The Ford Escort nameplate is back â" as a new concept car partly styled by Ford Australia designers and set to become a key model for the US car maker in the worldâs biggest car market.
Ford has unveiled the Escort sedan concept at the 2013 Shanghai motor show, previewing a four-door small car that looks near production ready and a strong contender to be one of the companyâs 15 new vehicles to go on sale in China by 2015.
The Ford Escort concept revives a once-popular name that hasnât been seen in Australia for decades, and one that was killed off by Ford of Europe when it introduced the Focus in 1998.
If confirmed for production, the Ford Escort will join the Focus in the Chinese market to target a slice of the 5.5 million small cars sold there that account for a quarter of the market.
China has been an exception to Fordâs One Ford strategy of building a single model per vehicle segment, with the Escort designed to appeal to the different tastes of the worldâs most populous nation.
âBy listening to our customers in China, we have developed the Ford Escort Concept to serve a new class of compact car customers,â said Fordâs executive vice president of global marketing, sales and service. âThese are customers whose needs are not being completely met by existing compact cars. They are discerning, modern families, who want uncompromised functionality, quality and safety for themselves and the ones they care about.â
Ford Australiaâs design and engineering teams continue to kept busy by projects around the world, including China. The company told CarAdvice the Escort concept was âa global design with input from the companyâs design team in Melbourneâ.
The styling of the Escort is said to respond to market research that revealed Chinese customers sought âa vehicle that is stylish â" but not one that is arrogant or pretentiousâ.
The tautly designed Ford Escort concept still carries plenty of cues â" including a front end with hexagonal grille â" that is clearly related to the next-generation Mondeo that showcases the companyâs modern styling DNA.
There are also fancy LED exterior lights and a pillarless side window treatment.
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