"Escape will bring a new group of buyers to our Outfitters showrooms - buyers who may not have owned or even considered an SUV before. With the new Ford Escape, we now have the most comprehensive lineup of SUVs on the planet. Ford can now outfit customers with the exact SUV to meet their lifestyle and sense of adventure."
_ Jim O'Connor, Ford Division president

Based on an all-new platform, the 2001 Ford Escape brings a confident new offering to the growing small sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. For the active lifestyles of the young or young at heart, Escape offers new levels of comfort, convenience and versatility to the toughness that comes with every Ford SUV.

Key attributes include:

• An all-new platform with unibody construction - for light weight, nimble maneuverability, low stance for ease of entry and exit, and enhanced safety protection
• Low fuel consumption - ranging from an estimated 24-28 miles per gallon on the U.S. EPA highway cycle - and low emissions vehicle (LEV) status
• A four-wheel independent suspension - offering refined ride and handling
• The most spacious interior in the small SUV class at 133.9 cubic feet - providing versatility for carrying cargo and room to seat five passengers
• A choice of DOHC 2.0-liter 130-horsepower Zetec I-4 or 3.0-liter 200-horsepower Duratec V-6 engine
• Front-wheel drive powertrain or optional all-new Control Trac II^TM, Ford's full-time 4x4 with a switch to select four-wheel drive automatic or "4x4 On" to lock the system into 4x4 mode
• Up to 3,500-pound towing capacity (with V-6 engine and towing package) - enough to pull jet skis, snowmobiles or a small boat
• Four doors and rear liftgate with flip-up glass for access to a large, versatile cargo area
• Standard in-dash single-CD player or an optional MACH in-dash six-disc CD player with 300 watts of peak power
• A comprehensive safety package featuring optional side-impact air bags, Belt Minder^TM and "LATCH" child safety seat attachments and tether anchors

With unibody construction and the confidence of available go-anywhere four-wheel-drive capabilities, the new Ford Escape provides refined ride and handling, best-in-class interior spaciousness, good fuel economy and low emissions in a small, tough SUV. Versatile enough for the most active lifestyles and easily maneuverable in urban traffic, Escape is designed to appeal to a new and younger group of SUV consumers.

The Market

Ford's newest sport utility vehicle marks the company's expansion into the growing small SUV segment. Sales in that part of the segment have more than doubled in the United States in the past four years, from sales of 250,000 vehicles in 1995 to more than 500,000 through the end of 1999.

"Ford pioneered the modern SUV market with the Explorer in 1991. Since then, SUV sales in the U.S. have climbed an average of 17 percent per year," explains O'Connor. "The 2001 Escape provides a logical extension of the Ford SUV family and will help us maintain our proven leadership by providing customers with a bold new choice in the small SUV market."

On sale this summer, Escape joins Ford's Outfitters lineup of sport utility vehicles and is another example of the company's "No Boundaries" promise for its SUVs. Ford dealers, Outfitters, now feature Explorer, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Expedition, Excursion, and the new Escape - giving Ford the most comprehensive SUV lineup in the industry.

Smaller than the best-selling four-door Ford Explorer, Escape is designed to appeal to younger buyers as well as the "young at heart" - drivers who want fun, agile, sporty, durable yet affordable and fuel-efficient transportation for their active lifestyles.

"We believe Escape will appeal to a wide variety of consumers, including those who have not owned an SUV before but now require the space and versatility that an SUV provides. They might not consider a larger SUV. Escape will provide them with the perfect solution," says Stuart Smith, Ford Escape brand manager.

"Whether they are young singles, newlyweds, small families or empty nesters, Escape is designed to be an affordable and fun option that allows them to do all of the things that they enjoy, such as skiing, camping and biking," Smith says.

Design, Package and Ergonomics

Designed to combine Ford's truck toughness with a refined sporty look, Escape has a confidently poised stance with aggressive wheel lips stamped in the sheet metal, wide body cladding and integrated bumper guards to give it an assured look of off-road readiness and functionality.

Escape's interior package - the most spacious in the small SUV class at 133.9 cubic feet - is designed for maximum comfort, convenience, passenger roominess and cargo flexibility. Escape has room to carr y five adults and their cargo comfortably.

Entering and exiting the vehicle is aided by the vehicle's low sill height and wide door openings, with assist grips for both front and rear seat occupants.

