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Will There Be a 2024 Ford Escape? – The Ford Escape has a lot riding on it, both directly and indirectly. The C2 vehicle platform, which has been in use at Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn assembly plant for the last four years, serves as a microcosm of the company’s whole product line and is an essential entry point for first-time purchasers. The Maverick pickup truck, Bronco Sport crossover, European Focus small vehicle, and the upmarket Lincoln Corsair crossover are all underpinned by the C2 platform.
The Ford Escape was one of the first crossover/utility vehicles to rely on unibody construction (for better car-like handling) while larger SUVs and pickup trucks relied on body-on-frame architectures. The Escape was introduced in conjunction with the Mazda Tribute in 2001 and was part of the initial wave of crossover/utility vehicles. It was the star of the show when it came to sales.
The current edition of the Ford Escape has been on the market for two years, which means that it is time for a refresh to keep buyers engaged in a midsize crossover sector that is packed like a clown car with 28 entries—just in the United States alone. With sales reaching over 2 million units during the month of September, this is the most popular car category in the United States. That is a greater volume than any and all sizes of pickup vehicles.
Although it performs very well, the Escape has been trailing behind the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and the best-selling Toyota RAV4 during the first nine months of sales. As a result, the Escape product team got to work on making some minor improvements as part of this mid-cycle update.
Review
For the 2024 model year, the whole front end, starting at the bottom of the windshield and moving ahead, has been redesigned. The LED headlights have been given a less rounded and more aggressive design, and there is now a unique light bar that extends the whole width of the vehicle and illuminates the leading edge of the hood. On the ’22 model, the blue oval was placed on the hood just above the grille; however, on the newer model, the aperture in the grille is far wider, and it has a more three-dimensional appearance.
The front end of the ’22 Escape seemed to have a nice face, but the reskinned ’23 Escape had the furrowed forehead and furious eyes of someone who is participating in a difficult business meeting. It is effective.
At the back, the ’22 model had a handle that protruded from the lower liftgate that could be used to raise it. However, the new model conceals that button beneath the lip that extends over the license plate, resulting in a liftgate design that is more streamlined and aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the taillamps have been given a new look, and the rear spoiler has been expanded.
When seen from the side, the sheet metal and general shape of both model years seem to be the same. However, the ’23 Escape ST-Line Elite upgrade package that is more prominent in the current model year comes equipped with new 19-inch machine-faced Ebony colored wheels.
The ST-Line is a component of a significant overhaul that has been performed on the Escape trim walk. The Ford Escape was available in S, SE, SEL, and Titanium trim levels in the year 22. Customers were dissatisfied with the fact that “S” monikers were just letters and did not provide any information about their position on the price sheet.
The ’23 Escape now starts out at the Base trim level, then moves up to the Active trim, then the ST-Line (Select and Elite), and finally the Platinum and Plug-In Hybrid trim levels.
Ford anticipates that the sporty ST-Line will account for fifty percent of total Escape sales volume, in part because of a more appealing price model: An cosmetic package that was applied to a SE or SEL model in ’22 would have cost around $1500. However, an improved ST-Line model (with black rims, red stitching, and a flat-bottom steering wheel) would cost an additional $995.
This effort to clarify the differences between the trim levels is consistent with Ford’s marketing strategy, which positions Escape as a serene area that provides a haven of escape from the chaos of the outside world. In a similar vein, the new instrument panel is far less crowded now that all of the physical buttons used to regulate the climate have been replaced with digital versions and relocated to the base of the bigger display screen that has been moved to the top of the instrument panel. The general appearance has been improved.
The primary center displays on the basic versions in ’22 had a diagonal measurement of 4 inches, while the upgraded ones had an 8-inch measurement. For model year ’23, a screen measuring 8 inches will become standard, while a massive 13.2-inch screen will be standard on Platinum and PHEV variants and will be an available upgrade for ST-Line options.
The infotainment system that was powering those displays in the ’22 model was powered by Ford’s Sync 3 platform; however, the ’23 update moves up to Sync 4, which has improved visuals, the ability to split the screen, more customizable views, and enhanced voice capabilities.
It is expected that Ebony will continue to be the most popular color choice for the Escape’s interior; however, Space Gray will be available as a new interior color, taking the place of Sandstone. There is the option of leather for the top trimmings. Cinnabar Red and Vapor Blue are the two new hues that have been added to the exterior paint palette (pictured below).
Specs
The powertrains are carried over from the previous model year into the ’23 Escape, with the 180-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost expected to continue to be the most popular engine (about 50% of the mix), followed by the 250-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost, which is expected to account for 25% of sales.
According to Ford, the remaining sales should be split between the hybrid with 210 horsepower that has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (approximately 27% of sales) and the plug-in hybrid with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (about 8% of sales). In all-electric mode, the PHEV has a range of up to 37 miles when it has been completely charged. Although it is based on a platform that drives the front wheels, the Escape is available with all-wheel drive in most of its trim levels.
The stop-and-go cruise control, onboard navigation, rear cross-traffic braking, reverse brake assist, and Ford Co-Pilot360 technology with intersection assist and blindspot help are all examples of available driver-assistance systems.
Date of Publication
The 2024 Ford Escape is already taking pre-orders and will arrive at dealerships in the early part of next year. The Ford facility in Louisville, Kentucky, will go on with the production of the crossover vehicle. Information about pricing will be made available much closer to the debut date.