New Ford Escape
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Well… Not for us that is.
This is the new Escape for Taiwan. The same country that gets the new Ranger.
The interior isn’t that new from the Escape/Tribute we get here, but it is still nicely updated and much more upscale looking. At least on these pictures.
And the front end doesn’t look as trucky as our 2007 Model.
Is Ford paying more attention over in Taiwan than in the US?
taiwanese market cars have always had higher quality interiors, but smaller engines.
the cheapest pieces of shit all have leather interiors.
I think I have my eyes set on the Jeep Patriot. The Escape is a nice car, but a JEEP is a little nicer.
I love your site, but get your countries straight, Vince. The new Ford Ranger is bound for THAILAND, NOT TAIWAN. Totally different countries. My family comes from Taiwan (though I was born here in the States), and it always annoys the hell out of me when people don’t know the difference or confuse the two countries.
I’m also pretty sure you are right about this being a new Ford Escape for Taiwan, not Thailand, as I doubt Thailand would have this kind of vehicle. I know for a fact that Taiwan does have the Escape because I was last there in the summer of 2004 and I saw plenty of them on the streets.
Two different markets = Two different approaches.
It looks more upscale but would it sell here???
it’s a Ford and that means it’s substandard no matter where it’s sold.
Leather and other niceties are just a way to put lipstick on a pig when it’s a Ford.
Hmm well both markets do include there own version of the escape ! Ford of taiwan here and Ford of thailand here so Vince is not wrong or right lol, although the ford of taiwan is showing the new escape front end, and the thailand Ford web site only shows the current front end of the escape……
After a brief walking inside the ford dealer showroom, i just realized how bad the interior materials, fit and finish, and design layout are fallen behind imports, even Hyundai. The Ford 500 is a total mess in interior assembly and material choice. The ride quality are neither stable or soft. If they dont bring European Ford quality and design attention to this side of the Atlantic (still behind the best of European and Japanese, but much better), they can kiss their North American operation good bye.
i disagree with the all fords are bad thing, its just the ones we have arent the best. european fords, are pretty nice like the mondeo, focus, etc. i just dont understand why in their home market they give us the cars that can barely compete. even the australian fords like the falcon, are better cars than we have. the material quality in europe and australia are higher, desighn is better, there is more emphasis on performance. i dont get it
The European Fords are also much more expensive, and the reliability is much worse. In Europe, they focus more on interior quality and styling, not on reliability, which is pretty much the opposite of what Americans want, cheap cars that are reliable. Thats the reason the new Focus hasn’t been imported here, it would be too expensive, and very unreliable for American standards.
Just to clarify, the Republic has had its own Escape before. When this model first launched, the Taiwanese model had a waterfall grille à la Mercury. It never caught on in other markets, to my knowledge. I believe (agreeing with Anonymous at the top of the comments) this is because Ford there positions the Escape as more of a premium vehicle than a cheap runabout SUV. (Hence, the Mondeo or Metrostar has a formal grille, as a luxury car.)
I have a feeling that the Thai Ranger is to be sold in the Republic of China, too. About the only markets that won’t get it are the North American ones.
The USA ford escape has been an unqualified commercial hit as well as love by most auto magazines and critics. It needs updated I certainly agree. People who heavily critize it on this site are clearly biased and unobjective.