|
Ford ZX2 subcompact coupe comes in "Cool" and "Hot" flavors
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
|
FURNACE CREEK, Calif. -- The route less traveled into Death Valley, California's bleak desert etched below sea level in a trough just west of the Nevada border, zigzags over Jubilee Pass in the Amargosa Range of the Black Mountains before descending on a sand-swept ribbon of worn pavement into a fiery wilderness of salt flats stretched between towering peaks with sobering names like Funeral and Coffin.
We take grave note, while steering Ford's too-cute subcompact ZX2 coupe with a lively suspension and malleable 5-speed manual gear box. To test it, we've scoured a map in search of the roughest and wiggliest course possible to take us from the neon gulch of Las Vegas to rusty red and yellow Death Valley boulders at Furnace Creek.
What we sought was a severe road challenge -- tightly wound curves and abrupt desert bumps to push suspension to the hilt, vast pancake flats for running at high speed and long mountain grades to sample the car's inherent strength.
What we encountered in a run along route 178, strung from Shoshone to Badwater over Jubilee Mountain, was a course that exceeded every expectation -- but so did the sporty little ZX2 coupe.
For an itsy-bitsy car, ZX2 puts a surprising kick in the accelerator, due to tweaks of Ford's twin-cam 2.0-liter Zetec four engine lifted from the compact Contour sedan.
Horsepower reaches to 130, with healthy torque spread across the range of speeds.
Hit the throttle and ZX2 leaps off the line and snaps through lower gears, then holds its own at higher speeds and doesn't fade when taxed on extended uphill grades.
Quick rack and pinion steering enables driver to execute exacting left-right-left maneuvers through chicanes of the snaky Jubilee course, while solid stabilizer bars fore and aft in the independent suspension system check excess body sway and help stabilize the car in motion.
The ride feels smooth and competent, and it's quiet in the cabin, even at high speed.
Inside, with a layout posting twin front buckets in front of a small bench scooped out with two positions, ZX2 creates a surprising amount of interior space despite constraints of subcompact dimensions. It carries various comfort components mixed with driver controls like levers and knobs which feel as precise and responsive as the best imports coming out of Europe or Asia.
Then check that curvy form: It's roly-poly round, but slinky with a hint of aggression from the low-slung prow with teardrop headlamps and broad air scoop.
Origins for ZX2 trace directly to the world-class remake two years ago of Escort in hatchback and wagon formats, which followed stunning sales from predecessor designs that for 14 years ranked as top volume car label in the country and accounted for 27 percent of all models sold by Ford.
This coupe conformation earns its own distinctive exterior styling and carries a larger engine and sport-tinged suspension and driving systems.
Ford's designers, working in international conspiracy with teams from the United States, England, Germany and Japan, began the ZX2 design with a cost-saving platform used by Protege of Japan's Mazda, owned in part by Ford. That chassis was enlarged and strengthened with a revamped front structure and more rear braces to absorb shocks.
It feels notably stiff, which helps to reduce noise and vibrations and also adds to the car's overall control.
One-piece bodyside stampings for external components further boost ZX2's rigidity, which in turn creates a solid feel and stabilizes ride quality. Improved door hinges and increased seals and insulation further dampen noise and set up a pleasant interior environment.
Dimensions inside seem generous -- with good leg and head room for front seats and an expanded width so riders don't feel so squeezed together in a wee compartment.
Test time steering ZX2 stretched beyond the romp over Jubilee Pass to a lengthy trek with two passengers aboard, plus luggage for the three of us. Extended time cooped inside some subcompacts can be torture, but this journey actually seemed comfortable, and all of that luggage tucked into a cavernous trunk.
The driver's low-back bucket seat employs an adjustable seatback recliner, and it comes with a memory. After tilting forward to allow a passenger to reach the rear seat, the back of the seat returns to its original setting.
Rear seatbacks split and fold in unequal portions to create various expansions for cargo and riders.
The instrument panel, with curvaceous lines which hint at Ford Taurus, provides crisp analog dials and a compact center oval cluster to control audio and HVAC systems.
Twin air bags shield front seat occupants, and ZX2 uses a number of other covert systems for safety, ranging from the steel superstructure with built-in crash zones in front and back to door side-impact braces, plus the option of a 4-channel anti-lock braking system.
What's with the funky name?
Take the Z from Ford's Zetec engine, then apply an X to denote twenty-something Generation Xers targeted by the car's marketing plan, plus a 2 for the 2-door coupe concept. The resultant ZX2 label becomes a more sporty expression than, say, Escort Coupe.
Revamped trim choices for ZX2 also reflect the tilt toward a youthful market -- it can be Cool or Hot.
The base ZX2 Cool edition supplies a tachometer in the instrument cluster, AM/FM stereo, bolt-on wheel covers and the driver's seat memory for recliner.
Other standards at base level include the manual transmission, power steering, split folding rear seatbacks, variable intermittent windshield wipers, twin exterior mirrors with manual controls, a digital clock and remote decklid release.
The upgraded ZX2 Hot adds air conditioning, an in-dash cassette deck and enhanced audio speakers, power controls for exterior mirrors, a rear window defroster and remote keyless entry system with panic alarm.
An optional package of sporty gear for ZX2 brings a leather-wrapped steering wheel, upgraded seats, fog lamps, a trunk spoiler and 15-inch aluminum wheels.
Pricing for ZX2 Cool begins at $11,660 plus $415 for delivery. The Hot series extends upward from $13,340.
1999 FORD ZX2 COUPE
|
| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1999 FORD ZX2 COUPE Specs |
| Description: |
Subcompact coupe |
| Model Options: |
Subcompact coupe |
| Wheelbase: |
98.4 inches |
| Overall Length: |
175.2 inches
|
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.0-L I4
|
| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/ABS opt. |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
M/5: 26/33 mpg
A/4: 25/33 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 12,000 to $ 15,500 |
|
|
