2017 Ford Escape: Building On Its Success
The SUV market segment is one of the most important ones, currently representing a third of Canada’s light-vehicle sales. In addition, experts predict that by 2020, 40% of the market will consist of SUVs, so it’s essential for every automaker to stay competitive. In Ford’s case, its situation in the compact SUV segment is envious, as its entry in that category dominates with 50,057 units sold in 2014.
However, it would’ve been a big mistake to maintain the status quo, which is why the 2017 edition of the Ford Escape has been significantly reworked. It’s worth noting that its platform and its suspension setup are pretty much identical to the 2016 model, however a lot of changes and improvements were made to almost every other aspect of the vehicle.
Revised silhouette, more attractive interior
At first glance, the Escape more or less keeps its familiar shape, but the front section is all new, with a redesigned grille composed of three horizontal bars. Styling of the rear end has been tweaked as well.
Inside, the main transformation involves the centre console. The traditional handbrake lever has been replaced with an electronic activation switch. The quality of the materials has also been revised, while the instrumentation layout has been refreshed, too. There are also a greater number of storage points.
New powertrains
Keeping with its progressive improvement philosophy, the new Escape offers two EcoBoost engine choices. The first one is a 1.5-litre four cylinder that develops 180 horsepower. The second is also a four-cylinder mill, but it displaces 2.0 litres and produces 245 hp. They are both equipped with an automatic start/stop feature, which shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt, and starts it back up automatically when the brake pedal is released. A third engine is also available, the 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit that was already offered in the SUV. All three are matched to a six-speed automatic transmission with wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Electronics galore
Seeking to further improve and refine the Escape, Ford’s engineers integrated a host of electronic driving aid innovations. The one that the company seems most proud of is SYNC Connect, which allows the driver to lock the vehicle’s doors, start the engine remotely and perform several related tasks with the help of a smartphone. It’s the first Ford vehicle to be equipped with this connected technology, and it’s integrated into the SYNC 3 system, which was thoroughly reworked as well.
Also available are a blind spot monitor, adaptive cruise control, driver drowsiness detection, lane keep assist and forward collision alert. Obviously, the power tailgate, which opens automatically when you swing a foot below the rear bumper, is also still offered.
Even better
The Escape’s success on the Canadian market isn’t a fluke. Its technical and stylistic features as well as its fun-to-drive character made it the most popular choice is its segment for Canadian consumers. And now, the Escape gets refinements and stylistic updates to draw it closer to the other models in Ford’s family of SUVs. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the Escape pursued its domination in the compact utility market segment.
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