New Ford Escape SUV review: Family favourite is surprisingly perky

Ford’s excellent new family car has a lot going for it, and one feature in particular will appeal to a lot of Aussie drivers.

Is there a better name for a high-riding family wagon than the Ford Escape?

Blue oval executives thought “Kuga” might be more attractive to buyers for a few years, but the Escape name is here to stay as Ford fights with the likes of Toyota’s RAV4 and the Mazda CX-5.

Bigger than the previous model, the new Escape introduces a digital dashboard, comprehensive driver aids and new plug-in hybrid option.

Ford has launched its new rival to the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4.

Priced from a sharp $36,490 drive-away in entry-level trim, the Escape has plenty of thrust and impressive tech. The cheapest model has a turbocharged engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, smart keys, an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satnav and wireless smartphone charging.

You also get a full suite of driver aids including auto emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, active cruise control with stop-and-go traffic jam assistance, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. You won’t find much more in a sub-$40,000 SUV.

The Escape has a very powerful engine for a car in this class.

Better still, the Escape’s standard engine is a cracker. The turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol motor is tuned to produce 183kW of power and 387Nm of torque — impressive wallop for a car this size, let alone an entry-level model. Consider that Mazda or Toyota customers make do with 115kW/200Nm or 127kW/203Nm in equivalent models.

Effortless compared to most cars in the class, the Escape feels genuinely punchy around town or on the highway. The engine is quieter than most — chiefly because it doesn’t have to work hard — and Ford’s eight-speed auto feels smoother than in the cheaper Focus. Front-drive variants struggle to contain the power in slippery conditions, leading to wheel spin and a squirming steering wheel before the car’s traction and stability control kicks in.

It’ll be hard to find a better equipped sub-$40k SUV.

The other trade-off is thirst: Ford’s contender uses an official 8.6L/100km, a number likely to rise in the real world.

Customers with cash to spare can upgrade to the ST-Line with a digital dash, firmer suspension, dark design elements inside and out for $38,990 drive-away in two-wheel-drive or $41,990 drive-away with all-wheel drive.

Official drive-away deals aren’t available for the new range-topping Escape Vingale. It costs about $51,000 or $54,000 on the road in two-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive form, adding leather trim, a powered tailgate, 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo and other niceties.

One downside is the powerful petrol engine is thirsty.

But the standard car is all you really need. Ford didn’t skimp on handy features such as USB points (there are three), a sliding rear bench (offering impressive leg room) and cabin presentation in the cheapest model.

Roomy enough in the front and rear, the Escape’s interior is let down by high set seats that felt too short under-thigh.

We split our time in the Escape between the base model and ST-Line, finding the latter’s sports suspension fidgety in urban and country environments — the standard model will be a better bet for most customers. Both versions steer and stop sweetly, with measured responses to driver input and fine composure in the bends.

The Escape steers sweetly and is composed through bends.

VERDICT 3.5/5

Well-equipped and surprisingly powerful, the Escape has plenty going for it. Take an extended test drive to make sure the seats work for you, and be ready to pay for its fuel habit.

FORD ESCAPE VITALS

Price: From $36,490 drive-away

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 183kW/387Nm

Warranty/servicing: 5-year/unlimited km, $1196 for 4 years

Safety: 6 airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert

Thirst: 8.6L/100km

Spare: Space saver

Cargo: 556 litres

PLUG-IN POWER

Ford’s first electrified vehicle will go on sale late next year.

The Escape PHEV combines a 2.5-litre non-turbo engine with an electric motor, sending a combined 167kW through the front wheels. An electronic CVT automatic transmission replaces the conventional car’s eight-speed auto. Ford’s 14.4kWh lithium ion battery allows an electric-only range of 56 kilometres before the petrol engine takes over. An official fuel figure of 1.5L/100km makes the Escape PHEV a green pick, though that figure will be difficult to replicate in the real world — you’ll use much more on long trips, and a little less around town.

The big battery makes the Escape PHEV an expensive pick. Priced from about $57,500 drive-away, the Ford will sit closer to the upcoming Tesla Model Y electric SUV than Toyota’s “self-charging” RAV4 Hybrid.