The Ford Escape’s success over the past decade has been built on a simple formula: conservative styling and bang-for-the-buck SUV capability combined in a compact, affordable package. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
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The plan has paid off handsomely: The Escape has overtaken the Honda CR-V this year and is poised to become the U.S. crossover champ.
With the 2013 Escape, Ford is making a major break from that formula with a sleeker, more aerodynamic design that takes its cues from the Ford Focus. The redesigned Escape, to be introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, will be offered with loads of new technology, as Ford hopes to build on its strengths in one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments, the entry-level crossover.
“Customers love the utility of the Escape,” Mark Fields, Ford Motor Co.’s president of the Americas, told reporters at a preview event. “Now we’re injecting the style aspect into the Escape.”
Aaron Bragman, an analyst for IHS Global Insight, says: “The Escape is taking a giant step in the direction of being a more carlike crossover.”
