel-drive model got up to 60 mph in 11 seconds, which isn’t bad considering its anemic 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine made just 127 hp.

Tags: Ford Escape, Name That Shifter, Save the Manuals! |

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Latest 2013 Ford Escape Spy Photos Confirm EcoBoost Power, Vertrek-Inspired Design

May 31, 2011 at 4:43pm by Alexander Stoklosa

We’ve previously spied the upcoming 2013 Ford Escape, but these latest photos both show more of the crossover’s shape and confirm our previous suspicions about what might power it. When last we saw a 2013 Escape test mule, it was wearing current-generation Ford Kuga bodywork, so these new images are the first to show off the new shape. The overall look follows that of Ford’s Vertrek concept, including the swoopy greenhouse, bulging hood, swept-back headlights (whose Focus-style inset turn indicators are taped over here), and strong character line running from the front wheelarch to the tip of the taillights. Those taillights and a new fender vent seem the lone elements that seriously deviate from the Vertrek. That concept sported simple, single-form taillights, while this prototype’s taillights feature a thin extension that wraps onto the rear quarter panels just like those on Ford’s 2012 Focus hatch (see the close-up shot of the taillight in the gallery below).

More compelling, though, are the shots of the vehicle sans front and rear fascias. The exposed front-mounted intercooler confirms our previous hunches about Ford’s adoption of EcoBoost power for its baby sport utility. The base engine for the 2013 Escape is likely to be Ford’s naturally aspirated 168-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder, joined in the powertrain lineup by either a 1.6-liter, turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder, a 2.0-liter EcoBoost, or both. The 1.6-liter EcoBoost is the same engine found in the Vertrek concept, and we’d expect it to produce somewhere near 180 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost should be good for 237-ish hp and 250 lb-ft of torque, and would make for an interesting Kia Sportage SX competitor. A hybrid powertrain is almost guaranteed, whether an evolution of the system in the current Escape hybrid or possibly a plug-in affair. We’ll bring you more details as they become available; in the meantime, check out the gallery below for more spy photos of the 2013 Escape.

Tags: Ford, Ford Escape, spy photos |

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Spies Get Clear Look Inside the 2013 Ford Escape

May 19, 2011 at 3:56pm by Justin Berkowitz

Ford disagrees with the philosophy of singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson, who intoned “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.” The company’s new “One Ford” policy wisely dictates that Ford harmonize its global product lines and sell the same cars and trucks around the world—instead of engineering similar but ultimately separate vehicles for different markets. Part of that scheme includes the merger of the fossilized trucklet we know as the Escape with Ford’s Focus-based Kuga, which is a hit in Europe.

Although we have caught the next-gen Escape out for tests in the past, we’ve seen only mules and heavily camouflaged development vehicles. The spy shot shown here gives us our first look at the 2013 Escape’s interior, as well as our first look at any part of the new Escape without a disguise.

Overall, the Escape’s interior stays true to what we saw in the Vertrek concept, which previewed the new Ford soft-roader. The Focus roots are easy to see here, with a dashboard that’s very similar to what you’d find in a spec’ed-up 2012 Focus. The center stack has the same bobblehead design as does the Focus, with the infotainment screen and centrally mounted vents occupying a lot of real estate. It looks like the nav system will have controls mounted just in front of it, which is similar to what Infiniti offers in its products—and which isn’t the most ergonomically friendly configuration. The only other useful detail we can glean from the image is that, like the Focus, the Escape will have a manumatic option for the transmission, as evidenced by the “S” on the base of the gear lever, and the upshift/downshift rocker switch on the gear knob itself.

2011 Ford Escape interior

You can read more about our expectations for the Escape in our previous coverage of it here. In short, we expect it to offer the modern car-like dynamics of the Focus—rather than the more antiquated experience of helming the current Escape—and a range of four-cylinder engines, including a hybrid version. Ford will no doubt cram the Escape with SYNC and its vexatious MyFord Touch system, which trades traditional buttons for frustration-induced banging on the dashboard.

We’re expecting the new Escape to land at November’s L.A. auto show, and it will probably hit the market early in 2012. That’s the right timing to ensure that shoppers can choose between it and the new 2012 Honda CR-V. Check back for more information as we head into the fall.

Tags: American, compact, crossover, Ford, Ford Escape, Ford Vertrek concept, spy photos, SUV |

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