AUCKLAND, 17 October 2016 – Just in time for the Kiwi summer - The new Ford Escape will join Ford’s expanding SUV line-up in December 2016, offering one of the most technologically-advanced, smart SUVs in New Zealand, five-star safety, improved fuel efficiency and all at a more affordable price.
The New Ford Escape is the latest addition to Ford New Zealand’s expanding SUV range. Ford is the second largest SUV brand in the world and every SUV is backed by Ford’s global SUV expertise and robust heritage in the segment.
“We are thrilled with the new Escape joining our line up,” said Simon Rutherford, Ford New Zealand Managing Director. “More importantly, our customers will be thrilled too. With stunning new design inside and out, smart technologies, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines, and five-star safety, it’s a vehicle that will be so many things for our customers.”
As preference for SUVs continues grow in New Zealand, so too does the demand for greater choice. Ford has responded to customer demand for a broader line-up with the addition of a front-wheel drive mid-range Escape Trend and sharpened pricing across the range.
Key changes for Ford Escape over the Ford Kuga include:
The New Escape features Ford’s latest design language for a bold, smart look that is shared with other Ford SUVs, including the all-new Edge arriving in New Zealand in 2018. The Escape’s large upper trapezoidal grille and a smaller lower grille are flanked by sleek new headlamps incorporating daytime running lights complemented by functional, stylish fog lamps.
“We know from customer feedback and research that vehicle design and style are key factors in the car buying decision process,” said Jeremy Nash, Marketing Manager, Ford New Zealand. “In many cases, it’s actually the top consideration which is why we’re particularly excited about the new Escape. In addition to being a very capable, functional SUV with a fantastic suite of smart technologies, it’s also a vehicle that will turn heads wherever its driven.”
Restyled taillights complete the smart exterior look while a new range of 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs and two new colours will also be on offer.
Steeped in SUV expertise from around the Ford world, Escape’s designers’ objective was to combine stylish form with everyday function for the interior of the SUV.
“Our designers went to great lengths to ensure the vehicle and its many different features, large and small, are smart yet provide welcome benefits to even daily routines,” said Nash. “The Hands-Free Power Tailgate on the Titanium for example is something customers have really grown to appreciate. No matter what you might find filling your arms - sports gear, shopping bags or a toddler or two - the Power Tailgate can save the day.”
Escape drivers will find an array of new convenience features making the vehicle very user-friendly, including ISOFIX anchorage-points, an electronic parking brake, improved storage in the centre console, rear tray tables on the Titanium and rear air-vents on all models.
The Escape offers up to 1603 litres of cargo space with the rear stadium seating folded – ideal for weekend escapes. In addition, the Escape steering wheel and air-conditioning controls operate through fewer and more easily distinguishable buttons and switches, making the controls easier to recognise and navigate.
All Escape models will feature paddle-shift controls that enable drivers to manually select gears, adding to Ford’s fun-to-drive ethos. Laminated front side glass helps to improve cabin ambiance.
The new Ford Escape will allow drivers to control audio, navigation, and climate functions plus connected smartphones using simple, more conversational voice commands, with Ford’s new SYNC®3 connectivity system – standard across the Escape range.
Ford has drawn on more than 22,000 comments and insights gained from research clinics and surveys to ensure the new version is the most customer-centric system to date.
By pushing a button and saying “I need a coffee” for example, SYNC®3 will find nearby cafés. Other simple voice commands can also find petrol stations or car parks, train stations, airports, and hotels.
SYNC®3 can then guide the driver to the selected destination via the embedded navigation that’s standard across the Escape range. Voice search results are also enhanced by a better understanding of how consumers refer to businesses and points of interest.
Escape drivers can operate SYNC®3’s 8.0-inch touchscreen – the largest in this class – in the same way that they use their smartphones. A new interface features larger, easier to operate buttons and enables pinch and swipe gestures for the first time.
iPhone users can activate Apple CarPlay, the smarter, safer way to use iPhones in the car allowing drivers to make phone calls, access music, send and receive messages, get directions optimised for traffic conditions, and more while they stay focused on the road.
Android™ users can activate Android Auto™. Android Auto™ makes apps and services that are already widely used accessible in safer and seamless ways in the Escape, including Google Search, Google Maps and Google Play.
SYNC®3 also delivers AppLink for customers, enabling voice-activation from the driver’s seat of a range of smartphone apps that now includes Spotify, AccuWeather and Pandora.
The latest Ford technologies and sophisticated body engineering help drivers see more clearly and enhance safety on the road for new Escape occupants and other road users.
Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System is available for the Escape and monitors ambient light conditions and automatically optimises visibility by adjusting the beam angle of the new bi-xenon headlights depending on the vehicle’s speed, steering angle and distance to an object in front. It features anti-glare capability, as well as country road, city street and also maneuvering beam shaping abilities.
The new Escape’s sculpted bonnet features a wider, uninterrupted central dome that not only serves to complement Escape’s sporty, smart new look, but also incorporates a structural design that improves pedestrian protection in the event of an accident. The bonnet and rear liftgate also have been re-engineered to help mitigate damage to more expensive-to-replace components.
The New Escape introduces an enhanced version of Ford’s Active City Stop collision avoidance system, which now operates at speeds of up to 50km/h, increased from 30km/h.
The new Ford Escape also now offers New Perpendicular Parking functionality enhances the semi-autonomous Active Park Assist technology. Using additional ultrasonic sensors, Perpendicular Parking at the push of a button enables drivers to locate parking spaces alongside other cars as well as parallel to the road, and steers the vehicle into them while the driver controls the accelerator and brake.
Standard Features:
Standard Feature as per Ambiente, plus:
Standard Features as per Trend, plus:
1This is the RRP for the vehicle only. On road costs may be payable by a customer in relation to the purchase of this vehicle. The final transaction price will be as negotiated by the customer with their chosen Dealer.
1Recommended Retail Prices only. Prices shown include GST. The actual selling price for options and accessories (fitted or unfitted) is at the dealers’ discretion.
*All fuel consumption figures are from officially approved tests in accordance with ECE Regulation 83.05. Fuel economy figures quoted are based on the Fuel Economy Regulation ECE 101.01 and may differ from consumer results depending on driving conditions, vehicle maintenance and driving styles.
About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 198,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford New Zealand, please visit: www.ford.co.nz