Ford Escort Concept – new compact sedan for China

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Ford had a surprise in store for everyone at Auto Shanghai. We’ve been told that the new Mondeo would make its Asian debut there with the 1.5 litre EcoBoost engine, but there was no indication of this, the Ford Escort Concept making its world premiere as well.

The Escort Concept is a compact car of similar size to the Ford Focus, directed to serve additional customers in China’s compact car segment, which accounts for over 25% of the country’s total vehicle industry. The Focus is the best-selling nameplate in China last year.

It’s not meant to supplant the successful Focus, but rather act as a supplement serving alongside it. Ford says that the Escort is a “new kind of compact car, designed for a very different customer” that’s based on consumer feedback from China, whose needs are not being completely met by existing compacts.

Ford Escort Concept

While the Focus meets the needs of those seeking a fun driving experience and high level of technology, the Escort Concept targets those who value roominess, uncompromised functionality and sophisticated design above all else.

Ford’s market research concludes that customers in China seeks a stylish car, but not one that is arrogant or pretentious that also allows for family and friends to enjoy it too. The Escort Concept reflects those desired qualities. Hmm, are they suggesting that the Focus looks arrogant/pretentious and is too small for families?

Moving on, the concept car is of a very simple yet not completely featureless design. It keeps Ford’s latest global face (that some say it stole from Aston Martin) but with a more upright grille and elongated, jewelled headlamps to give it a more distinctive front end. The latter features the lucky figure of eight, proving that this car is designed for China after all.

Ford Escort Concept

The Escort Concept will be part of Ford’s ambitious expansion plans for China, which includes bringing 15 new vehicles to the country by 2015. China’s size and unprecedented growth of the vehicle market demands such drastic measures.

The compact car segment in China today is around 5.5 million units per year, about the size of total annual auto sales in Germany and the UK combined, and larger than Japan, the world’s third largest car market. Having two models – the Focus and Escort – contesting the huge market makes sense.

There are no plans yet of when the Escort will start production, or whether it will reach other markets outside China. But considering the Escort name has a long and successful history in North America and Europe (where it was replaced by the Focus in 1998), there’s a good chance that it will. Should it ever reach Malaysia, would you be interested in it?

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Hafriz Shah

Preferring to drive cars rather than desks, Hafriz Shah ditched his suit and tie to join the ranks of Malaysia’s motoring hacks. A car’s technical brilliance is completely lost on him, appreciating character-making quirks more. When not writing this ego trip of a bio, he’s usually off driving about aimlessly, preferably in a car with the right combination of three foot pedals and six gears.

 

Comments

  • it is obvious that nowadays car manufacturers are putting more details inside the headlamps and tail lights….it all started with the LEDs in the Audi a fews years ago…hmmm i guess the “eyes” will help to inject a soul and character for the car.. Buyers can expect to see more and more of “light shows in the eyes” in the coming future..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 0
  • KiaLover on Apr 20, 2013 at 7:12 pm

    I see nowadays auto designers love to have Optima’s stretched tail gate light on their car..kudos to Kia for setting the trend !

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 4
    • See Phyllis on Apr 20, 2013 at 7:56 pm

      To be honest that light design is common, Alfa 156, lancer gt, Inspira, Nissan Sylphy

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 11
      • KiaLover on Apr 20, 2013 at 9:07 pm

        What I mean is the stretched to the rear fender tail light type..the tail light on car model u mentioned are not even close to that design

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2
  • Share the same underpining and push the roof higher fr waistline. Thats how they got more room in this Escort fr Focus. Ah just like Biem GTs fr their respective donor sedans.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • YES! Return of the Escort name!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • Dru-Zod on Apr 21, 2013 at 12:26 am

    Damn!! The Aston grille is still looks good

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • Anyone drove old escort before? I drove telstar 1.8l

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Rohisham Mamat on May 02, 2013 at 5:27 pm

    Yes, I could put this car in the crusher again like I did in UK.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
 

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