The 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner compact sport utility vehicles added to Ford's leading number of top-safety-rated vehicles by earning five stars in each of the US government's crash-worthiness tests. Both Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner earned the highest ratings for front- and side- impact tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Ford is a leader in safety and fuel economy,” said Susan Cischke, Ford's senior vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Ford has more five-star-rated vehicles than any other automaker, and we've committed to lead or be at the top of every segment in which we compete in terms of fuel efficiency.” The 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner feature safety and fuel efficiency upgrades to compete and win in the hotly contested compact sport utility market. Both models, feature a full array of standard safety equipment, including dual front airbags, headliner mounted side curtain airbags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, Ford-exclusive AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control) and tire pressure monitoring system. Ford and Mercury compact SUVs get some of their core strength from selective use of high strength steel in the body structure. The use of high-strength steel in the B-pillars to help protect passengers in front and side impacts is only part of their robust safety profile. “We've devoted many hours to analyzing and developing the body structure, safety belts and air bags of Escape and Mariner for better performance in front and side impact crashes,” said Steve Kozak, chief engineer for safety systems, Ford. “We've taken our compact SUVs to the next level of safety and have achieved better ratings than fierce competitors.”
