2017 Ford Escape Titanium EcoBoost Review | Chock-Full Of Features, But Safety Still Optional

Ford needs its Escape SUV to be more things to more people. Now that the large Territory no longer exists and the full-size Everest might be too big and bulky for the average suburban family, the Escape finds itself holding the fort for family buyers.

It won’t ever have the size or seating capacity to replace the Territory, but the Escape does at least have a strong list of standard equipment, even in its entry level form, but this range-topping Titanium model adds all the bells and whistles you could need.

A name change and fresh face earlier this year saw the previous Kuga become the Escape, but apart from some minor styling and specification changes its mostly the same vehicle at its core, and with Australia’s medium SUV market dominated by Mazda, Toyota, and Hyundai the Escape has its work cut out for it.

Vehicle Style: Medium SUV
Price: $44,990 plus on-road costs
Engine/trans: 178kW/345Nm 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol | 6sp automatic
Fuel Economy Claimed: 8.6 l/100km | Tested: 10.1 l/100km

OVERVIEW

The 2017 Ford Escape comes in three trim levels: Ambiente, Trend, and Titanium. The cheaper models are available with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and front wheel drive, but moving up the range adds a more powerful 2.0-litre petrol and all wheel drive like the car tested here.

A 2.0-litre diesel is also offered, for a $2500 premium, but the petrol Titanium at $44,950 seems like the right fit for an average Aussie budget and is set to be more popular than the diesel.