Ford Escape Vignale 2021 Review

The 2021 Ford Escape range is a curious mix. Other brands don’t typically offer buyers an upmarket front-wheel drive variant in their mid-size SUVs.

If the petrol engine is turbocharged, it’s usually reserved for all-wheel drive variants, and the turbo engine – barring the unlamented Holden Equinox – is under 2.0 litres capacity.

Apart from Ford, which is due to launch a plug-in hybrid version of the Escape later this year, only Mitsubishi offers a PHEV variant of its mid-size SUV (the Outlander) rather than a diesel.

Ford has plainly recognised that not everyone wants to pay extra for all-wheel drive. Quite a few buyers seem to prefer the lower running costs/higher performance of an SUV with a turbocharged engine driving the front wheels alone.

Ford’s strategy here may be enough to sell the Escape in reasonable numbers – particularly in the pricier sector of the market segment – against the usual suspects.

So all of this is a long way of getting around to the test vehicle, the 2021 Ford Escape Vignale FWD – a high-grade variant with ‘low-rent’ drivetrain.

At entry level the Escape is equipped as standard with FordPass Connect (embedded modem), keyless starting, wireless smartphone charging, SYNC3 infotainment, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, digital radio, voice recognition and power windows.

To that, the Escape Vignale adds 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, heated leather-bound steering wheel, leather-accented upholstery, 10-way electrically-adjustable front seats with heating, heated outboard seats in the rear, a panoramic sunroof, head-up display and hands-free power tailgate.

The manufacturer’s retail list price for the test vehicle is $46,590 plus on-road costs, but add $650 for Prestige Paint.

Six airbags are dotted around the cabin of the 2021 Ford Escape, right across the range.

According to ANCAP, which has extrapolated a five-star rating (2019) for the Escape, based on data collected by Euro NCAP, the Escape’s protection for the driver’s lower regions is ‘marginal’, suggesting Ford could have gone to seven airbags – one for the driver’s knees.

That said, the crash safety authority arrived at a point score of 35.3 out of 38 for adult safety in the Escape, equating to about 92 per cent. Child safety totalled up to 89 per cent, vulnerable road user protection is 82 per cent and safety assist technology works out at 77 per cent.

The Escape has practically all the driver assist technology known to humankind. These features comprise autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, emergency steering assist, dynamic brake support, traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keep assist with centring, driver fatigue monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring, emergency telematics and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go.

As muscular as the 183kW/387Nm 2.0-litre turbo engine in the 2021 Ford Escape Vignale is, it’s not as pleasant to the ear as some mid-size SUVs.

But it is quiet, I’ll give it that. At touring speeds its ticking over at just 1500rpm, without so much as a decibel of noise apparent.

And there is some cause to rejoice in this engine’s output. The power delivery feels like that of any other turbocharged engine, with plenty of mid-range torque and a sudden surge from around 3000 or 3500rpm. But the extra half a litre of displacement – plus the turbocharger – sets the Escape apart from its competitors in the segment.

Up against front-wheel drive competitors with smaller turbocharged engines or 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engines, the Ford holds a real trump hand.

Even against all-wheel drive competitors with larger turbocharged engines – the Mazda CX-5, for example – the Escape really hauls. It benefits from lower weight levels afforded by driving the front wheels only.

If there’s a downside, it’s in the fuel economy stakes, where the Ford does suffer by comparison with its counterparts from other brands.

That’s the case on paper, at least. There’s not very much in it, based on real-world testing, where the front-drive Escape consumed fuel at the rate of 9.4L/100km, which was only marginally worse than its competitors – and offset by the Escape’s exploitable performance.

Just a point on that, however; Ford recommends premium unleaded petrol, which will increase your running costs, relative to other medium SUVs that get by with 91 RON petrol.

The eight-speed automatic changes crisply, and is very smooth, even when the shift paddles are in use. At the 6500rpm redline the transmission automatically shifts up, even when set to manual mode.

In keeping with Escape and Kuga models from the past, the 2021 Ford Escape Vignale treads a line that lies between comfy/easy to drive and engaging/fun to drive.

