08 Jun 00
The Escort often attracted criticism for being behind the times and off the pace, but the Mark 4 received a complete drubbing from the press, and rightly so. Cynically built down to a price, it was average - or below - in almost every way, leading Ford to start work on revisions before it had even launched the new model. But despite the revisions - and the launch of the 150 bhp RS 2000 and the 227 bhp turbo-charged RS 2000 Cosworth (also available in four-wheel drive) - the range still looked dated and frumpy.
A more substantial makeover in January 1995 improved the Escort considerably, turning it into a half-decent car again. Trouble was, by then there were plenty of wholly decent alternatives, which led to the Escort becoming a default choice, a safe bet for people who didn't want to stand out from the crowd or think about the alternatives. The all-new, daringly styled and award-winning Focus effectively replaced the increasingly dull Escort at the end of 1998, but Ford couldn't quite bring itself to kill it off completely. By 1999, the Escort continued in two editions, the Flight and Finesse, as cheaper, conservative and undemanding choices.
