In 1981, Ford Motor Company introduced the first American Escort to compete with the growing popularity of Japanese made economy cars. Although there had been an Escort released in Europe, the American version was modified to cater its target market. The Mercury Lynx was also released as a variant for the Escort.
The Escort was released as a 2-door hatchback and as a 4-door station wagon. Both models were in four-wheel drive, with a 68hp 1.6 L CVH 14 engine, independent suspension, and a rack-and-pinion steering. The 4-speed and the 5-speed manual transmissions were the standard with the optional 3-speed automatic. Five trim levels were offered: the base, L, LG, LX, and SS models.
The 4-door hatchback was released in 1982 and the base and trim levels of the station wagon line-up was dropped. By 1983, the base model of the Escort was dropped and the SS was replaced by the more substantial GT, which had multi-point fuel injection, a five-speed manual gearbox, was rated at 88 hp.
In 1984, a 2.0 L Mazda RF diesel 14 and the turbocharged 1.6 L 4-cylinder rated at 120 hp became available for the Escort. However, only the turbo engine was available for the GT. The turbo GT was rated at 120 hp that it was more powerful than the VW Rabbit GTI and Dodge Omni GLH, which were already dubbed as the "pocket rockets."
By 1986, the 1.6-liter engines were with the 86 hp 1.9-liter carbureted engines and the 108 hp fuel-injected version. The fuel injected version became the standard engine for the GT and was optional for the other models. The Mazda built diesel engine became less and less in demand. Also, a new trim level was introduced along with some minor changes on the vehicle's exterior. The new trim level "Pony" was introduced, targeted to those who simply wanted basic vehicles. On the other hand, the Escort GT now offered an improved sport suspension with 15in eight-spoke alloy wheels, and side sills and rear spoiler.
By 1987, the Escort line-up consisted Pony, GL and GT models. The carburetors were relinquished in favor of the fuel injection system. The Pony and GL had 90 hp, and the GT was rated at 110 hp. New interior features included the automatic front seat shoulder belts, front center fold-down armrest, and a split-folding rear seat.
The escort underwent another restyling of its front and rear ends and 14 in tires became the standard for all Escort models, except for the GT which had 15 in tires. Yet, the most significant alteration by far happened in 1991.To compete against the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla, the Escort was cased in a new sheetmetal with semi-flush glass. The GT models had an asymmetrical grille. The beltline was lowered and the glass area was maximized, resulting to a more airy cabin with better visibility. The interior underwent restyling as well. Underhood, GT now had a double overhead cam 16-valve 1.8-liter mill courtesy of Mazda that rated at 127 hp. A five-speed manual gearbox was standard and an optional four-speed automatic replaced the three-speed unit. This year also marked the release of the Mercury variant, Tracer, which came as either a notchback sedan or wagon.
By 1995, a passenger airbag was incorporated into the 1995 Escort's redesigned dashboard, yet the motorized shoulder belts remained. Sport versions of the Escort then became available for the 4-door models in 1996 for both notchback and hatchback.
In 1997, the two-door hatchback was dropped, resulting in the demise of the GT, leaving a choice of the Escort sedan, LX version, and an LX wagon. The new Escort version was equipped with a 110 hp 2.0-liter inline four, was more powerful than the old engine. The Mercury Tracer was likewise design to cope with the changing times.
A coupe called the Zx2 brought back the sporty version of the Ford Escort in 1998. It was equipped with a 2.0 l Zetec engine that was rated at 130 hp. The Sedan and wagon versions of the Escort were revised and now consisted of LX (former base version), and the SE ( former LX version) sedans and an SE wagon. The automatic gearbox had revised electronic control to affect smoother gear changes and more responsive downshifts.
By 2000, Ford introduced the Focus in replacement for the Escort. Consequently, the wagon was dropped which only left the sedan and ZX2 sport coupe. And yet, by 2002, only the ZX2 remained which lasted for another year.
Despite its eventual replacement, the escort is very well praised for its ride comfort, fuel economy, and outward visibility.
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