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Video: Ford Vertrek
By Cars.com Editors
January 11, 2011About the video
From the 2011 North American International Auto Show, Cars.com's Kelsey Mays takes a look at the Ford Vertrek concept.
Transcript
(upbeat music) <v Narrator>Cars.com auto review. Hi, I'm Kelsey Mays for cars.com, and we're at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, checking out Ford's new Vertrek concept. Now, very likely this will be the next generation Ford Escape small crossover.
Ford designers say that it's about 80% of what you're gonna see in the production vehicle if it comes to market, especially in terms of the exterior styling. If that's the case, it represents a very distinct departure from what we've seen in the Escape's box year past, I'll show you why. The Vertrek concept is about three inches wider and four inches longer than the current Escape, which is one of the smaller crossovers in its segment. If those dimensions bear out, it would put it closer to crossovers like the Honda CR-V, the Toyota RAV4, the Subaru Forester. You'll notice the kind of rakish profile here, really high fenders, it's definitely a wide feeling vehicle. Looks a bit like Kia's redesigned Sportage, which I don't think is a bad thing, it's a pretty sharp looking car itself. Things like these concentric pipes inside the headlights, carbon fiber along the underside of the car, 21 inch wheels, those are probably the sorts of things you're not gonna see make it to the production vehicle. Interior is pretty conceptual right now, obviously, there'll be a lot of changes to that once the production vehicle arrives. One thing I am concerned about is visibility zone, it's especially the case when you have low windows like this, it kind of trail off and do a diving roofline. Big rear pillars there and a small rear window might limit over the shoulder blind spot visibility, especially compared to the current Escape, which though boxy, is really easy to see out of. Vertrek pulls out all the stops when it comes to fuel efficiency, there's a tiny 1.6 liter EcoBoost four-cylinder in the concept, there's also a regenerative braking and automatic shutoff at idle. Those last few technologies are things you don't often find in regular cars, they're mostly relegated to hybrid vehicles. If they do make it to the production model, you can expect pretty good fuel efficiency out of this. We'll let you know once we learn more. <v Narrator>For more car related news, go to cars.com, or our blog KickingTires.net.
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