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Ford Escape
Ford Motor Company's
Escape debuted in 2001 as a compact crossover
SUV, priced below the Ford Explorer. It was
jointly developed with Mazda, which Ford owns
a controlling interest in, and was released
a few months after the nearly-identical Mazda
Tribute. A more upscale version, the Mercury
Mariner, was introduced by Ford's Mercury
marque in the 2005 model year. The Escape
is sold in Europe as the Ford Maverick. As
of March 31, 2005, 109,610 models had been
sold worldwide since introduction under all
names. It
is built on the Ford CD2 platform, which is
in turn based on the Mazda GF platform, which
was used by the Mazda 626.
2005 Mercury MarinerThe
Escape and Tribute were updated for 2005 with
a new base engine (the 2.3 L Duratec 23),
added airbag and seatbelt safety systems,
an intelligent all wheel drive system, and
exterior changes. 2005 was the first model
year an automatic transmission was available
on the base four-cylinder models. Ford also
deleted the recline feature on the rear seats.
The Mercury Mariner, new in 2005, was also
introduced with these new features. It also
included stylistic differences, such as a
two-tone interior, European-style turn signal
repeaters, monotone cladding, and the signature
Mercury "waterfall" front grille
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