Ford Escort (China)

The current generation Ford Escort is a compact car sold on the Chinese, Taiwanese and Middle Eastern market by the Ford Motor Company. Following its announcement in mid-2013 that they intended reviving the "Escort" name for a car based on an older version of the Ford Focus,[1] Ford launched the new Escort in January 2015.[2]

Ford Escort
Ford Escort in Zhengzhou, Henan province
Overview
ManufacturerChangan Ford
Ford Lio Ho Motor
Also called福特 福睿斯 (Chinese translation for Ford Escort)
Production2015–present (China)
2017–2020 (Taiwan)
AssemblyChongqing, China
Taoyuan, Taiwan (Ford Lio Ho)
Body and chassis
ClassCompact car
Body style4-door saloon
LayoutFront-engine, front-wheel-drive
RelatedFord Focus
Powertrain
Engine1.5 L Ti-VCT I4
Transmission5 speed manual
6 speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase105.8 in (2,687 mm)
Length180.6 in (4,587 mm)
Width71.9 in (1,825 mm)
Height58.7 in (1,490 mm)
Curb weight2,767–2,866 lb (1,255–1,300 kg)
Chronology
PredecessorFord Focus Classic (China)
Ford Fiesta (sedan, Taiwan)

History and lineage

Ford had used the Escort name on three earlier car lines; firstly on a variant of the Ford Squire sold in the UK 1955 to 1961, then on the better-known European Ford Escort sold from 1968 to 2001, and the North American Ford Escort sold between 1980 and 2003.

In 2013, Ford announced its intention to resurrect the "Escort" nameplate on the Chinese market in 2014, with a compact car based on the then-current Ford Focus Classic, itself a version of the second generation of Ford Focus. The Chinese Escort was designed in Australia[3] and was intended to be the technical successor of the Focus Classic and positioned under the current third generation Ford Focus.[1]

When launched, the first generation Ford Focus had itself been the replacement for both the European and the North American Escort lines in their respective markets.

Specification

The Chinese market Ford Escort is based on the China-made second generation Ford Focus (2004-2011) named the Focus Classic built on the Ford C1 platform. The Focus Classic is manufactured and sold alongside the third generation Ford Focus. The platform underpinning the Escort in China is called the C1 MCA and is produced in China by the Changan-Ford joint venture. The power of the Chinese market Ford Escort comes from a 1.5 liter four-cylinder petrol engine producing 113hp and 142nm, mated to a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission.[4]

  • Side view
  • Rear end
  • Front end - white color

Reception

The UK magazine and website Autocar gave the Escort three out of five stars, expressing surprise that the Escort name had been revived for a market where it had no heritage and commenting that "the Escort name is from another age [and] essentially it is a cheap car cobbled together from Ford’s parts bin". They also noted that the suspension had been tweaked to suit Chinese road conditions, but stated that they did not think it seemed cheap enough for the intended market.[5] As of April 2018, over 800,000 examples of the Chinese market Escort have been sold since the model was launched in December 2014.[3]

2018 facelift

The Chinese market Ford Escort received a facelift in April 2018 to be more in line with the fourth generation Focus revealed at the same time. Upgrades include a slightly revised exterior, which appears to draw inspiration from the updated Focus range with larger headlamps and restyled tail lamps. The 2018 facelift Escort sedan is powered by a newly added 1.5-litre 'Ti-VCT' petrol engine. Additional features include electronic stability control now being standard, side curtain airbags, tire pressure monitors, powered adjustable front seats with memory, powered folding exterior mirrors with memory, 8.0-inch display for the touchscreen infotainment system, rear-view camera, automatic headlights and wipers, and keyless entry with push-button start.[3]

  • 2018 facelift front end
  • 2018 facelift rear end

References
  1. Tycho de Feijter (2013-07-25). "New Ford Escort will hit the China car market in 2014". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  2. "Ford Escort launched on the Chinese auto market". 2015-01-05. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  3. James Wong (2018-04-11). "New sedan gets new looks, new engines, and more tech". caradvice.com.au. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  4. Tycho de Feijter (2014-12-12). "Eye to Eye with the new Ford Escort in China". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  5. "Ford Escort review". Autocar. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-21. The name is a surprising choice as none of the original Escorts were ever officially sold in China [so] there is no heritage [..] suspension settings are on the soft side to compensate for China's poor road conditions. [..] The Escort name is from another age [and] essentially it is a cheap car cobbled together from Ford’s parts bin [..] it just doesn’t seem cheap enough.
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