Ford Escort may return as 100mpg hybrid
What would it take for Ford to get you interested in a new Escort? In its heyday, the Escort was quite popular, but managed to build up a bundle of negative brand equity. In less than three years, Ford reportedly hopes to woo Escort buyers back with a 100 mpg plug-in hybrid model. Numbers like that would certainly get some interest, and give competitors like GM's Volt and Toyota's Prius plenty to think about. And if the 2011 Escort looks anything like the renderings on Next Energy News, it should be able to make lots of money for Ford.
According to the report at Next Energy, the new Escort would be a single mode hybrid more like Toyota's drivetrain instead of the dual-mode system GM and Chrysler are developing. But the new car would be a brand new platform for Ford, and wouldn't be built using another company's proven hybrid system.
Ford's hybrid would likely utilize A123 Systems nanophosphate lithium-Ion batteries, which are also being used by the Saturn Aura and Chevy Volt.
[Source: Next Energy News via GM Inside News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Salvage0ne 11:38PM (5/05/2008)
There are too many people out there who are knocking the Escorts....the older Ford Escorts, pre-1987 were poorly-designed; when the timing belt broke, the engine was trashed, so most of us junked the car. Ford later re-engineered the 2.9L so that this wouldn't happen again when the belt failed, giving the newer Escort back the respect it deserved. You must be thinking of the older Escort Generation when you think of a P.O.S. car. I own a '90 Pony Escort, she's got 222,000 miles on her, and she STILL runs like a sewing machine, and I'm STILL getting 40MPG (HWY) with her. If I am one of the few to have an Escort that still lives, Ford must have done something right with this one. I say go with the name "Escort" for good luck, not bad. ~Salvage0ne PS: Ford, you can't have my car so you can "find out what's wrong with it." ~String
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Escort_Fan 3:46PM (1/28/2009)
you all are idiots, FORD ESCORT is a legend, and you all know that!!! for me its great news that the ESCORT is coming back, and it will never die, you can even now see that more people buy escorts than other cars, cuz it's cheap practical and reliable... guys, you are all idiots, that's true, cuz you all write sh*t here and don't realize the truth, that ESCORT is coming back and you can't do anything about it..... suckers!!!
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Pamishelizzz 3:58PM (1/28/2009)
Right on "Escort_Fan"!!! you said a mouthfull :) well me, I drive an 1998 european 1.4L Ford Escort, and I can tell you, it doesn't use much fuel, the repairs are cheap thoug there aren't lots of them :) ant it just keeps on going thoug she passed 140000km, I even managed to find out whats the top speed, and I was surprised, 190km/h and still going... for an 1.4L car it is a beast. The wierdest thing thoug that it hasn't got any rust on it!!! escort is a great car, a legend and the list keeps on going :) so now we'll just wait and see what the new ESCORT will be like :)
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Escorter 3:58AM (8/19/2009)
[...]What would it take for Ford to get you interested in a new Escort? In its heyday, the Escort was quite popular, but managed to build up a bundle of negative brand equity. In less than three years, Ford Escort reviews reportedly hopes to woo Escort buyers back with a 100 mpg plug-in hybrid model. Numbers like that would certainly get some interest, and give competitors like GM's Volt and Toyota's Prius plenty to think about. And if the 2011 Escort looks anything like the renderings on Next Energy News, it should be able to make lots of money for Ford.[...]
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Level 6:14PM (9/24/2007)
Is Ford that stupid??? I would not be caught dead in an Escort anything hybrid or not whats wrong with the Focus??? or coming up with another name for the hybrid!
I just Lost all confedence in Ford!
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compy386 6:26PM (9/24/2007)
You've gotta be an idiot to think this is real. First of all, that's the rendering of the new Focus before Ford debuted the real model. It's pretty ugly looking and Ford is not going to make it. There is NO WAY Ford is bring back the Escort.
Guenther 6:34PM (9/24/2007)
As well as Honda and Toyota can move cars below the Civic and Corolla, there's plenty of room for a sub-focus. If VW "vontz to rul ze woerld", they should look into selling Polos over here.
P 9:51PM (9/24/2007)
What's with always negative comments! I bet you all have a cell phone, cable TV, VCD, DVD, microwave oven and OBVIOUSLY the internet. Did you all carry on like this about those new technologies before you ended up owning them?
Chris 11:39PM (9/24/2007)
Do you really think Ford North America is going to release a car that looks this good? They'll probably drop the hybrid drivetrain in that new Focus we've all been 'raving' about.
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kdschneider 6:22PM (9/24/2007)
Don't Forget Ford has it's own Proven Full Hybrid System in the the Escape. Second only to Toyota. Honda and GM only have Mild Hybrid Systems.
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Thunder 6:19PM (9/24/2007)
Ford should add some fender flares, all wheel drive and a Cosworth engine and turn this into a rally car.
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Jason 6:26PM (9/24/2007)
Just make it look like the flippin' rendering!!
And pick a name... Escort, Festiva, Focus, whatever. Pick one and stick with it. Considering the negative thoughts evoked by the Escort and Festiva badges, and the positive thoughts associated with the Focus, I'm thinking they should stick with Focus.
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Atomicbri 6:26PM (9/24/2007)
I don't think Escort would be a positive way to sell a new car, it too has a patchy past. I think Ford needs to make Bold Moves and name it something new.
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Barney 6:29PM (9/24/2007)
This is coming from GM Inside News?
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Doug 6:31PM (9/24/2007)
That rendering has been all over the web - it was an artist's rendering of the new "kinetic design language" thought to be part of the new Focus.
As for the Escort - let's come up with a different name. Escort doesn't always have a great connotation.
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Shadyman 6:36PM (9/24/2007)
What would it take for Ford to get you interested in a new [hybrid] Escort?
For it to be not named an Escort. Barring that, for it to not be a Ford, but I think the Escort thing is more likely.
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mike 8:55PM (9/24/2007)
I love Escorts.
This one looks hot to.
100mpg is icing on the kake.
Shadyman 11:35PM (9/24/2007)
I'll agree this one looks hot, I just had to make the obligatory Ford jab, as well as the obligatory Escort jab, so I kinda rolled them into one.
FrankTheCrank 7:01PM (9/24/2007)
Dream on.
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Moltenauto 7:06PM (9/24/2007)
If they could actually achieve this, (huge doubts), it would be a viable contender for the Automotive X-Prize... I forget how many million the prize is supposed to be, but it would certainly help offset some of the developmental cost.
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