Ford Escape Hybrid, Chrysler 300 top in Detroit
Ford Escape Hybrid, Chrysler 300 top in Detroit
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
This year saw the second hybrid vehicle in a row garner the top
honors in the recently concluded 2005 North American
International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
This year, Ford Escape Hybrid was named the best truck while
last year it was Toyota's Prius that received the honor.
As for the Ford Motor Company, it was a back-to-back honor in
the truck category as last year its Ford F150 was named the best
truck.
Meanwhile, this year's best sedan is the bold Chrysler 300
which has provided the much-needed boost in the DaimlerChrysler
AG's Chrysler division credited with reinventing the full-sized,
American sedan.
A hybrid vehicle is usually defined as a car using two
engines: the conventional internal combustion engine for high
speed drive and an electric motor used at lower speeds.
Derived from the popular Ford Escape sports utility vehicle
(SUV), Ford Escape Hybrid uses a four-cylinder, 2,300cc gasoline
engine and a permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor. The
car will automatically select which is to be used.
The gasoline engine produces a maximum of 133 horsepower (hp)
at 6,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) while the electric motor
unleashes 94 hp at 3,000 to 5,000 hp. The combined power is 155
hp.
There are two driving options: front wheel drive and four-
wheel drive.
Dubbed as the only pure, hybrid SUV, the front wheel drive is
offered from US$26,970 while the 4x4 model starts at $28,595 in
the United States.
Ford Motor Company also plans more hybrid vehicles in three
years to come.
Mercury Mariner Hybrid will be available in the United States
this year, while Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid will
be ready in 2008.
A small number of Mazda Tribute Hybrid, using the Ford Escape
as a platform, will also be available for testing this year while
mass production is scheduled in the next two years.
As there is no real demand for cars with hybrid technology
here, president of PT Ford Motor Indonesia (FMI) Will Angove said
Indonesian customers could choose the fuel-efficient Ford Escape
2.3 powered by a 2,300 cc gasoline engine.
"Escape Hybrid is one example of Ford's innovative strategy to
create a vehicle that is able to answer the needs of customers
now and in the future," he said in a statement.
Ford Escape is also available here with a V6 3,000 cc engine
priced at Rp 275 million for the 4x2 version and Rp 325 million
for the 4x4 version while the Ford Escape 2.3 is priced at Rp 250
million.
Separately, Chrysler Group executive vice president for
product development Eric Ridenour said the award was an honor and
he was proud to accept it.
"We believe the Chrysler 300 fully represents our operating
philosophy of disciplined pizzazz," he said in the company's
website.
The car is powered by a high-performance, fuel-efficient and
durable powerplant known as the V8 5,700 cc HEMI engine producing
340 hp of power at 5,000 rpm and 535 Nm torque at 4,000 rpm. It
uses a five-speed automatic transmission.
Such great power launches Chrysler 300 to a speed of 96
kilometers per hour in just 6.3 seconds.
There are also engine options of the 2,700 cc double overhead
camshaft (DOHC) engine and the V8 3,500 cc single overhead
camshaft (SOHC) engine. These two variants have four-speed
automatic transmission.
An all-wheel drive option is also available for variants using
the V8 5,700 cc HEMI and V8 3,500 cc engines ensuring excellent
cornering balance under all conditions and better traction on wet
surfaces.