Ford hatches new Escape plan

The aging Ford Escape softroader will need to soldier on for at least another 18 months before it is replaced by this fresh-faced successor.

Ford confirmed to the Carsales Network this week that the Vertrek concept car will become a reality -- and that it will be called the Kuga in Europe and the Escape in North America and Australia.

But it can't come soon enough. The current model Ford Escape (pictured) is already 10 years old -- and will likely see its 12th birthday before it is replaced.

Ford Australia took in extra stock of the current model for Victoria ahead of the January 1, 2011 deadline set for vehicles to be equipped with stability control.

Ford Australia will also order another large batch of Escape models before the national deadline for stability control for all new vehicles comes into force in November this year.

The Escape does not have stability control, an advanced anti-lock braking system that can prevent a skid in a corner, as it would be too expensive to add the technology this late in the model's lifecycle, the car maker said.

Despite being outdated, the Escape is selling better now than when it was introduced in 2001, buoyed by aggressive drive-away pricing between $25,000 and $30,000 -- substantially cheaper than when it was introduced.

"The Escape is selling very well for us so we want it to stay for as long as possible," said Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary.

The Escape's 2010 sales tally of 3034 is better than its 2842 tally in its first year in the market in 2001 -- and 192 per cent up on the 2009 tally of just over 1000 sales.

The year 2010 was the fourth best year for the Escape in Australia, closely behind the top tally of 3606 set in 2002.

The softroader market is the second biggest car category in Australia -- behind small cars and ahead of utility vehicles. In the compact softroader class, more than 26 models compete.

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