Ford raises the MPG bar for compact SUVs.
The Ford Escape is all-new for the 2013 model year and goes on sale this spring. This five passenger crossover SUV has been a strong seller for Ford even as the current model comes to an end. The 2013 Ford Escape will offer three four cylinder engine choices and all three engines have a highway mileage rating of 30 mpg or better reports Ford.
Hot Seller
That’s good news for America’s best-selling car brand. The 2012 Escape is offered with either one four cylinder engine or a V-6 engine, with its most fuel efficient model getting 28 mpg on the highway. The new model is powered by a 2.5-liter four that is rated at 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and is the same engine found in the current model.
New to the line are a pair of EcoBoost engines, automotive technology that combines turbocharging with direct fuel injection to squeeze more power out of a smaller engine. Its 2.0-liter four is rated at 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway. This engine makes 240 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque, delivering V-6 equivalent power.
The smaller EcoBoost engine displaces at 1.6 liters and is rated at 23 mpg city, 33 mpg highway. This engine makes 178 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque. This compares to the base engine that delivers 168 horsepower and 170 foot-pounds of torque.
The base engine is available only in the S model. The smaller EcoBoost is the standard engine for SE, SEL and Titanium models; the larger EcoBoost engine will be optional for the models.
Hybrid Canceled
Gone for 2013 is the hybrid model that has been available to Escape buyers since 2005. That technology will be updated and reintroduced later this year with the C-Max a van-like crossover that shares the same platform as the Ford Escape.
Tech Specs
The next generation Ford Escape is slightly smaller than the outgoing model. This vehicle sits on a 105.9-inch wheelbase and is 178.1 inches long, 72.4 inches wide and 66.3 inches tall. The Escape has a 7.9-inch ground clearance.
For days that the new Escape offers 98.1 cubic feet of storage capacity. Cargo volume behind the second row seat measures 34.3 cubic feet or 68.1 cubic feet behind the first row.
This vehicle weighs from 3,515 to 3,732 pounds and has a towing capacity ranging from 1,500 to 3,500 pounds.
Related Articles
- 2013 Ford Escape Gets 33 MPG Highway; Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ Get 34 MPG Highway (blogs.cars.com)
- Ford Makes Its Case for Smaller, Lighter EcoBoost Engines (autotrends.org)
- 2013 Ford Escape Prices Announced: Starting at $23,295 (blogs.automotive.com)
- Configurate it: 2013 Ford Escape (blogs.insideline.com)
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company.
The story of the Ford Escort on the rally scene began with the high-performance Escort Twin Cam which made use of the 1.5-liter engine originally designed for the Lotus Cortina. This model enjoyed great success in the late 1960s and early 1970s culminating in the winning of the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally which led to the development of the 1.6-liter Escort Mexico.
With the development of the Mark II Escort all models of the Mark I RS range were carried over with the Mexico becoming known as the RS Mexico. The new Mexico however enjoyed limited success as most opted either for the significantly cheaper Sport model or the more refined RS2000. The all-new RS1800 was also released, making use of a 1.8-liter BDA engine specifically for rally.