2013 Ford Escape Review , Specs and Features

, Posted by R.Jansen at 1:13 AM

The all-new Ford Escape delivers the versatility and cargo capacity SUV customers expect with a sports-inspired design they desire.
"Escape's athletic good looks are no accident," says Martin Smith, Design executive director of Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. "We wanted to create the impression of an athlete like a runner or swimmer in the new body - right down to the defined muscles that convey movement and energy."
The new SUV will be sold as the Ford Escape in North America and will be launched later wearing a Kuga badge in many markets around the world.
Function follows form as the sleeker design allows for cargo volume that surpasses the outgoing Ford Escape - with 68.1 cubic feet of space behind the first row and 34.3 cubic feet behind the second row. The new Kuga will be slightly longer than the current model, adding luggage space.
Escape's seats, Ford's latest, lose weight while adding customer convenience. The seat structure has shed nearly 3 pounds while the seats themselves have added more functionality - two-way power recline and two-way power lumbar support. These are in addition to the familiar six-way adjustability.
A sport seat, with higher bolsters and a distinct sew style, also is available.
The front head restraint offers four-way adjustability for the first time. Both the head restraints and rear seats have been upgraded to allow for easier folding and are made from soy-based foam.
Higher levels of craftsmanship
The closer customers get to the all-new Ford Escape, the more they will love it, says Peter Bejin, manager of Global Craftsmanship.
Improved materials and execution highlight the interior, including:
  • A soft-touch instrument panel
  • Wrapped, padded and stitched door armrests
  • Deep padding on console armrests
  • The soft upper roll on doors
  • Elimination of exposed fasteners in glove box and sun visor pivots
  • Available leather-trimmed sport seats with piping on bolster area and contrast stitching
"Our designers created a well-proportioned vehicle that's stunning from 20 feet away," said Bejin. "We want to deliver on that design promise on the craftsmanship side so that when customers walk up and open the door, sit inside and start interacting with the new Escape, it provokes that same emotion from 2 feet away, 1 inch away or 1 millimeter away."
Highlighting the new exterior color choices in North America is Ginger Ale, an earthy metallic tone slightly greener than ginger ale looks in a clear glass.
Ginger Ale leads an expansive palette of new exterior choices that includes Ruby Red, White Platinum Tricoat, Frosted Glass Metallic, Deep Impact Blue and Kodiak Brown, along with Tuxedo Black, Sterling Gray Metallic, Ingot Silver Metallic and Oxford White.
Striking interior
The muscular, defined exterior shape is complemented by a dynamic, well-appointed interior featuring new levels of craftsmanship and technology.
"The interior design of the all-new Escape is modern and sophisticated," said Ruth Pauli, chief designer, Color and Materials. "It captures the expressive design and enhanced functionality of the vehicle."
The interior design team especially considered the wealth of exclusive features no competitor can match when creating the all-new Ford Escape, led by available SYNC® with upgraded MyFord Touch® driver connect technology.
Interior environment choices include Charcoal Black on Charcoal Black or Charcoal Black on Medium Light Stone or Medium Dark Stone.

Safety
The all-new Ford Escape combines the safety features and technologies customers really want, including a high-strength steel body and an even smarter new airbag system that no other automaker offers.
"Safety is of prime importance to customers of small sport utility vehicles, and the new Ford Escape delivers," said Jason Sprawka, Escape Marketing manager. "The new Escape has been crashed 5,000 times in real and virtual tests to help improve safety."
The new Ford Escape adds about four times as much advanced high-strength steel and ultra-high-strength steel as the outgoing vehicle. Nearly one-third of the steel in the all-new unibody Escape is composed of advanced high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel, helping better protect occupants in the event of a crash.
The new Escape also features an enhanced Personal Safety System™ with new safety belt technologies and seven airbags.
The Personal Safety System is a network of components that work together to tailor the activation of the front airbags during frontal collisions. The restraint control module (RCM) translates information collected by the front crash sensors, front outboard safety belt buckle switch, driver-seat track position and passenger-seat weight sensor and judges how fast the vehicle is decelerating, and if the driver and/or passenger are buckled.
With this information, the RCM activates the safety belt pretensioners and determines how the dual-stage front airbags will deploy.
New for the next Ford Escape are pretensioners at the front outboard anchor points and crash-locking tongues. These technologies help pull the belt tight over the hips in a fraction of a second during more severe crashes.
The new side airbags deploy lower in the pelvis area in addition to the chest and incorporate new venting technology, which Escape brings exclusively to the small SUV segment.
The side airbag's venting technology takes into account the size of the occupant, varying the pressure so smaller occupants withstand a lower pressure.
"In a side impact, what's preferred is a higher-pressure side airbag for a larger person and a lower pressure for a smaller person," said Sean Ryan, Restraints supervisor. "That wasn't possible with previous systems. On the new Ford Escape, the adaptive vent allows us to optimize the pressure in the side airbag."
The tunnel vent is lined up with the shoulder area of the occupant. On larger passengers, the shoulder engages the vent and keeps it from venting so the gas stays inside the airbag. On smaller passengers, the effect is just the opposite: Because the occupant's shoulder is below the vent, the gas vents out of the airbag.
The driver's airbag uses a reconfigured curve-shaped tether system that pulls in the lower section to create a pocket to help lessen the impact of the airbag on the driver's chest and ribs in frontal crashes. Deploying at the same time is a driver's knee airbag - offered on Ford Escape for the first time.
The new Ford Escape also includes the familiar Safety Canopy® System, which combines side curtain airbags and a rollover sensor to help provide protection for outboard passengers during side impacts.
Inflators for the airbags are located near the roof rail between the side pillars, while side-impact sensors are located on each side of the vehicle. The rollover sensor detects a potential rollover and triggers the Safety Canopy System. The airbags stay inflated for up to six seconds to help reduce injuries from multiple impacts or rollovers.
Technology
The all-new Ford Escape might be the most helpful vehicle ever produced by Ford. Using the most hands-free technology ever offered in a Ford, the new Escape helps customers load or unload gear through the rear hatch without fumbling for a key, stay connected, parallel park and avoid a collision in a parking lot.
Plus, on the road, the all-new Ford-engineered Intelligent 4WD System helps deliver outstanding handling and excellent traction off-road when drivers want to leave the pavement.
Additionally, exclusive technologies that no competitor can match to automatically slow the vehicle when cornering too fast (Curve Control) or help accelerate through a turn (Torque Vectoring Control) are joined together for the first time in an SUV in the new Ford Escape.
"Customers want technology that makes their lives easier," said Jason Sprawka, Escape marketing manager. "The new Escape has a wealth of available intuitive technology as well as aids that are completely seamless."

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