2017 Ford Escape Tech Upgrades Deliver An App-Driven Start Feature And Tougher Safety Systems; Release Date & Specs

Apr 20, 2016 06:27 AM EDT | Vanessa Doctor

The Ford Escape, the brand’s second bestselling model after the F-Series pickup truck, has been enhanced for 2017 to better cater the small SUV market. The upgraded model boasts a variety of new features and systems that will offer convenience, style and safety to drivers everywhere.

Ford provided the 2017 Escape with a comprehensive upgrade. There were styling changes, more driver assistance options, an improved infotainment system, more safety technology options and new turbocharged engines with fuel-saving automatic stop/start capability.

The 2017 Ford Escape will be available in three trim levels – base S, mid-grade SE and Titanium, notes NY Daily News. The front and rear designs have been improved. Enhancements were also made on the headlamps, grille, tailgate design and taillights. The small SUV has 19-inch aluminum wheels and the interior was given a sportier appearance. The shift lever has been relocated and there is a new electronic parking brake. The steering wheel now has three spokes, instead of four.

The higher-spec models showcase the Ford Sync 3 infotainment system, with an eight-inch touch display, a new FordPass with Sync Connect smartphone app. The new app provides a lot of functions such as locking or unlocking the vehicle, searching for the vehicle in a huge parking lot, remote-starting the engine, contacting persons, locating nearby Ford dealerships and checking battery, fuel and fluid levels.

The base 2017 Ford Escape S features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 168 horsepower, while the SE and Titanium variants feature the new 1.5-liter four cylinder turbocharged engine with 179hp. Ford also offers the revised 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 245hp and twin-scroll turbocharger that gets rid of turbo lag. The vehicle also has the Intelligent 4WD system that will forward up to 100 percent of the engine’s torque to the front or rear wheels as necessary.

The small SUV also provides assistance through its new technology, such as brake support, active cruise control, driver fatigue monitor, forward collision warning system, park assist, lane keeping and lane departure system and mild counter-steering inputs.

The five-seater 2017 Ford Escape S has a starting price tag of $24,495. The SE is priced at $25,995, while the Titanium costs $29,950. The fully equipped Titanium model costs $38,315.

Speed Lux writes that, overall, the 2017 Ford Escape is a good contender in the compact crossover SUV market. The vehicle is expected to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2016, which means that it may become before the year ends.

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