Ford Escape: carsales Car of the Year 2020 contender

The mid-size SUV segment is the single most popular vehicle sales category in Australia and one of the most competitive as a result, with more than 20 models represented in the high-volume sub-$60,000 class.

The Ford Escape is one of them, and is a nameplate that stretches back to the early 2000s. So it’s no stranger to Australians but, let’s face it, the Escape – or Kuga, as it was renamed between 2012 and 2016 – has failed to capture the imagination of buyers and find itself among the leading contenders.

This could change with the all-new fourth-generation SUV that will soon make its way into Australian showrooms.

Sporting a fresh new design inside and out, the new Escape gets a potent 2.0-litre turbo-petrol powertrain that outpowers almost all of its rivals. It also comes standard with wireless smartphone charging, front and rear parking sensors and the FordPass Connect system that uses an in-built modem to check vehicle status, lock or unlock the car and even start the engine remotely.

This blend of style, power and technology make it a worthy contender for 2020 carsales COTY, proudly presented by Bingle.

And let us add that the Escape is also Ford Australia’s first-ever electrified vehicle, offering a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant within the range at launch.

Ford is targeting Aussie heartland buyers, particularly families and mature-aged buyers looking for a roomy, safe, high-tech vehicle that can easily perform weekly duties such as shopping and commuting without feeling oversized or complicated when parking.

It will also appeal to buyers looking for a lifestyle vehicle, with plenty of boot space and practical features (including roof rails) that make it more than capable of facilitating camping, surfing, mountain biking, day trips, road trips… you get the gist.

The high-riding five-seat SUV will take on the big guns in the segment, namely Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Subaru Forester, Nissan X-TRAIL and Mazda CX-5.

In a segment where some mid-size SUVs start below $30,000, the Ford Escape opens the ledger at $35,990 plus on-road costs.

There are six variants at launch, spanning three trim levels – entry-level Escape, mid-series ST-Line (from $37,990) and top-spec Vignale (from $46,590) – and two powertrains.

All variants other than the PHEV use a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (183kW/387Nm) hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission and driving either the front wheels or, as a $3000 option on ST-Line and Vignale, all four wheels.

The front-wheel drive PHEV is priced from $52,940 and is available in ST-Line trim only. It uses a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and electric motor/lithium-ion battery combination that offers peak power of 167kW, fuel economy as low as 1.5L/100km and an electric-only range of 50km.

Price will be the Ford Escape’s biggest challenge for buyers to overcome – and will also affect its scoring in the 2020 carsales COTY, as RedBook data can often penalise models that have higher ownership and running costs.

That said, the Escape’s equipment list is very strong, the ST-Line in particular offering features like a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as standard which is rare in the segment.

“At last, a Ford SUV that resonates with Aussies? Ford Australia will be hoping so when the 2020 Ford Escape arrives…”

“With plenty of tech and even a plug-in hybrid version, the new Ford Escape promises plenty, but it’ll need to be a standout to take on sales successes such as the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson, which will also be renewed in the first half of next year.”

These are some of our early impressions of the new Ford Escape, with much more to follow soon as we conduct testing in the coming weeks before putting it through the full 2020 carsales COTY program, proudly presented by Bingle.

Ford Escape ST-Line at a glance:
Price: From $37,990
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 183kW/387Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 199g/km (ADR Combined)