To stay fair, when we make our best effort to give these movies an impartial look, most of them result actually nice. It’s like that Friends episode where Joey turns out liking Rachel’s trifle even though she mistook some of the ingredients: while he realized each one tasted good alone, everyone else had a different opinion because the problem was actually with the big picture. If we go back to the sedan which Ford Australia designed exclusively for the Chinese market, the problem lies on having used such a traditional name on an automobile which doesn’t have the slightest connection with the original Escort. On the other hand, forgetting the abstract part results in a situation whose description could be “Design? Good. Structure? Good. Cabin? Gooood!”
The decision of ressurrecting this nameplate comes from the current obsession most automakers started to have with the Chinese market. There are so many vehicles popping out each month that some categories have already been divided into two or three, which only creates more room for more options to appear. Since such mitosis of car categories is motivated by a huge demand and motivates itself large sums of money, it’s not exactly hard to understand why everyone wants to participate of it. The problem of having so many cars with which to compete, though, is each time it’s harder to even get noticed. This is why most automakers have recurred to strategies that would be taken anywhere else as followers of an alternate logic.
In other words, in a country where it’s okay to promote internal sales competition, Escort’s case is considered pretty normal. The front fascia features a discreet version of Ford’s Kinetic design language, leaving aside visual extravagances in favor of the kind of looks which designers claim to take longer to seem old. Both sides and rear repeat this feeling without distortion, whether by elements like horizontal character lines on the first, which play with light and shadow without taking too much attention, and solid-looking tail lights on the other, whose styling loses any attempt of looking sporty by being connected to the traditional chrome bar above the license plate. The notchback-inspired third box is there, too, but it isn’t enough to actually remind of the original Escort.
Besides that, while both the original Escort and its North-American brother, which lasted from 1981 to 2003, were used to receive a sporty version every now and then (like XR3 and ZX2, not to mention RS Cosworth), the Chinese namesake will always be a comfortable family car. It’ll work as a cheap option with large room while Focus gets to seduce wealthier customers – those who years ago would have taken the original Escort. It’s like Max von Mayerling’s fate, in Sunset Boulevard: after leaving his heyday when Norma Desmond divorced him, he decided to crawl into working as her servant just to stay around her again, somehow. Cruel end for a nameplate which spent four decades with intact reputation.
The only way to appreciate this car’s qualities, therefore, is to forget its name for a moment. Such attitude will reveal that the interior is actually quite nice, considering its proposal. Two-tone coating lends an elegant touch, while lacking a huge touchscreen makes the central console express the vehicle ’s exact purpose, which is being modern without costing much. When it comes to equipments, the biggest feature is called “device dock”: sitting right above the central air vents, it’s capable of recharging most multimedia devices, like cell phones and iPods, and connecting them with the infotainment central. Other items include climate control, electrial assistance for steering, windows, mirrors and locks, ABS brakes and front airbags, not much more than that.
Opening the hood will show a four-cylinder 1.5L engine, whose output remains a secret. However, you shouldn’t expect outstanding performance from this car, as well as sporty versions or ecological variations like electric or hybrid powertrain. On the other hand, this sedan is based on the very same C platform which underpins vehicles like the current Focus and Escape/Kuga, so its list of sales arguments will probably include items such as good dynamic behavior and high-quality construction. Ford’s latest release had its official debut at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, only as a sedan, and is expected to hit Chinese streets some months later.