2012 Escape Overview
06/22/2011
Ford
The Ford Escape compact SUV continues to be a strong choice for consumers looking for a willing travel companion for road trips and the daily grind.
In 2010, Escape sales totaled 191,026, which is a 10 percent increase compared with the previous year. More than 1 million Escapes have been sold so far.
"Ford Escape combines outstanding capability and performance with class-exclusive technology and features our competitors can't match," said Jason Sprawka, Escape marketing manager.
Standard on Escape is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine delivering fuel economy of 21 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.
For performance-oriented customers, Escape offers a 240-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine mated to an efficient six-speed automatic transmission. This proven engine churns out strength and provides torque for responsive power, all while delivering outstanding fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway (front-wheel drive).
Quality
Headlining the array of comfort and convenience technologies is industry-exclusive MyKey(R), which allows owners to program a "key limit" to certain vehicle functions to help promote safe driving habits. Available features include limiting vehicle top speed, speed alert chimes, earlier low fuel warning indicator and persistent Belt-Minder(R) alert.
Green
The standard innovative Earth-friendly cloth seat fabric in Escape XLT is made from 100 percent post-industrial materials - polyester fibers that would have ended up in landfills otherwise. Furthermore, the cushions use a bio-based polyurethane foam derived from the oils of various plant seeds such as soybeans. More than simply "green," the durable, comfortable and stylish nature of the material also makes it a perfect fit for Escape.
The V6 engine is flex fuel-capable. A flex-fuel engine is designed to operate on standard unleaded gasoline or E85 alternative fuel. Such flexibility allows the vehicle owner to choose E85 fuel, which is a combination of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent conventional gasoline.
Safe
The 2012 Ford Escape employs an intelligent four-wheel-drive system that works automatically to help prevent wheel slippage. Unlike some competitors' systems, which engage through a floor-mounted switch, the Escape system does not require any driver interaction.
The Escape system is transparent to the driver and always there when it's needed, for wet or dry pavement, creating confidence and peace of mind. Because the system can transfer torque away from the front wheels, it helps reduce the type of understeer often associated with front-wheel-drive vehicles, providing improved vehicle control. When combined with traction control or the AdvanceTrac(R) with RSC(R) (Roll Stability Control(TM)) system, a high degree of torque can be sent to the wheel with the best traction, even if the other three wheels have no traction at all.
Smart
Class-exclusive SYNC(R) is available on Escape and provides hands-free access with simple voice commands. Every vehicle with SYNC offers hands-free calling via paired and connected Bluetooth(R)-enabled phone, hands-free music via USB-connected digital media player and customer support and software updates via SyncMyRide.com for registered owners.
Other available SYNC Services features include Traffic, Directions and Information, which allows customers to receive traffic alerts, turn-by-turn directions and business search through the radio, hear personalized news, weather, horoscopes, stocks, movie times and sports content, get travel information and send directions directly to the SYNC system. Also available is Vehicle Health Report, which allows customers to receive an online report of vehicle diagnostics, and 911 Assist(TM), which can connect directly to a 911 operator through the paired mobile phone after an accident in which an airbag deploys.
Production location
The 2012 Ford Escape is built at Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Mo.