Ford Escape: the lowdown
Here’s a sneak preview of Ford’s facelifted Escape, weeks ahead of its unveiling at the Los Angeles auto show. The new nose, tweaked rear lamps and upgraded interior complete yet another facelift for the ancient mid-size SUV, which has been knocking around since the turn of the Millennium. It’s America’s favourite baby SUV, although its brief foray into the European market was met with utter indifference. The front end is all-new. The current rectangular lamps make way for funkier shapes, while the chrome bar grille adds bling and aggression. The deep front bumper gives a little differentiation from sister SUV, the Mercury Mariner, by adding circular driving lamps and eliminating a slitty air scoop.
The rear: blink and you’ll miss it
The other changes will take a hardcore Escape-watcher to spot. Ford has toned down the cladding on the sides, and introduced a C-shaped graphic into the rear lamps.
Spot the difference
With the old and new model parked next to each other, the tweaks are simple to spot. The are some chassis tweaks, too, which insiders say reduce noise, vibration and harshness and improve the dynamics. Suspension is via MacPherson struts up front and an independent rear axle, with power from four- and six-pot engines, and the hybrid powertrain.