Electrifying Ride The Ford Escape SUV Hybrid September 2004

America's first half-gas, half-electric SUV the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid hits the Big Apple this month, and some 100 New Yorkers are eagerly anticipating delivery.

Not to be left out, The Post test-drove the unique vehicle last week, finding that it is possible to alternate between AC and DOHC (double-overhead cam) without sacrificing performance.

The Escape Hybrid has a big power pack in the rear trunk, where you'd normally find the spare tire. It's equivalent to 250 D batteries and runs an AC synchronous motor in the front that sits alongside a four-cylinder gas engine.

Together, they deliver an impressive 155 horses.

When driving under 20 mph, the car uses only the electric motor. Punch the accelerator, and the gas engine kicks in.

The Hybrid's mileage 36 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway under ideal conditions trumps that of the traditional Escape, which gets 20 mpg and 25 mpg, respectively.

The car starts at $26,970 about $3,000 more than Ford's comparable V-6 Escape. Our fully loaded test Hybrid goes for $32,000.

New Yorkers interested in test-driving the car on Nov. 7 should sign up at www.fordinnovationdrive.com.

* Speed: Not wanting to tax the Hybrid out of the box, The Post began by racing horse-and-buggy driver Sergio Falcone along Central Park South.

Needless to say, we won easily.

Next, we took on cabby Addai Gyamfi for one city block. This time, we weren't so lucky.

He pulled in front the moment the light turned and beat us by a length.

Then came the pure speed test. On a barren road near the New Jersey Turnpike, we ran the car up to 100 mph with ease despite having the air conditioner and radio fully cranked.

* Acceleration: On an open stretch of the West Side Highway, we went from 0 to 60 mph in about 10 seconds. The car felt a tad slow during the initial moment of acceleration, but shot ahead when the gas engine kicked in.

* Parking & turning: For these critical trials, we put the vehicle in the hands of Louis Martinez, parking attendant at The Plaza.

"This handles way better then the Prius," Martinez said, referring to Toyota's hybrid car. "I don't have to switch manually from two- to four-wheel drive."

* Sexiness: Sure, the Hybrid is fuel-efficient but is it a babe magnet?

Satanta McCooey, 21, who hails from Ireland, thinks so.

"Where I come from, electric cars are called 'smart cars' but they're so ugly," she said. "I wouldn't date a guy who drove one. But I'd have no problem being picked up in this lovely Ford."

SOURCE: NY TIMES

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