European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 14,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13 car Corner Mew series termed a most significant Ford escort More room Power editors note Fords new escort and explorer models arrived recently on the . Market and both Are subject to review in today a car Corner by Marshall Schuon new York not a a the 1991 Model Ford escort hatchbacks and station wagons Are the most significant new cars from Ford motor co. In at least two decades a said Ford executive Thomas j. Wagner. That is fairly Strong stuff coming As it does from the general manager of the Ford division which is generally thought to be wealthy and bullish because of its immense Success with the Taurus not because of the escort. But when Wagner amplifies it is to say that the $2 billion that Ford has spent on its replacement for the compact escort was Money aimed at a redefinition of automating. There Are the new technologies in design and manufacturing for example and those have been abetted by a new Era in which the escort and its twin the Mercury tracer have fulfilled their Promise and become world cars in every sense. It is hard to believe that escort has been around for 10 years but the car that introduced the a world car theme has indeed populated roads everywhere for the last decade with bodies and powertrain made of Iron Glass plastics and textiles from hither thither and in no Small Way Yon. Escort Wagner said has been the butter that allowed Ford to design and sell those fancier cars that brought in the company a bread. When it was introduced sept. 2, 1980, the 1981 escort was an Early bulwark in Detroit a defense against the imports. It did no to Hurt that the car was a replace the 4-door escort la Hatchback. The escort la 4-door station Wagon. Ment for the Pinto which had a reputation for bursting into flames when it was hit from behind. In the ensuing years 7 million escorts have rolled off the line. And the most surprising thing to me is that 4 million have been running around Europe most of them in the British Isles. And All of this has happened with Only a minor Facelift in the Spring of 1988. So it is certainly time for Fords new mainstay and the 1991 Model offers better aerodynamics More room and More Power. The car is based on the Mazda 323 from Fords japanese partner and the top of the line it Hatchback gets its spunk from a Mazda engine while other escorts carry a Homegrown Power Plant. There Are three Model lines a the 2-door Pony Hatchback the la Model in 2 and 4-door Hatchback and 4-door station Wagon design and the sporty 2-door it Hatchback. The new escorts Are far Superior to their predecessors and in it dress the escort is Quick. These cars Are comfortable quiet economical and nicely put together. There is the wedge profile and the Low cowl to provide better visibility. The windows have been made Semi flush to improve aerodynamics. The new shape gives the �?T91 escort a coefficient of drag of 0.35, Down from last years 0.39. Inside the instrument panel blends into the doors and there Are analog gauges including a 120-Mph speedometer and an 8,000-rpm tachometer. Tinted Glass is Standard and the new Interior is roomier both for passengers and for cargo. Soft plastic makes fit and finish the same As that found in most japanese cars and there is ample stowage by Way of a dashboard shelf a reasonable Glove Box and a console bin with dual uphold ers. Up front there Are bucket seats and the hatchbacks rear has a Bench whose twin setbacks fold Down for toting. The buckets Are fairly Flat and without much support but the cloth upholstery does tend to keep you glued in place. There Are All new front and rear suspension components and the handling is stable and reassuring. Less expensive models get the 1.9-liter Ford 4-Cylinder engine that puts out 88 horsepower. The it has a Mazda made 127-hp engine with four valves per Cylinder and double overhead cams. Economy with either Power Plant is Good and the Domestic engine can be expected to get about 30 mpg. The hotter japanese engine hooked to an automatic transmission in the test car averaged 24 mpg. And Economy of course is what escort is about. Ford needs the High vol ume Gas miser to keep its corporate average fuel Economy Down so that it can sell More big cars. The sticker Price starts at $7,565 for the Pony and does no to get much beyond $ 13,000 for the top of the line it. For full details on the new escort models their special military prices etc., prospective buyers May Contact Ford sales representatives at the cafes new car sales Points on the various bases in Europe new explorer a worthy successor to Bronco ii by Russ Devault Cox news service the debut of Fords All new explorer which replaces the Bronco ii has been mildly flawed by reports of at least four vehicles losing their tilt removable sunroofs while being driven. A recall is not planned but Ford will notify owners of the first 2,500 explorers produced that they can have a new Latch Assembly installed if desired. A if the top Isnit put in properly it can come out a said Jim Trainor a Ford spokesman in Dearborn Mich. A it certainly works but we re going to make it simpler on models now being built a the test explorers top showed no evidence of a manufacturing flaw and nothing else about the vehicle offered evidence that Ford has failed in its Overall design and execution. The explorer is available in 2 and 4-door models giving it far More Utility than the 2-door Bronco ii. The 4-door has a wheelbase of 112 inches an Overall i Ono inches and weighs about 7� pounds. Three trim Levels a plus j  designer Model a Are tnoiw�?~t1 the base Price starting at ,o20. The test 4-door Eddie Bauer Tii?1. Came with a base Price of /m15, virtually All of the available op-$24 q74 a discounted Bottom line of the explorer was As much at Home powering its Way up Muddy inclines in 4-Iho ave Law Range As it was cruising interstate at the Speed limit in 2 s v x x a i a Quot. The explorer 4-door. A 2-door is also available. Wheel overdrive. The Standard 4-liter, fuel injected v-6 engine which is rated at 155 horsepower and 220 foot pounds of torque at 2,400 revolutions per minute provides Good acceleration Zero to 60 Miles an hour in nine plus seconds and enough Power to pull a 3,500-Pound trailer. But the explorers single most striking feature is its Comfort. Not far behind Are its ergonomics which show Fine attention to a Drivers needs and its ride which is bouncy both on and off paved surfaces but remarkably soft. The test explorers leather covered front seats a a $412 option a were wide extremely Well cushioned and easily adjusted to suit a variety of male and female bodies. The 4-door�?Ts 60-40 split fold Down rear seat a the split is 50-50 in 2-door models a is surprisingly comfortable. Cargo capacity is about 80 feet with the rear seat Down and about 65 cubic feet in the 2-door version which has a wheelbase of 102 inches and an Overall length of 174 inches. Visibility is very Good thanks to lots of Glass and dual Power mirrors Large enough to eliminate the Blind spots frequently accompanying tall vehicles. The White on Black analog instrumentation is Complete and easily read. All the controls Are within easy reach and the stereo radio is sensibly located above the air conditioner Heater controls. Overall the explorer is a More than worthy successor to the Bronco ii. The explorer May not surpass the Bronco ii a willingness to go off Road but it stubbornly refuses to Compromise its luxury car qualities once it ventures afield and there a nothing crude about its Highway manners. Standard features on the test Model included 4-liter 245 Cid v-6 engine with electronic fuel injection 5-Speed manual overdrive transmission touch drive electric shift Transfer Case Power brakes with rear anti lock feature Power steering dual Power mirrors tinted Glass p225-70r15 All season steel belted radial tires with full size underbody mounted spare cast aluminium wheels and am pm stereo radio. Major options included a package with air conditioning and Premium am pm stereo radio cruise control Power locks and windows $355 Ford jul audio system with eight paired speakers and self amplified sub Woofer $488 leather sport bucket seats $412 tilt removable Sunroof $250 4-Speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive transmission $860 performance Axle $252. Epa figures 15 mpg regular unleaded City 20 mpg Highway combined average 18 mpg. For Lull details on the now explorer models their special military prices etc., prospective buyers May Contact Ford sales representatives at the cafes new car sales Points on the various bases in Europe