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2020 Ford Escape Unveiled With Car-Like Look, PHEV and Hybrid Versions

The all-new 2020 Ford Escape has finally been unveiled and is going to be shown at the New Your Auto Show. This 4th generation model is seven years in the making and comes with significant upgrades. But will it be a top CUV competitor?
2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look and Fresh Eco Choices 20 photos
Photo: Ford
2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look2020 Ford Escape Debuts With Car-Like Look
Right now, you've got so many choices for good compact-sized utility crossovers, such as the RAV4, the Forester and the CR-V. By now, you must have heard that Ford is killing off all its normal cars, but this Escape looks almost like the Focus that America isn't getting.

The best analogy we've heard is that the old Escape looked like a hiking shoe, where this one is a running shoe with a big sole. The car-like CUV is also based on the C2 global modular architecture, which has helped it shed as much as 200 lbs.

Ford have made powertrain upgrades as well, though the range still kicks off with the 1.5-liter EcoBoost, making 180-hp and 177 pound-feet (240 Newton-meters) of torque. This 3-cylinder even has a 2-cylinder mode to save fuel. However, if that's not a concern for you, go for the 2-liter turbo with 250-hp and 275 pound-feet of torque (373 Nm). In both cases, an 8-speed gearbox is installed as standard.

The green options start with the Escape Hybrid, equipped with a lithium pack and a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle hybrid engine, said to have 198-hp. A PHEV version will arrive in early 2020 with a 14.4 kWh battery pack capable of an EPA-estimated range of at least 30 miles in pure electric mode. Based on the European specs, we know that it makes around 220-hp. Rumors talk of an Escape ST, packing AWD and around 280 HP from the 2.3 EcoBoost.

As far as the design is concerned, the Escape is a little too understated for our liking, especially compared to the rugged Jeep or Toyota alternatives. However, the sloped roof and streamlined body are probably going to be popular with people who currently own a Focus or a Fusion.

We like what they did with the interior. The SYNC3 looks modern while the 12-inch system copies the one we saw in the 2020 Explorer. Titanium models will also come with a retractable heads-up display.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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