Last year, Ford took the wraps off what was back then the all-new Escort, a compact sedan designed especially for the Chinese market.
The thinking behind the Escort is simple really. People in China really appreciate compact cars, and the Escort was nothing more then a clever alternative in this segment, not to mention an affordable one.
While this car definitely won’t blow you away with its looks, it’s interesting to think what would happen if Ford decided to sell it (in hatchback form as rendered here) in Europe, as well as in other parts of the world.
Would you consider it if you could get it for the same price as a Fiesta? The front end isn’t necessarily bad looking, while the rear kind of reminds me of the Fiesta MK4 (late 90’s model).
However, the car’s profile is pretty awful, both as a production model sedan, and as far as I can tell, as a hatchback as well. If the price was low enough, some people would definitely look to purchase it for its practicality, if nothing else.
Also, compared to the Sedan, the Escort’s shoulder line looks better in this hatchback rendering, especially towards the C-Pillar.
For old-school Ford fans, you guys should know that Ford is probably never bringing back the Escort name again, at least not in Europe or North America. The reason for that is simple. The Escort became the Focus back in 1998, though back then Ford was still planning to keep the ‘Escort’ nameplate for a new generation of small family cars.
The rest of course, is history – which is what most of you probably wish for this rendering to be as well.
Renderings courtesy of Theophilus Chin