Ford Escape 2.0lt Less powerful SUV to cruise the city roads

Ford Escape 2.0lt Less powerful SUV to cruise the city roads

Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Several journalists were seen queuing at Putri Duyung Cottage in
Ancol Recreational Park, North Jakarta. They were not waiting for
their news sources.

In fact, they were waiting for their turn to drive the new
Ford Escape 2.0lt.

Though instructors in each car warned the journalists not to
speed in public places such as Ancol, most of the drivers ignored
the warnings as they wanted to test the car's ability in the
city's streets.

The launching of the latest Escape -- Ford already launched
Escape XLT 3.0lt 4x2 and Escape XLT 3.0lt 4x4 last October -- is
to fulfill the demand of customers who want the same style and
comfort but need less power.

"The Ford Escape 3.0lt to date is still one of the most in
demand vehicles on the market," said Will Angove, President
Director of PT Ford Motor Indonesia. "Therefore, we know that the
local automotive market will also welcome Ford Escape 2.0lt with
enthusiasm.

"The Ford Escape 2.0lt is a product that has been designed to
cater for the young urban market, targeting dynamic singles,
couples and families desiring a combination of superior comfort,
responsive handling and a stylish model that reflects their
dynamic lifestyle."

Different from the Escape 3.0lt -- which is equipped with
3.0lt Duratec V6 -- the Escape 2.0lt carries the 2.0lt Zetec 14
engine. Zetec is the sophisticated engine used in Ford Mondeo in
Europe and Ford Escape in the United States.

With less power in the engine, Escape 2.0lt -- though it is
still included in the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) category --
fits better on city roads while the Escape 3.0lt can be used for
both on-road and off-road activities.

The Escape 2.0lt felt okay when we made a quick stop. It
happened a lot since there were many people crossing the streets
inside the park even on working days. We just realized how
similar the handling was to a sedan.

Even lots of bumps in the park could be passed smoothly by the
vehicle, which as a maximum power of 129 horsepower (HP) at 5,400
rotations per minute (rpm) and a maximum torque of 189 Newton
meter (Nm) at 4,500 rpm.

The Escape 2.0lt has a refined unibody structure, giving a
sporty and compact look though I personally thought it has a
similar shape to the Rover Freelander.

With the length of 4.4 meters, height of 1.77 meters and width
of 1.825 meters, the Escape 2.0lt is quite spacious. The cargo
area has cover and net while the rear seats can be folded down if
the owner requires extra space.

The interior is compact and modest, dominated with a cream
color. A feature on the instrument board caught my attention.
There was a sign "Theft". Apparently, the car is equipped with an
engine immobilizer. It means when a thief attempts to steal the
vehicle using a fake key, the car won't start. No need for
insurance then?

The Escape 2.0lt is only available in manual transmission. PT
Ford Motor Indonesia's Marketing and Sales Director, Scott
McCormack, said in the meantime the company would see how well
sales went with the manual transmission.

"We'll evaluate the manual transmission sales before
considering producing an automatic transmission variant," he
said.

Available in five colors -- pumice gold metallic, radiant red,
panther black, honor green and machine silver -- the Escape 2.0lt
is offered at the introductory price at Rp 229 million
(US$26,760). After the Jakarta Motor Show in July, the vehicle
will be sold at Rp 235 million.

Angove expressed optimism with the Escape 2.0lt, saying that
the company expected to sell 400 units this year alone. Since
being launched last year, the Escape 3.0lt has sold 200 units.

He was optimistic that the three variants would be able to
pick up customers wishing to trade their sedans for SUVs.

In a way to get closer with the customers, PT Ford Motor
Indonesia also opened its branch at the Automall, located in the
Sudirman Business Center District, South Jakarta.

.TB3.00"
Engine
Type 2.0lt Zetec 14
Displacement 1,989cc
Maximum power output 129HP at 5,400 rpm
Maximum torque 183 Nm at 4,500 rpm
Fuel tank capacity 62 liters

Dimension
Length 4,400 cm
Height 1,770 cm
Width 1,825 cm
Wheelbase 2,620 cm
Ground clearance 200 cm