LA AUTO SHOW
W
hen one of the most selling
vehicles in Canada gets a
major facelift—it’s a big deal.
So was the case when Ford unveiled its
2017 version of the Ford Escape, the
reigning and defending SUV sales king
in Canada.
It’s a significant move by the Blue
Oval, as the Escape seems to be losing
a bit of its luster, as the Toyota Rav4
took the Canadian sales lead away
for the month of October; while the
Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue and Jeep
Cherokee all have had an uptick in sales
throughout the year, closing in on the
Escape’s heels.
The 2017 Escape’s exterior doesn’t get
a full-on makeover, but has taken on the
looks of its larger sibling Edge, thanks to
its new hexagonal grille and LEDs in the
front and back.
Inside, the story is very different
with new colours and more premium
materials, but its the added technology
and connectivity that makes the biggest
impact. Sync3 is the centrepiece to
the Escape’s connectivity that will
hope to build a following for a younger
generation of families to this compact
crossover. With Sync3, consumers can
remotely access vehicle apps via their
smartphone, and the new USB ports
installed can now charge twice as fast.
Safety technology has improved
dramatically with adaptive cruise
control, forward collision warning with
brake support, perpendicular parking
assist with park out assist, a heated
steering wheel, lane departure warning
with lane-keep assist and a driver alert
system that can detect fatigue.
The base trim will retain the 2.5-litre
four-cylinder engine
that produces 168
hp and 170 lb.-ft.
of torque, but the
Escape will feature
two brand-new
EcoBoost engines:
Consumers can remotely access
vehicle apps via their smartphone,
and the new USB ports installed
can now charge twice as fast.
2017 Ford Escape
18
THE DRIVER
a 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre four-bangers.
The 1.5 that will come standard on SE
and Titanium trims is expected to have
180 hp and 185 lb.-ft. of torque; while
the larger 2.0 is rumoured to produce
245 and 275, respectively. All of these
options will come with a six-speed
automatic transmission with paddle
shifters for the higher trims. Both of
the new turbocharged direct-injected
EcoBoost engines will be available in
either front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
To add to its technology prowess,
Ford has added an Auto Start-Stop
system as standard equipment for both
of the new EcoBoost engines in order
to save on fuel. According to Ford, this
new system would create a 4-6 per cent
boost in fuel economy numbers.
The 2017 Ford Escape is expected
to hit showrooms around late
spring 2016, with pricing and fuel
economy ratings to be released
closer to its production date.