The original Ford Escape had been with us since 2001, only receiving a major facelift around the mid-2000s. They held onto it until 2012, before they closed down their Sta. Rosa plant, moving their operations completely in Thailand. The second generation that the US market had was skipped, and this week, the third generation was immediately launched. 2 years after its global debut, let us welcome to the Philippines, the Ford Escape, completely built from their Dearborn, Michigan Plant.
Ford Escape
The Ford Escape is more global than ever. Used to be reserved only in select markets such as the US, Southeast Asia, and parts of Europe, the Ford Escape has been designed inside and out to be a truly global car, which follows their “One Ford” strategy. The exterior design is dynamic, with bold creases and an aggressively raked A-pillar. Bi-xenon headlamps grace the 2.0 AWD variant’s front. From the exterior design, Ford’s goals with the Escape is to be one of the most fun to drive crossover SUVs in the compact segment.
Inside, the dynamic and athletic theme continues. A flowing center console with a central LCD screen makes it seem lifted from the Ford Focus, making the center stack look properly modern and sporty. Bluetooth, iPod, and voice command comes standard on all variants. For the 2.0 AWD variant, the 8-inch MyFord Touch dominates the center stack, Ford’s impressive but equally controversial infotainment system. Leather upholstery is also offered on the 2.0 AWD variant.
Under the hood, both variants are powered by Ford’s EcoBoost turbocharged and direct-injected petrol engines, in two guises. The first is a 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine, producing 178 hp and 249 Nm of torque. The other is a 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine, producing 240 hp and 366 Nm of torque, comparable power figures to its rival, the Subaru Forester XT. Both are mated to a 6-Speed Powershift Dual Clutch Transmission, powering the front wheels in the 1.6 variant, and all four wheels in the 2.0 variant.
Safety and convenience features are Ford’s strong point, and this new Escape is no exception. Both variant come with Smart Entry with Push Button Start, SecuriLock, AdvanceTrac with Curve Control, and a whopping 6 airbags. Ford once again leads the way with first-in-class features for the 2.0 AWD variant, such as Automatic Parallel Parking Assist, SOS Post-Crash Alert System, Blind Spot Monitoring, and a Hands-Free Liftgate. Just have the key fob within the car’s proximity, and simply wave your foot under the rear bumper, which then activates the power liftgate.
Reservations can now be made at Ford dealerships, while test drives should be available by next month. Interested to buy the new Ford Escape? Units will soon be arriving in 2015.
Ford Escape 1.6 EcoBoost SE: P1,490,000
Ford Escape 2.0 EcoBoost Titanium: P1,790,000
Ford Explorer Sport
The Ford Explorer has been a huge hit for the brand in the Philippines. Packed with plenty of features and authoritative good looks, combined with very competitive pricing, it’s no surprise then to see many of these high-end SUVs around our Philippine roads. Our market, despite selling significantly fewer when compared to Thailand, can be considered lucky, since we receive cars such as these, and to everyone’s surprise, Ford has launched the Ford Explorer Sport, also completely built from their Dearborn, Michigan plant.
The Sport is not just limited to its looks and badging. More than just for show, the Ford Explorer Sport is a legitimate sports car in a 7-seater SUV body. Under the hood is a 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6, packing a beastly 365 hp and 475 Nm of twist, propelling this heavy 2.5-ton SUV from 0-100 km/h in 6 seconds.
Just to be sure you won’t mistake it as a run-on-the-mill Explorer, a blackened grille and side mirrors, 20-inch machined aluminum wheels, huge Explorer badging on the hood, smoked head and tail lamps are there to serve as a warning for you not to mess with this SUV.
Other key features of the Ford Explorer Sport include MyFord Touch, Sony Sound System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Sport Monitoring, Collision Mitigation Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and inflatable rear seatbelts.
Interested in buying this 7-seater sports car? Ford Explorer Sport units should be arriving in Ford showrooms by November.
Ford Explorer Sport: P2,799,000
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