2020 Ford Escape arrives with fresh design and two hybrid options
Ford flung the covers off the 2020 Ford Escape crossover, the design of which has been taken through a thorough makeover session. There are new powerplants, including a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, under the hood for the Ford crossover as it moves into another model year.
The 2020 Escape’s new design is not just a facelift as Ford engineers have dived deeper than just the skin. The Escape has shed 91 kilos off its weight despite featuring a wider track and wheelbase. The ride height has been lowered as well. This design change can be polarizing as the Escape loses some bits of its SUV character and leans more towards hatchbacks.
The widened track and increased wheelbase have certainly helped the Escape to free up quite a bit of room inside. The headroom, shoulder room, and hip room for both rows of seats have been increased. The sliding seats, available only on the petrol-powered models, can liberate up to 1062 litres of cargo space. The Hybrid models’ under seat-mounted battery pack disables this function.
Everything above the base S model gets 8-inch infotainment display, with a 12.3-inch model as an optional choice. A six-inch Heads-Up-Display houses itself in the windscreen. Driving modes like Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Snow and Sand are also offered. There is a safety feature called, Evasive Steering Assist, which will help steer the Escape to avoid slow-moving or stationary vehicles.
Powering the 2020 Escape are a bunch of engines including a base 1.5-litre turbo-petrol making 180 hp and 240 Nm. A bigger 2.0-litre turbo-petrol makes 250 hp and 373 Nm to spice things up. Both models are front-wheel drive and come hooked up to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. There is a hybrid model that makes use of a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a combined output of 198 hp. This drivetrain gets a CVT gearbox as standard and all-wheel-drive as an option. Details regarding the plug-in hybrid model are not public yet apart from the fact that it makes 209 hp output and 48 km of pure electric range.
The new model should debut in the UAE and GCC by early next year.
Comments
S3_S@V@GE
It was time that the escape got a fresh look… Also the interior on all new cars specially the dash layout with the large touch screen is very similar to new altima & the accord… Good job by ford all round… lets see how it is priced here in the GCC !!!
Safa
I thought Ford is going for the “family” look design on their cross-overs? Compared to the design of the new Edge and Explorer, this design looks terrible. The front end looks like an old Mazda CX-7 with that “smiley face” grille.