Ford Escort set for Beijing motor show debut

Ford is set to unveil a production version of the Escort sedan at the China auto show this month in Beijing, meant exclusively for the Chinese market. The Escort was previewed in near-production concept form last year at the Shanghai motor show, and is meant to take on competitors positioned just above the Ford Focus sedan.

Even though the Ford Escort has been absent from the automaker's global lineup since 2000, Ford of China is reviving the nameplate for this sub-Fusion/Mondeo model which will compete with cars such as the Volkswagen Sagitar and Chevrolet Cruze in the Chinese market. The 2015 Escort will offer an exterior design that's distinctive from the Fusion and the Focus (though the corporate grille will remain quite similar) while offering more interior space than the Focus sedan. That's the main point of distinction from the Focus, and Ford appears to be betting that the bump in rear seat accommodations will ensure the new model's competitiveness in a market where interior space is highly valued.

The Escort sedan will be approximately the same size of the Focus, and is expected to use the engine and gearbox from the Focus models currently available in Southeast Asian markets. The Escort will be built in China and will be available only in that market, though Ford isn't ruling out other countries. However, the model is unlikely to ever appear in North America.

By Jay Ramey