Ford Sees More Record Setting Sales for Its New 2017 Escape

Ford Motor Co. (F) showed off its new 2017 Escape in New York Thursday, and projected another year of record sales for the SUV. The Escape made its way to Manhattan after its official reveal at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Joe Hinrichs, Executive Vice President and President of the Americas for Ford, said he expects Ford will beat last year’s sales of 306,000 Escapes in the U.S., but stopped short of saying the Escape will surpass the top-selling Honda CR-V in the small SUV market. ‘We’ll see. They’ve had a strong year as well and we’re all pretty much selling as many as we can make,’ said Hinrichs. The Escape is Ford’s best-selling sports utility vehicle, at a time when the overall SUV segment is on fire. Currently SUVs account for 34% of the U.S. auto industry’s sales but are projected to account for 40% by the end of the decade. Ironically, two very different buyers –millennials and aging baby boomers – both find the car appealing. TheStreet's Rhonda Schaffler reports.