The first vehicle in the Blue Oval’s lineup to feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, the 2017 Escape, has hit the assembly line.
The Louisville assembly plant, which sprawls over 3.7-million square-feet, has been in charge of manufacturing the Escape since 2012. In 2015 alone, the 4,722 hourly employees and 247 salaried workers, who are present at the plant in three shifts, built 306,492 units, a record for the nameplate, with most of them wearing the Escape badge.
Ford has yet to announce full pricing info on the 2017 Escape, but the compact SUV will probably remain in the same zone as the previous model, which starts from $23,100, despite its updated exterior, extra features in the cabin and two new EcoBoost powertrains, a 1.5-liter with 180 HP, serving as a replacement for the 1.6-liter, and a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbo, borrowed from the Edge and producing 245 HP.
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