All audio and climate controls are located in the easy-to-reach and easy-to-read center stack. The center stack is oriented toward the driver for superior ergonomics. The controls are logically arranged with the more often used audio buttons located above the less frequently used climate controls. An in-dash, AM/FM stereo with single CD player is standard. Optional audio systems include an in-dash, MACH six-disc CD changer, that achieves 300 watts of peak power.

Escape will be sold in two trim levels. The XLS is the well-equipped base model with standard air conditioning, power locks and windows and fold-flat rear seating. The XLT adds such features as a large center console, anti-lock (ABS) brakes and alloy aluminum wheels, AM/FM stereo with CD and cassette and 60/40 split rear seating as standard equipment.

Optional features available from Ford Outfitters reflect the active lifestyles of Escape owners, including an in-vehicle storage system for two mountain bikes and a clip-in pet barrier.

Driving Dynamics

Based on an all-new platform, developed in partnership with Mazda, the new Ford Escape is a tough, rugged and versatile small SUV that combines maximum convenience and comfort with a unibody design for refined ride and handling. Its wide, firm stance is designed to communicate visual confidence.

Escape is designed with robust off-road capability with the sure-footedness of front-wheel-drive or the all-new Control Trac II^TM four-wheel-drive system. With a four-wheel independent suspension and fine-tuned rack-and-pinion steering, Escape is just as at home in the city because it is nimble and maneuverable in urban traffic.

Escape comes with a choice of a standard 130-horsepower 2.0-liter I-4 Zetec engine with 5-speed manual transaxle or an optional 200-horsepower 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 with 4-speed automatic transmission. With the optional V-6 engine and the available Class II trailer towing package, Escape has an impressive towing capacity of up to 3,500 pounds - enough to pull a horse trailer, pair of jet skis, snowmobiles or a small speed boat.

Fuel economy for the Escape will average between 24 and 28 mpg on the U.S. EPA highway cycle. Escape is certified to low emission vehicle (LEV) standards.

Front-wheel drive is standard, but many customers will opt for the new Control Trac II^TM four-wheel-drive system. Control Trac II^TM provides the driver the option of two different settings, "4x4 Auto" and "4x4 On." The automatic setting allows for the vehicle to determine the torque split to the rear wheels, while the "4x4 On" setting splits the torque evenly between the front and rear drive wheels, enhancing performance when driving off-road or in other uncertain driving conditions.

Safety and Security

From the foundation of its unibody platform to its comprehensive list of safety features, Ford Escape has been designed with safety as a priority. Escape's architecture has been carefully designed to channel the energy created in a frontal crash and spread it out over a larger area of the vehicle.

Typically, energy created in a crash is absorbed by a vehicle's rail frame. For Escape, a front fender reinforcement helps to direct the energy load of a crash between the lower rail frame and an upper path that goes through the roof.

An energy-absorbing steering column also helps to absorb the impact of a crash. Escape also features energy-absorbing knee bolsters - located below the instrument panel - designed to reduce the risk of leg injuries for front seat occupants.

Standard side-intrusion high-tensile-steel door beams also help protect passengers in side impacts.

Driver- and front-passenger second generation air bags are standard. Front-seat dual side air bags are optional.

Buckle pretensioners combined with load-limiting retractors are standard on front seat belts. In a crash, these devices automatically take up slack in the belts. The load limiter is designed to reduce the risk of chest injuries in severe collisions.

Escape provides advanced protection for children with the new "LATCH" (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system for child safety seats. Offered a full year before required by U.S. government regulations, LATCH includes rear-seat-mounted rigid anchors combined with ceiling-mounted top tether anchors to allow a properly designed child safety seat to be clipped into position quickly and accurately.

The Ford SecuriLock^TM engine immobilizer system is standard on all Escapes. The system uses a key containing an electronically encrypted transponder that is written to and read through a transceiver unit attached to the ignition key cylinder. Without the proper key, the vehicle cannot be started.

Pricing

The 2001 Ford Escape goes on sale this summer. The base Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices for the 2001 Ford Escape range from $18,160 (including destination and delivery charges of $515) for the XLS series to $21,335 (including destination and delivery charges) for the XLT series equipped with Ford's new Control Trac II^TM four-wheel drive system.

Escape will be built at Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo.