Ford Escape 4-Cylinder XLS 2004 Review

The impressive locally designed and built Territory is attracting rave reviews, well ahead of its official on-sale date of June 1.

Its arrival comes hot on the heels of similar praise for German-built Ford Fiesta, which is amongst the best small cars under $20,000.

In between these class-leading models, the blue oval has also weighed into the compact SUV market with a four-cylinder Escape.

A close relative of the Mazda Tribute, Escape has mild styling, specification and pricing changes for the V6 models to breathe life into sales of the small soft roader.

But its the new four-cylinder that will attract most customer attention especially because of its introductory price of $29,990 – $2000 off the official price.

This and the four-cylinder engine pit Escape directly against smaller compact SUVs like CR-V, Forester and X-Trail. It's also thousands of dollars less than its twin from Mazda.

Ford could have introduced a four-cylinder engine when Escape was launched three years ago, but they chose to reject the engine that was available at the time.

It was an under-powered two litre variant and that decision has been justified by the lack of buyer interest shown in Tribute models carrying that unit.

The new 2.3 four cylinder has good performance with commendable fuel economy.

That is great news for Ford because four-cylinder engines account for about 80 per cent of sales in the compact SUV segment.

As a result, Ford is expecting to boost Escape sales significantly with this new unit.

Maximum power of 108kW is reached at 6000rpm while peak torque is a useful 201Nm at 4500rpm.

Plant the foot on the accelerator pedal and the new engines variable intake system ensures it responds spiritedly all the way through the low and mid ranges.

There is no need to push the rev counter beyond about 5000rpm and not much really happens up there anyway, except that the engine starts to sound a little harsh.

It is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, with column-shift system. Ford does not offer a manual gearbox.

Handling benefits from the lower weight of the new engine compared with the 3.0-litre V6. The 2.3-litre Escape is well balanced.

Turn-in is sharp and there is a good on-centre feel.

The Escape's on-demand all-wheel drive system is unchanged, but there are refinements to dampers and anti-roll bar links as the result of local testing.

Four-cylinder Escape comes with a new mechanical brake-assist system, while the material used for brake pads across the range has been improved to reduce noise and wear.

The Escape range now consists of the four-cylinder XLS, plus V6-powered XLS,XLT and Limited models.

The interior package has been updated and all models now offer better value with equipment upgrades either with price reductions or, at worst, no additional charge.

Early indications are that the public has responded to the introduction of the four-cylinder XLS Escape – a vehicle with a willing engine and tempting value for money.