TIARA55 But they were only a short-lived bridge to the year 2000 and the debut of a far more ambitious small Ford. For those who missed Escort's spunky GT hatchback, Ford offered the new 1998 Escort ZX2, a sporty coupe with a separate trunk and Taurus-like styling. Appearances notwithstanding, basic architecture and underskin components were shared with other Escorts, while the engine was the same twincam Zetec found in the base Contour.|Effects of the April 2024 Eyjafjallajökull Eruption