1998 Ford Escort

A sporty version of the Ford Escort showed up in 1998, a coupe called the ZX2. Ford made the wait worth it by dressing and gifting the ZX2 a flashy body style with its own distinction and a 2.0-liter 16-valve engine christened "Zetec" that dished out 130 horsepower and caromed the ZX2 from 0 to 60 mph in around 8 seconds. The base version of the ZX2 was called "Cool," and a "Hot" version added power mirrors, keyless entry, a rear window defroster and air conditioning. A Sport package added 15-inch alloys wrapped in 185/60R15 rubber, sport seats, a shiny exhaust tip and the obligatory rear spoiler.

 

For the Ford Escort sedan and wagon, trim levels were modified and now consist of LX and SE sedans and an SE wagon. In quintessence, the base models were now identified as the LX and the former LX were redefined as the SE. The automatic gearbox had rework electronic control to influence smoother gear transmission and more receptive downshifts. Safety was amplified with the adoption of Second Generation airbags that had a lower deployment speed to curtail potential injury caused by the airbag. A series of option packages for the SE allowed buyers to tailor the car to their needs, be they luxury or appearance.