Ford Escape sales cross the million mark

"From day one, the Escape has offered a combination of traditional SUV traits and crossover construction," said Hussein Murad, Sales & Marketing director, Ford Middle East. "Escape offers refined ride and off-road capability; impressive fuel economy and up to 3,500 pounds of towing; and a comfortable interior in a compact, agile package."

Since its introduction in the GCC in 2000, the Escape has registered continuous growth and popularity among the younger buyers. Escape's January-November sales have grown 11 per cent over the same period last year.

2001 Escape Leads the Industry

When the 2001 Model Year Escape was introduced, the majority of small utilities on the market were crude and unrefined, many featuring solid rear axles - and even solid front axles - and part-time four-wheel-drive systems which were limited to off-road use only.

A handful of utility vehicles featured very car-based design and equipment, including unibody construction, a fully independent suspension, and either front-wheel or four-wheel drive configurations.

"It was clear that there was an unmet opportunity in the market place," says Barry Redler, Ford SUV Group marketing manager. "The other entries were one-dimensional, either focused only on off-road, SUV attributes at the expense of refinement, or focused on car-like ride and handling at the expense of off-road adventure. Escape was an instant success because it offered customers something no one else did: The best of both worlds."

Escape incorporated the wide, solid stance and successful design cues of Ford's larger SUVs in a more compact package. Escape also met Ford Tough Truck standards, subjected to durability testing in the heat of the Australian outback, the sub-zero cold of Manitoba, Canada, and pulling a 3,500-pound trailer up the severe grades of the Davis Dam in Nevada. Off-road capability was enhanced by almost eight inches of maximum ground clearance and an advanced all-wheel-drive system that automatically divided torque between the front and rear axles.

Escape featured lightweight, unibody construction, MacPherson front struts, independent rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering system for agile handling and improved ride comfort. Underhood, Escape featured either a four-cylinder or V-6 engines for impressive fuel economy -which was further enhanced with the Escape Hybrid in 2004. The advanced all-wheel drive system also provided all-weather traction by instantly transferred toque to the rear wheels.

This unique combination of benefits catapulted the Escape to the top of the compact SUV segment in its first full year of production - selling 164,184 units in the 2001 calendar year.