theoldwizard Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 (edited) Driving through Dearborn I got to see a 2013 Escape with minimal camo and not too far away a Kuga (no camo; badge on). These certainly looked identical to me, except perhaps for grill and tail (camo). There is clearly less interior space in the back (current Escape has a boxier, more SUV like, rear, as compared to the Kuga's sloping, more CUV like, rear). It did not have the "stance" of the Vertrek concept. To my eye, the roof height looks lower than the current Escape, so I would guess that the driver seat height is lower The question is, will current Escape buyers buy a new Kuga-Escape, with significantly different styling, less cargo volume and lower seat height ? Edited May 14, 2011 by theoldwizard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wptski Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Driving through Dearborn I got to see a 2013 Escape with minimal camo and not too far away a Kuga (no camo; badge on). These certainly looked identical to me, except perhaps for grill and tail (camo). There is clearly less interior space in the back (current Escape has a boxier, more SUV like, rear, as compared to the Kuga's sloping, more CUV like, rear). It did not have the "stance" of the Vertrek concept. To my eye, the roof height looks lower than the current Escape, so I would guess that the driver seat height is lower The question is, will current Escape buyers buy a new Kuga-Escape, with significantly different styling, less cargo volume and lower seat height ? Not if they are smart. Is it a replacement for a V6 Escape? No way! I'm not convinced this is the future look of the Escape. The literature I receive from Ford has never stated this, although I read posts in forums about this. Why would Ford replace a good seller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 They will not loose, nor tighten, sales. They may lose sales. I love my 2003 Escape, it cemented me as a Ford fan. If the Escape looks like the Vertrek, when it comes time to replace the Escape (in the next 2 years) I'll be shopping elsewhere. That doesn't mean Ford should make a vehicle just for me. I do see Ford losing sales on the Escape, but not because those of us who like the trucky look, rather the new Escape is likely not to have the same value proposition as the current Escape. The current Escape is a lot of "bang for the buck". While the interior not may be up to snuff for your average 30 something Lincoln Leasey (Average of 1), it is certainly serviceable. I fully expect fewer, but more profitable sales with the new Escape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 No way! I'm not convinced this is the future look of the Escape. The literature I receive from Ford has never stated this, although I read posts in forums about this. Well the prototype I saw had no badges on it, but I'm betting that what I saw was the 2013 Escape. Why would Ford replace a good seller? One Ford. Most people would agree that the current Escape was getting "long in the tooth" and needed at least an exterior facelift. Moving to common platform (Focus C1) will save money. The Kuga already existed (as did the Fiesta and Focus), so the cheapest, fast thing to do is only change was is required to meet US safety and emission requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wptski Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 (edited) Yeah, it'll save money if it sells. look at the new Expliorer, did they lower the engiine size? Is it less of a 4WD than it was before? If this the way they go, the Escape like vehicle is being dropped from the lineup. Edited May 14, 2011 by wptski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escape22 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) I think it will sell great.....IF they put the Edge interior into this new Escape, add a selectshift 6spd with a lower gear ratio (think better highway mileage, current one is like 3.53 should be a 2.90 option) and make sure it still has decent visibility it will be a winner. And make sure there is a 2.0L ecoboost available in AWD! It concerns me about only putting Eco's on the FWD's with the Edge and Explorer But visibility is key...most of these new CUV's have such crappy visibility (think Equinox or Edge). Heck even if they kept the boxy outside and put in a new interior and powertrain I would love it also. I like the look of the existing Escape, but the powertrain and interior sucks compared to the Edge/Explorer!! Edited May 18, 2011 by escape22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 But visibility is key...most of these new CUV's have such crappy visibility (think Equinox or Edge). I have no visibility issues in my Edge. :shrug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 In college I drove a high cube van with a closed box on the back and no windows. Visibility is highly overrated........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escape22 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I have no visibility issues in my Edge. :shrug: Believe me I'd be driving an Edge right now if the promotions were any good in Canada! They have sucked for some time. However It is much tougher to see out of than the Escape I do find the rear window and back pillars tough to see through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) Believe me I'd be driving an Edge right now if the promotions were any good in Canada! They have sucked for some time. However It is much tougher to see out of than the Escape I do find the rear window and back pillars tough to see through. I guess I don't find it to be too bad since I was coming out of a Mazda6 hatchback which had considerably wide C-pillars. Combining the BLIS, backup sensors, and rearview camera, I haven't had any trouble with the Edge. My rental without BLIS or the camera hasn't been too bad either. Edited May 18, 2011 by NickF1011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 In college I drove a high cube van with a closed box on the back and no windows. Visibility is highly overrated........... Same here. You didn't by chance deliver janitorial supplies to to the residence halls on campus did you? We seem to have led parallel lives in several ways! Driving that cube van was worse for visibility than towing a travel trailer...it was absolutely horrible! I had a loaner Escape last week while I had some service done on my F250. I thought the visibility was great, but I'm used to driving an F250 crew cab and a Flex, so the it may have just been due to the much smaller size of the Escape. I can attest to the fact that the Escape does need some