After a full decade on the market, the Ford Escape is at last getting a ground-up redesign, and spies have caught this development mule out on an R&D mission. Although its innards are hidden beneath the curvy body of the current European Ford Kuga—which itself could have made a fitting second-gen Escape years ago—this vehicle gives away its actual identity with covered air intakes up front and ill-fitting tailpipes out back. However little we can actually see here, it is certain that the second-generation Escape will be a vastly different creature, both aesthetically and dynamically, from the Clinton-era ute we know now.
Ford previewed the new look at the Detroit auto show with the
Vertrek concept, a clear evolution of both the Kuga’s shape, and Ford’s “Kinetic design” styling language. The most fundamental change will be a switch to Ford’s global C platform, which also serves as the foundation for the 2012 Focus, the upcoming
C-Max, and the current Kuga, thereby allowing the Kuga and Escape to be merged into one global product.
Escape From Six-Cylinders?We expect that Ford will offer a choice of powertrains in the next Escape, but we don’t expect any available engine to have more than four cylinders or be paired with a transmission containing fewer than six ratios. Ford’s ubiquitous 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which produces 168 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque in the C-Max, is likely to be the base powerplant. The same EcoBoost 1.6-liter inline-four that powered the Vertrek could lend its 180 hp and 173 lb-ft to the production vehicle, and the mighty 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-banger is a possibility for the top-shelf Escape. With about 237 hp and 250 lb-ft, it could make for an interesting Escape Sport. And, of course, the return of the Escape hybrid is a no-brainer. Expect to see upgrades to the system used in today’s hybrid, if not a completely new system or a plug-in version like that found in the
C-Max Energi also shown in Detroit.
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| 2013 Ford Escape (spy photo) |
Most everything else about the Escape remains a mystery, other than a virtual guarantee of far more luxurious environs than are offered in today’s version, and that the
MyFord Touch interface will be available. As the best-selling compact SUV for much of its time on the market, the Escape is hugely significant for Ford and for crossover customers. Watch for more details on the production car as they inevitably—forgive us—escape.
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| 2013 Ford Escape (artist's rendering) |
