Ford Escort (North America) Third generation (1997-2002)

The 1997 restyle dropped the hatchbacks and added a new sporty coupe for 1998, the Escort ZX2. It replaced the Ford Probe as Ford's sport compact car. A much lower-slung and rakish car than either the sedan and wagon, it was aimed squarely at the youth market as a replacement for the Escort GT (although lacking the latter's rear disc brake setup) and was built exclusively at Ford's Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico assembly plant. The interior was refreshed for 1999, and the model was retired after 2003.

The 1998 Escort ZX2 featured the 2.0 L, 130 hp (97 kW) Zetec DOHC four-cylinder engine as standard equipment, an option unavailable on the sedan or wagon. Intended for use as the base engine in the larger European Ford Mondeo and their American cousins, the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique, the Zetec gave the ZX2 more-than-respectable performance.

The 1999 and 2000 model years offered a limited performance edition ZX2 S/R which further enhanced the cars performance in every aspect.

Subtle differences can be noticed in the Escort sedan from 1997 to 2002. The trim lines of 1997 were base and the LX, 1998 to 2002 offered the LX and SE. In 1999, the reverse lights were moved into the same piece as the tail lamps; they were previously below the tail lamp on the body.

A very rare trim package could be found with chrome 14 inch (356 mm) wheel covers and other features. It was offered in 1999.

The Escort was offered in a Sport package as well. The Mercury Tracer's version was called the Trio or Sport depending on the year. A basketweave type of wheel was put on the Tracer Trio while a flower petal pattern was used on the Tracer Sport. The Sport/Trio package included aluminum wheels, sport exhaust tip, a tachometer, and a rear decklid spoiler.

The Escort wagon and the Mercury Tracer were discontinued after 1999. The Escort sedan ceased production in 2002, and was replaced by the Ford Focus. The last ZX2 was built in 2003. In Mexico, it was replaced by the smaller Ford Ikon.

Engines

* 1997-2002 2.0 L (1986 cc) CVH SPI2000, SOHC I4, 110 hp (82 kW) @ 5000 rpm, 125 ft·lbf (170 Nm) @ 3750 rpm, redline 5500 rpm Sedan and Wagon
* 1998-2003 2.0 L (1989 cc) Zetec, DOHC I4, 130 hp (97 kW) @ 5750 rpm, 127 ft·lbf (172 Nm) @ 4250 rpm, redline 6500 rpm ZX2
* 1999-2000 2.0 L (1989 cc) Zetec, DOHC I4, 143 hp (107 kW), 146 ft·lbf (198 Nm) ZX2 S/R

For 2001, the sedan was limited to fleet sales only and the Escort moniker on the Escort ZX2 was quietly dropped, making the car officially just ZX2.

The writing was really on the wall that same year with the North American debut of the Ford Focus. Though not without its fans, both then and now, and still fairly well-represented in the automotive aftermarket, the ZX2 was replaced by the Focus ZX3, ZX4 and ZX5. Though the two cars shared the same Zetec engine, there were a few differences. The Focus lacked the exhaust-side VCT, and contained less aggressive camshafts that pushed the power band down a few hundred RPM. They both shared the same block, but due to the different camshafts and the different cylinder head, the torque output for the Focus was bumped up by 8 ft·lbf (10.8 N·m). Thanks to better gearing and less weight the ZX2 continued to outperform the Focus. The ZX2 continued with little more than 15 in (381 mm) alloy wheels and rear defroster now offered as standard equipment, and for 2003, a revised front fascia. Production ceased at the end of the 2003 model year.

The boom of tuner craze from overseas in the late 90s caused Ford to think about what competition they were bringing. Into competing with cheap performing vehicles such as the Honda Civic Si or the Dodge Neon ACR, Ford created the ZX2 S/R to show that indeed they had plenty to bring to the table. Its initial debut was at SEMA's Import Auto Salon in Pomona back in 1999. ZX2 S/R was the first product jointly developed by Ford Racing and Ford Motor Company's Small Vehicle Center Product Development.

The designation S/R is derived from the term "Street/Racer". Ford's final limited production count was 2,110 units, consisting of 110 yellow S/R's in 1999, first two sold in Columbus, OH, the other 108 in southern California, and in the Year 2000, 500 black, 500 red and 1,000 yellow for an upgrade price of $1,500 both years. It is believed that only 35 of those 2000 S/R's were sold in Canada, making it a very rare trim in Canada.

The optional S/R package adds stiffer suspension parts (Eibach springs (M-5560-Z2) and Tokico struts(M-18000-Z2)), more power (through a Ford Racing PCM (M-12650-Z2)), rear disc brakes (M-2300-Z2), a stronger clutch (Centerforce dual friction (M-7560-Z2), a short-throw B&M manual-transmission shifter (M-7210-Z2), S/R-unique shift knob (M-7213-Z2) and boot (M-7277-Z2), upgraded seats, a unique blue valve cover, a different speed cluster that goes up to 150mph (240km/h) and a unique tire/wheel package. The power is increased by 10 percent over the base Zetec engine used in the ZX2 by use of a recommended premium fuel re-calibration, new air inlet system and improved Borla muffler and pipe (M-5230-Z2). All ZX2 S/R have a special "S/R" badge on the back, either silver (on a red car) or red (on a yellow or black car). It is known that some S/R went out of the assembly plant without some of the performance items (mostly some missing the Centerforce dual friction clutch)

Also called Ford Escort ZX2
Production 1998-2003 (USA)
1998-2000 (Canada)
Predecessor Ford Probe
Class Sport compact
Body style(s) 2-door coupe
Platform Mazda B platform
Engine(s) 2.0 L Zetec DOHC I4
Transmission(s) 5-speed G5M manual
4-speed F-4EAT automatic
Wheelbase 98.4 in (2499 mm)
Length 175.2 in (4450 mm)
Width 67.4 in (1712 mm)
Height 52.3 in (1328 mm)
Curb weight 2478 lb
Fuel capacity 12.7 US gal
Related Mazda Protegé
Mercury Tracer