The ongoing model of the Escape was not exactly their best selling car but it was one of the better compact crossovers on the market and it was right at the top in terms of handling. In order to make it fresher and allow the car to compete with all the other new crossovers in its class, Ford released an update at the Los Angeles Motor Show. This is expected to go on sale in the spring of 2016 and when it will hit the market, it will be available for roughly the same amount of money as before. Unfortunately the 2017 Ford Escape is not an all new model like we wanted but more of a mild facelift which also includes interior upgrades as well as changes under the hood.
2017 Ford Escape Price
Being on the same platform as before means that it will drive just as good as it looks which will become a major selling point for the car. The exterior changes are not small either and there is a lot of new sheet-metal which makes it look a lot like an all new car. The price will likely remain similar to that of the ongoing model meaning it will start at around $24,000 and it will go to as far as $40,000 for a fully equipped version of it.
The base model of the 2017 Ford Escape will unfortunately come with the same 2.5 liter naturally aspirated inline 4 petrol engine which is one of the less efficient ones on the market. This will put out 168 horsepower and around 170 lb-ft of torque which is barely average. The good part is that this new engine will only come on the most basic model of the car.
All the other trim levels will come as standard with a new 1.5 liter EcoBoost inline 4 which has been rumored to make 180 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque as low as 2,000 rpm. This will be able to get more than 30 MPG on the highway with ease and it will be the most efficient of the lot. The top of the range model will get a new 2 liter EcoBoost inline 4 good for 245 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. Both of these two will get Start/Stop as standard which is said to improve fuel consumption by around 5% during stop and go traffic. All engines will only come with a 6 speed automatic and front or all wheel drive, depending on the spec of the car.
2017 Ford Escape Exterior
The exterior has received just as much car so while it may have a similar profile to the older model, the new Escape does come with a lot of new features. The entire front end is all new and it even boasts a larger front grille and slimmer headlights which do resemble those on the Edge. Thanks to the new lines, the car also seems to be grown up and it looks bigger as well. The back received a similar treatment with more angular tail lights and a large plastic shield which can be either black or silver, depending on the trim level. The hood has been made out of aluminum and there is a lot more insulation than before which Ford said it will reduce noise coming from the engine by a large amount.
Inside the cabin, the 2017 Ford Escape is very similar to the ongoing model. The only obvious change is the new steering wheel which received new and easier to use thumb buttons. On top of that, the car will come with Ford’s Sync3 infotainment system which will support Apple’s CarPlay as well as Google’s Android Auto, a real upgrade over the clunky Sync2.
