Ford Escort (North American)
| Ford Escort (North America) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Production | 1980–2003 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Small family car |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Pinto |
| Successor | Ford Focus |
| First generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1980–1990 |
| Model years | 1981–1990 |
| Assembly |
Edison, New Jersey, United States Milpitas, California, United States Wayne, Michigan, United States Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico Oakville, Ontario, Canada |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback 5-door station wagon 5-door hatchback |
| Platform | Ford CE14 platform |
| Related | Mercury Lynx |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 4-speed MTX-II manual 5-speed MTX-III 3-speed ATX/FLC automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 94.2 in (2,393 mm) |
| Length | 169.4 in (4,303 mm) GT: 169.0 in (4,293 mm) |
| Width | 65.9 in (1,674 mm) |
| Height | Hatchbacks: 53.7 in (1,364 mm) Sedan: 53.4 in (1,356 mm) |
| Curb weight | GT:2243lbs [1108kg] |
| Second generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Also called | Ford Laser (Asia and Oceania) |
| Production | April 1990–1996 |
| Model years | 1991–1996 |
| Assembly |
Wayne, Michigan, United States Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Small family car |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon 5-door hatchback |
| Platform | Mazda B platform |
| Related |
Mazda 323 Mazda Protegé Mercury Tracer |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.8 L BP I4 1.9 L CVH I4 |
| Transmission | 5-speed F series manual (1.9) 5-speed G5M manual (1.8) 4-speed F-4EAT automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 98.4 in (2,499 mm) |
| Length | 170.0 in (4,318 mm) Wagon: 171.3 in (4,351 mm) 1992 & 1995–96 Sedan: 170.9 in (4,341 mm) |
| Width | 66.7 in (1,694 mm) |
| Height | Sedan: 52.7 in (1,339 mm) Hatchbacks: 52.5 in (1,334 mm) Wagon: 53.6 in (1,361 mm) |
| Curb weight | 3-Door Hatchback – 2355 lbs (1068 kg) 5-Door Hatchback – 2385 lbs (1082 kg) 4-Door Sedan – 2404 lbs (1090 kg) 5-Door Wagon – 2491 lbs (1130 kg) |
| Third generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1996–2002 |
| Model years | 1997–2002 |
| Assembly |
Wayne, Michigan, United States Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Small family car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon |
| Platform | Mazda B platform |
| Related |
Mazda Protegé Mercury Tracer |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.0 L SPI2000 SOHC I4 |
| Transmission | 5-speed G5M manual 4-speed F-4EAT automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 98.4 in (2,499 mm) |
| Length | Wagon: 172.7 in (4,390 mm) Sedan: 174.7 in (4,440 mm) |
| Width | 67.0 in (1,700 mm) |
| Height | Sedan: 53.3 in (1,354 mm) Wagon: 53.9 in (1,369 mm) |
| Curb weight | 2,468 lb (1,119 kg) |
| ZX2 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Also called | Ford Escort ZX2 |
| Production | 1997–2003 (USA) 1997–2000 (Canada & Mexico) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sport compact |
| Body style | 2-door notchback coupe |
| Platform | Mazda B platform |
| Related |
Mazda Protegé Mercury Tracer |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.0 L Zetec DOHC I4 |
| Transmission | 5-speed G5M manual 4-speed F-4EAT automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 98.4 in (2,500 mm) |
| Length | 175.2 in (4,450 mm) |
| Width | 67.4 in (1,710 mm) |
| Height | 52.3 in (1,330 mm) |
| Curb weight | 2,478 lb (1,124 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Probe |
The North American variant of the Ford Escort is a small family/compact car introduced by Ford in 1980 for the 1981 model year. Adopting the "Escort" name used by Ford of Europe since 1968 along with the general design and layout of the third-generation European Escort, it was the successor of the Ford Pinto, which had a tarnished reputation for quality and safety after a widely publicized fuel tank defect. The Escort was one of Ford's most successful models in the 1980s, earning a much better reputation than the Pinto, which faced widely publicized safety issues. In fact, the Escort was the single best-selling car in its second year in the United States and during most of that decade.
The Escort was Ford's first front-wheel-drive car built in North America, a design popularized by the Volkswagen Rabbit. It also effectively replaced the smaller Ford Fiesta, which was imported from Europe from 1978 to 1980.
For 1991, the North American Escort would switch to a Mazda-derived platform and essentially became a twin of the Ford Laser, a compact car sold in Asia and Oceania that has always shared a platform and some powertrain options with the Mazda 323, and whose progenitor was available in North America as the 1988 Mercury Tracer. Redesigned on the same platform for the 1997 model year, the Escort was succeeded by the Ford Focus in 1999 for the 2000 model year in North America, although Escort production continued until 2002.
The first American Escort first went on sale on October 3, 1980 for the 1981 model year. It was intended to share common components with the European Mk III Escort (as with its sister, the Mercury Lynx). It was launched with a 65 hp (48 kW), 1.6-liter hemi overhead cam inline-four. It was available as a three-door hatchback and as a five-door station wagon, with a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. The five-door hatchback followed a year later. It had considerably more chrome than the model sold elsewhere (except for the 1981 SS model/1982- GT models which featured blacked out trim). 1981 models never had the Blue Oval logo; on the front fenders there was an Escort badge which included a globe representing the earth, which implied this was a "World Car". The car was freshened in 1982, and added Ford's Blue Oval logo for the first time along with a newer grille. For 1982 models, the base price of the Escort 3-door was $5,518.
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