The final production version of the new Ford Escort has been unveiled on the 2014 Guangzhou Auto Show. The Ford Escort is a China-only compact sedan. It will be launched on the Chinese auto market on January 20. Price will range from 90.000 to 130.000 yuan.

Ford apparently doesn’t want to equip their automobiles with decent LCD screens. Their screens are the smallest in the business, with the 1980’s Nokia-style stuff in the Ecosport and Kuga being the worst examples. The Escort goes completely without any screen, making the dash look outdated, especially in China where local Chinese automakers equip even their cheapest 50.000 yuan offerings with the largest screens they can fit. Ford..?

Sit up straight and there will be enough space for the legs, but not for the head.

The Ford Escort is manufactured in China by the Changan-Ford joint venture. Power comes from a 1.5 liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 113hp and 142nm, mated to a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. Size: 4587/1825/1490mm, wheelbase is 2687.

The new Ford Escort is based on, and will replace, the current China-made Ford Focus Classic, which is a dressed up second generation Ford Focus standing on Ford’s C1 platform. The Focus Classic is manufactured alongside the current third generation Ford Focus, production will end as soon as the Escort is launched. In China, the platform underpinning the Escort is called ‘C1 MCA’.

Chrome strip running into red large the hippest part of the otherwise rather boring design. Buyers in the segment where the Escort operates are known to be mid-aged and conservative, so the conservative design of the vehicle makes some sense. However, younger buyers will walk away and that is the booming market Ford should really be after, in a time where other brands are designing cars especially for the young.

The 1.5.

Potential buyer looking the other way. Grille kinda cool with five fat chromed bars.

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