2020 Ford EscapeChris Balcerak / Driving Up against stellar competition Honda’s CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, for instance and part of a portfolio that is now almost completely car-free, its important that Fords completely redesigned Escape be a home-run. Compact crossovers are all the rage right now the CR-V, RAV4, and Escape are all among the top-10 sellers in Canada right now so a competitive Escape is absolutely key to Fords continued good fortunes. Here are a few observations are driving a top-line Escape Titanium with the 2.0-litre turbo-four and all-wheel-drive.It’s gasolineThe attribute that really stands out is how powerful the Escapes top-line engine is. Yet another of Fords 2.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder engines, this one is good for 250 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic, it should be good from a sub six-second scoot from rest to 100 km/h. More importantly, its got grunt to spare when passing semis on the highway, and its good to tow some 1,587 kilograms. The only downside is that it needs revs. Unusually, especially for a turbocharged engine, is that both horsepower and torque peak at 5,500 rpm, pointing to an engine that might be a tad weedy at low rpm. Indeed, I thought the slight fluffiness I felt at low speeds was due to lethargic transmission, but its more probably the result of this EcoBoosts aggressive tuning. Once moving, however, the Ford Escape is the beast of the compact crossover segment.It’s also sophisticatedAbsolutely everyone who got a ride in the new Escape commented on the relaxed nature of the powertrain, some commenting that it felt smoother than either the CR-V or the RAV4, while others compared it with Audis Q5. While I wholeheartedly agree with the first assertion, Im not quite as sure about the second, but it doesnt change the fact that this is the most together EcoBoost four-cylinder that Ive yet driven. The most powerful four-cylinder in its segment as well as its most sophisticated, those looking for a reason to choose the Titanium only this trim and the SEL get the 2.0L EcoBoost over its Japanese competition need look no deeper than under the hood. This is the class of the segment in both performance and exemplary NVH. With great power comes…Pretty darned frugal consumption, actually. Fords EcoBoost engines havent always delivered the fuel economy from the supposed efficiency of turbocharging smaller engines, often exceeding Transport Canadas rating by as much as 50 per cent.The new Escape is certainly an exception, averaging 9.7 L/100 kilometres of combined highway/city driving compared to its 9.1 official rating. And this is with me enjoying the fruits of Fords now more energetic turbocharger, goosing it away from lights, cruising at 125 km/h, and just generally hooning about. With a little more, err, deliberation, perhaps I might have even hit Fords official numbers, which would have been a first for me with any EcoBoost engine. Well done, Ford.The interior is much improvedWith caveats, though. First off, the Escapes cabin is roomier than its predecessor, especially in the cargo area, which now almost rivals the voluminous Honda CR-V. Its also a calm environment, the absence of tire noise and the aforementioned lack of NVH from the engine compartment contributing to the tranquility. Together with decent seats, excellent headroom and enough legroom for six-footers in the back, the new Escape is one of the few compact CUVs in which four adults can travel in comfort. The interior trim bits, long a sore spot in the Escape, have also been improved. The dashbords synthetic covering is softer (if not quite soft), the Titaniums leather up to snuff, and some of the fake wood, well, looks less fake than in the past. That said, some of the plastic in the door panels, for instance are not state-of-the-art. That might not be huge deal on the base model, but in a $44,599 Titanium, it was somewhat lacking. Whether that alone is enough for some to remove the Escape from their shopping list is doubtful, however. The previous generations plastics were atrocious and that didnt stop it from being the third best-seller in a very competitive segment.It’s pretty high techAt least in the top-of-the-line Titanium edition. Standard equipment includes Fords CoPilot360 suite of advanced driver aids, on-board WiFi, Active Park Assist, and Fords MyKey security system that allows you to set maximum speed which I inadvertently did for younger drivers. There is even a USB-C port (as well as a conventional USB version) for those that have recently upgraded phone or iPad.Of particular note is Fords latest Sync 3 infotainment system. As with all Fords tech upgrades of late, I am terribly impressed with this latest Sync, which has what must be the most improved man-machine interface of any infotainment system of the last five years. The eight-inch touchscreen remains relatively uncluttered, the menus uncomplicated, and
Origin: 5 things we learned behind the wheel of the 2020 Ford Escape