refreshing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Same here. You didn't by chance deliver janitorial supplies to to the residence halls on campus did you? We seem to have led parallel lives in several ways! Driving that cube van was worse for visibility than towing a travel trailer...it was absolutely horrible! I had a loaner Escape last week while I had some service done on my F250. I thought the visibility was great, but I'm used to driving an F250 crew cab and a Flex, so the it may have just been due to the much smaller size of the Escape. I can attest to the fact that the Escape does need some refreshing though. Separated at birth? I delivered furniture in Athens GA where they turned 2-lane streets into 4 lane streets and the light poles leaned into the street. That was scary. But honestly as long as you have properly adjusted mirrors you have all the visibility you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 The Escape replacement is ugly as hell. I love my 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid--it's truly beautiful and practical. Ford, you lost me on the redesign. I wish that Peugeot could bring their 3008 Hybrid4 Diesel-Electric SUV to the States; this get 62 mpg (on Diesel), looks, nice, and would be reasonably-priced. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 The Escape replacement is ugly as hell. Oh, you've seen it sans camouflage? By all means, describe it to us! And what, no pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 http://images.thecarconnection.com/sml/ford-kuga-individual-001_100184520_s.jpg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscalzo Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 http://images.thecarconnection.com/sml/ford-kuga-individual-001_100184520_s.jpg That's as download from a 2008 article. Haven't seen anything concrete in some time. Doesn't look like Ford's in any hurry to start production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 The grill of the Kuga makes it look like a walrus. I prefer Mercury and Lincoln grills.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 That's as download from a 2008 article. Haven't seen anything concrete in some time. Doesn't look like Ford's in any hurry to start production. This one of the un-spoken results of One Ford. No vehicle will launch "before its time". Sure there are target dates, but slipping them is not life and death, The new Escape is a 2013MY, which means it can not be sold until after 1 Jan 2012. It seems to be on target for 1Q2012. (WAP is going to do some of the stampings and they don't have dies yet, according to a friend who works in stamping.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wptski Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 This one of the un-spoken results of One Ford. No vehicle will launch "before its time". Sure there are target dates, but slipping them is not life and death, The new Escape is a 2013MY, which means it can not be sold until after 1 Jan 2012. It seems to be on target for 1Q2012. (WAP is going to do some of the stampings and they don't have dies yet, according to a friend who works in stamping.) A 2013MY Kuga it may be but it's nolonger a Escape as they aren't equal. Would a Escape replace an Explorer?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscalzo Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 A 2013MY Kuga it may be but it's nolonger a Escape as they aren't equal. Would a Escape replace an Explorer?? They can call it whatever they want to call uit. But the public will decide it it's a suitable replacement for the current style of Escape. It the cargo area is reduced considerably, I will have no interest it replacing both my Escapes with the new version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice-capades Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 There seem to be a lot of opinions about the exterior styling of the next generation Escape based on the Kuga. Personally, I think that it's about time that the Escape move away from the traditional, boxy look and present a much more contemporary appearance. My boss (Dealer Principal) just came back from the Ford "President's Award" meeting and saw the 2013 Escape that was shown to the President's Award dealers. He was very, very impressed with the 2013 Escape... not just the exterior styling but also what Ford's done to the interior. In his opinion, it can't arrive soon enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSchicago Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The Escape was long overdue for a complete redesign. This will create lots of new sales. Some of the previous buyers will be hesitant, but this is evolution. And it was needed. In my opinion I always thought the Escape was the SUV equivalent of an Escort. Not much style or class, just a cheap functional vehicle. One I didn't have any interest in..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 There is a rumor on the 'net that Toyota is planning on hybrid small SUV that would, obviously, compete head to head with the existing Escape. My biggest issue with the Kuga is the loss of space behind the rear seat the the sloping roof line. I don't know about other interior dimension, but you won't be able carry tall items any longer. This may only affect a few customers. One friend who traded in an Escape for an Edge complained how much less he could haul despite the Edge being larger and less fuel efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 The rumor, from Toyota, is that there will be a hybrid RAV4. It will probably be a gasoline-electric hybrid, not a diesel-electric hybrid. A hybrid RAV4 will be serious competition for the Escape. There is a rumor on the 'net that Toyota is planning on hybrid small SUV that would, obviously, compete head to head with the existing Escape. My biggest issue with the Kuga is the loss of space behind the rear seat the the sloping roof line. I don't know about other interior dimension, but you won't be able carry tall items any longer. This may only affect a few customers. One friend who traded in an Escape for an Edge complained how much less he could haul despite the Edge being larger and less fuel efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 (edited) The Vertek (nee: Kuga) should be a Lincoln version with the more "boxy" style going to Escape for the masses of Ford faithful that really like the look of the vehicle. My girlfriend is on her 3rd Escape and after I showed her the Vertek concept she was not impressed with the look of it at all. Edited June 2, 2011 by twintornados Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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