Citadels of stone and snow, the Canadian Rockies have impassively watched the passing of many a traveller. They’ve seen young hunters and wily old fur trappers, trains of horses, the coming of the road, metal boxes packed with gawping tourists. Once, families visited in big sedans or minivans. Now, more are making pilgrimages in a crossover such as this.
The 2017 Ford Escape is a refreshed model rather than an all-new offering, updated in looks to fit within the rest of the Ford lineup. It hasn’t changed fundamentally in dimensions or platform.
Everything Canadians liked about the Escape formula remains. It’s not too big. It handles nicely, like the closely related Focus. It has punchier engine offerings than the Japanese competition. If it now looks more like a baby Edge – call it an Edgelet – so much the better.
Minor tweaks to the Escape’s cabin have cleaned up a few annoyances as well. The parking brake is electric and the gearshift is in a more conventional position. In-car smartphone storage is improved, with a USB and power outlet located in a pocket under the air-conditioning controls. Blind-spot monitoring is more readily available. The third-generation Sync system is far quicker and easier to use than previous Ford infotainment.
However, not everything has been fixed. The close-fitting cockpit-like feel of the cabin won’t please everyone, and bigger door pockets would be useful for expeditions. The long dash reflects off the windshield in bright light and mars the mountainous views. The rear seats are hard. For more roominess and an airier feel, look elsewhere.
Having said that, the Escape and the RAV4 are having a nasty little knife fight over the top sales spot so far this year, and the Escape is holding its own. If the Toyota has a lot more utility, the Escape is more fun to drive, especially when you’ve got a chance to get out there on the highway and see something thoroughly Canadian. Namely, the backside of a rental RV driving 10 under the speed limit.
To deal with said blight upon the landscape, Ford has two turbocharged engine offerings over and above the standard 2.5-litre four-cylinder. Both turbo motors are updated: the mid-line engine is a 1.5-litre making 179 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque; the 2.0-litre engine provides 245 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque, and has a new twin-scroll turbocharger that spools quicker for better responsiveness.
For nipping safely past a lumbering RV, the 1.5-litre will be fine for most Escapees. It’s a relatively quiet engine, and the general driving impression is of better mid-range pull than a larger-displacement, naturally aspirated engine, but about the same peak power.
The 2.0-litre turbo turns Ford’s little crossover into a bit of an rocket-propelled Escape pod. Even short passing lanes are no issue. Both engines come with a well-behaved and unremarkable six-speed automatic transmission, one that made the most of the ample torque of the 2.0-litre. The tow rating is a useful 1,587 kilograms.
Ford’s advertising will likely make much of newly available technologies such as lane-keeping assist and automatic high beams, but do not be fooled. These are optional extras and only available on the Titanium model.
My eyes nearly Escaped from my head when I saw the total after options of our so-equipped tester: $44,239 after freight.
However, Ford offers a wider pricing range than many others, and frequently discounts; the pricing on a mid-range Escape should be far more competitive with the comparable Toyota or Honda Ford hopes to outsell.
And outsell it should. The Escape is sharper-looking, still fundamentally good to drive, and offers features not found elsewhere. The Rockies don’t seem to care one way or the other, but Canadian travellers will.
You’ll like this crossover if ... You and your family like to escape to the mountains for a road trip.
TECH SPECS
Base Price: $25,099
Engines: Naturally aspirated 2.5-litre; turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder; turbocharged 2.0-litre
Transmission/Drive: Six-speed automatic
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 1.5-litre – 10.2 city, 7.8 highway; 2.0-litre – 10.6 city, 8.0 highway
Alternatives: Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5
RATINGS
Looks: Freshened up over the old frog-faced variant, the butchier new Escape should please pretty much everyone. If you want more aggressive styling, opt for the Sport Appearance package.
Interior: Still a bit claustrophobic, but helped out with the optional enormous moonroof. Sport package gives you partial leather seats with good bolstering.
Performance: While the 1.5-litre is adequate, opt for the 2.0-litre instead. Observed fuel economy is close and the added punch is noticeable.
Technology: A huge amount of features are new for 2017, assuming you're willing to pay for them as options on top of the already costly Titanium trim. The adaptive cruise control, for instance, is $1,350 all by itself.
Cargo: Useful room and a nifty foot-activated rear liftgate. However, the latter is still only available on the Titanium trim model; the volume-selling SE comes with an optional conventional power liftgate.
THE VERDICT
8.5
Mild upgrades make a bestseller slightly more attractive. It'll likely be enough to take the sales crown again, but there’s room for improvement.
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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