But the Escape’s engaging character does dominate at times, when ‘comfy’ would be preferable.

While the ride is not harsh, for example, it can be fidgety, and is annoying over even very smooth surfaces.

The test vehicle was fitted with Continental 245/45R20 tyres, which normally provide an excellent balance of ride and dynamic grip, and since the tyre profile doesn’t appear that extreme, it appears more likely a case of Ford’s suspension engineers specifying spring and damper settings that aren’t always an appropriate choice for Aussie country roads. This wouldn’t be a first…

Otherwise, the Escape is generally well behaved. There’s some torque steer present at times, but the Escape turns in fast – thanks to light, direct steering – and holds the road at a level near the top of the heap for mid-size SUVs from mainstream brands – some of them driving through all four wheels too, of course.

Even though the Escape is larger than the model it replaces, it feels really small on the road – like a small SUV rather than a medium SUV. That says quite a lot about the car’s communicative chassis and overall dynamic prowess.

The Escape’s brakes are almost exceptional, pulling up very hard in an emergency stop, but without a lot of ducking or weaving to go with it. Underfoot, the pedal feels firm and encouraging, but can be feathered also to bring the Escape to a gentle halt when the car is being driven more sedately.

At night, the Escape’s headlights are extremely effective on low beam and the high-beam assist is one of the more capable systems tried in recent times; it dips the lights for built-up areas and at the earliest sign of an approaching car.

Some road and wind noise can be heard at 100km/h, but the Escape is a very quiet car overall. Occasionally too quiet, as in the case of the indicators.

The stylish and functional interior is underpinned by infotainment and instrument cluster displays that are easy to read and operate.

While the steering wheel features plenty of switchgear on the spokes, I would question the decision to place music tracks/radio station selection toggle switches on the right spoke, when the volume-control/mute buttons are on the left spoke. The former are also used to accept or end phone calls as well, so it may not be immediately obvious to new owners that they perform two tasks.

I found the driving position to be good in general, although the move back to locating the indicator stalk on the left of the steering column is a backward step after several years of Ford supplying the local market with cars set up for right-hand drive roads. And the foot rest is a stretch if the driver has positioned the seat ideally, relative to accelerator, brake and wheel.

The driver’s seat is oddly shaped, and ultimately lacks the right amount of side bolstering to hold the driver in place at higher speeds. It’s comfortable enough on longer journeys, but feels very firm and boxy initially.

There’s no shortage of comfort and convenience features to make life easier behind the wheel of the Escape. We particularly liked the clever placement of the USB port in the centre console, adjacent to the inductive wireless smartphone charger tray so that another device can be plugged in while the phone is recharging.

On that point, Ford supplies the Escape with USB-A and C recharging ports – one of each type – in the rear of the centre console as well.

In the rear, the Escape’s new-found spaciousness is quite obvious. The first-generation Ford Kuga was not generous where rear seat legroom was concerned. That car’s successor was an improvement, but the third generation of Kuga/Escape is better still.

There’s plenty of room for adults up to about 180cm tall in the rear of the latest Escape, and passengers in the back have access to adjustable vents, seat heating and cup holders in the folding centre arm rest.

And the Escape Vignale provides the added amenity of sliding rear seats for additional luggage space or to optimise rear seat legroom if necessary.

Finger pulls in the luggage compartment lower the rear seats to free up more space for luggage or other goods, but the seats, when folded, do leave a step that would preclude easily sliding larger goods into the cabin from the boot.

A space-saver spare resides under the boot floor.

The 2021 Ford Escape Vignale is a good drive – punchy performance with entertaining dynamics – and it’s certainly a practical and comfortable package for the whole family.

At this price point though, some buyers will cross it off their list for not driving all four wheels.

For the vast majority of the metro set, however, the Escape’s front-wheel drive underpinnings won’t be an issue – and there’s money to be saved off the purchase price as well.

How much does the 2021 Ford Escape Vignale FWD cost?
Price: $46,590 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
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)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)

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