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http://detnews.com/article/20110110/AUTO04/101100388/1148/Ford-concept-hints-of-new-Escape-design
Ford concept hints new Escape design
ALISA PRIDDLE
The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. today provided a good idea of how its new Ford Escape will look, by unveiling the Vertrek crossover concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
"This is a directional indicator for the next-generation Escape," said design chief J Mays. He called the concept "pretty close" to the production model.
The Vertrek is designed to be a global utility vehicle, replacing the compact Ford Escape sold in North America and in Asia-Pacific, as well as the slightly smaller Ford Kuga that is sold in Europe.
"We need a new generation for all," Mays said.
The concept was derived from Ford's C-segment platform that underpins its compact vehicles, including the Ford Focus and C-Max. The vehicle family is expected to include 10 different nameplates and yield more than 2 million annual vehicle sales by 2012.
"It's a radical departure from the Escape," Mays said, but was designed as a credible replacement for both the Escape and the Kuga.
The Vertrek is longer and wider than the current Escape and offers much more cargo space for Kuga customers. That's an amenity European consumers have said they want, Mays said.
Inside are four individual seats. Compared to the Kuga, the Vertrek offers 15 percent more cargo volume behind the first row and about 20 percent more cargo volume behind the second row.
Overall, the styling of the Vertrek is closer to the Kuga: more curves and creases than the boxy Escape. The height is similar to the taller Kuga, but the crossover's windswept side view, panoramic roof that extends to the rear spoiler and rising beltline gives it a sleek appearance.
The concept is 5 percent more aerodynamic than the SUVs it will replace, according to Ford preliminary testing data.
Mays said he wanted a softer, more sensuous shape than the rugged Escape. But the hood is more muscular.
"There were some people worried that we moved to more of a (crossover) look from an SUV, but this is where we need to be by the time the car comes to market," Mays said.
The concept has been shown to some Escape owners and Mays said they liked its new look.
"I'm not sure if you can still call it an Escape, because it is so different," said analyst Dave Sullivan of AutoPacific in Troy.
"It is not a box anymore. It looks more like an (Audi) Q5," Sullivan said.
A decision on the name has not been finalized.
"We are still discussing it," Mays said. "The Escape name in the U.S. is obviously very popular. And the Kuga name in Europe has been very popular as well. So a decision has yet to be made."
"It's not an enormous problem to have. It's just a decision we need to make," Mays said.
Power in the United States could come from a regular 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or a choice of 1.6-liter or 2-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engines. In Europe, where 96 percent of Kugas are sold with diesels, choices could include a 2-liter turbodiesel of the 1.6-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine. They will be paired with six-speed transmissions.
The crossover will also offer Auto Start-Stop technology that turns the engine off when the vehicle is stopped and which can improve fuel economy as much as 10 percent. Ford will begin offering the technology on vehicles in 2012 and it will be on 20 percent of nameplates by 2014.
The concept was designed in Germany.
Ford announced last month that it will build the Escape at the Louisville, Ky., plant that made the outgoing Ford Explorer. The plant is being retooled to make compact vehicles later this year.
The Escape competes in one of the largest, most competitive and fastest-growing segments. Ford sold 191,000 Escapes in the United States last year, up 10 percent, according to Autodata Corp.
In Europe, demand for crossovers has grown 200 percent in the past decade. The Kuga has consistently ranked third in its segment since it was introduced in 2008, Mays said.
And China is showing its acceptance of small utility vehicles with sales projected to grow 60 percent from 2009 to 2011.
"In markets around the world, consumers are very clear about what they want in a compact SUV: strong design, great driving quality, smart technology and the capability that helps get them to the places they love to be," said Jim Farley, head of global marketing, sales and service.
For Ford, the Vertrek further fills out a lineup of crossovers that includes the Explorer, Flex, Edge and C-Max minivan.
Derrick Kuzak, head of global product development, said market research shows the need for a full portfolio because consumers view each offering differently.
Buyers see the Explorer as a three-row SUV, the Edge as a two-row, five-passenger crossover and the Flex as anything from a wagon to crossover to a utility vehicle. The Flex is viewed as a unique vehicle and Kuzak said there are no plans to discontinue it. Flex sales were only 34,000 in 2010, down almost 12 percent.
"There is room in our portfolio for them all," Kuzak said.
apriddle@detnews.com
(313) 222-2504
