First encounter with the 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, the pioneer returns

Upon arrival in late 2004, the Ford Escape Hybrid was not only the first hybrid model in the history of the Ford Motor Company, but also the first hybrid CUV marketed in the United States. After selling more than 122,000 units (and 12,000 additional units of its mechanical twin Mercury Mariner Hybrid), the Escape Hybrid disappeared with the arrival of the third generation of the Escape in the fall of 2012, to give rise to the Ford C -Max Hybrid and Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, an unfortunate microvan that nobody ever turned around. Seven years later Ford enthusiastically takes the opportunity to repair his mistake, and that is how we find ourselves facing the revived Ford Escape Hybrid as a 2020 model.

When the third generation of the Ford Escape has been deployed entirely in mid-2020, the Escape Hybrid will be accompanied by a new plug-in hybrid version, or PHVE, which could affect the validity and popularity of the first

Distinctions

The technology of the Ford Escape Hybrid, unlike that used by the new Explorer Hybrid and Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring, is a more modern version of the same hybrid system of split power, similar to that found in the old Escape Hybrid and to which It is found in all Toyota hybrids.

This makes its operation devoid of the drama shown by the aforementioned Ford and Lincoln hybrid SUVs. The Escape Hybrid seems to always know where it needs the power to come from, which makes it very easy to forget that it is on board a hybrid van.

Its gasoline engine combined with two electric motors generates a total of 200 horsepower, while the gasoline engine is responsible for 152 lb.-ft. of torque (Ford has not disclosed the torque figures of electric motors) . The PHEV model will have 9 hp more than the Escape Hybrid, but can only be purchased with front-wheel drive, and will also be 330 pounds heavier than the regular Escape Hybrid and 178 heavier than the Escape Hybrid AWD. The PHEV version gains all that weight by replacing the 1.1 kilowatt hour battery of the regular hybrid system with the 14.4 kWh battery required by the hybrid plug system.

Better than the gasoline model

The power of the new Escape Hybrid is between the basic version of the regular Escape with its 181 hp and 250 hp provided by the 2.0-liter turbo-powered engine, and its personality is much more pleasant than that of the two petrol engines . On the winding mountain routes on the outskirts of the city of Louisville, Kentucky, the Escape Hybrid responds more willingly and enthusiastically than its gasoline sisters, especially in situations where the eight-speed automatic transmission of gasoline trucks would have had You cut a speed. It is also important to note that the threshold for driving the petrol engine of the Escape Hybrid is quite high, showing the confidence that the truck has in pushing its electric motors.

It should be clarified that our experience with the Escape Hybrid was limited exclusively to two-channel roads with gentle curves where we rarely exceed 50 miles per hour and where we find traffic with some frequency. In terms of economy in consumption and ecology, these are the best conditions for a hybrid like this, since they keep the use of the gasoline engine at bay.

The threshold for driving the petrol engine of the Escape Hybrid is quite high, showing the confidence that the truck has in pushing its electric motors.

Not everything falls smoothly into place by forcing the Escape to activate the 2.5-liter gasoline engine. The natural aspiration engine sounds less refined than its turbo-powered counterparts of the non-hybrid versions, although the volume of its roars is equally low, as long as the higher revolutions are not reached. The e-CVT electronic variable continuous transmission does a good job keeping the engine in the low speed range at the hands of a strong acceleration. In fact we prefer the e-CVT to the eight-speed automatic transmission.

Aggressive driving is not necessarily problematic, since the Escape Hybrid is not a particularly fast vehicle. Ford has not yet revealed its acceleration time, but it would not surprise us to see that it is significantly smaller than the regular Escape with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and only slightly faster than the version equipped with the 1.5-liter three-cylinder, which counts with only 19 horses less but it is 250 pounds lighter than the Escape Hybrid. The above without talking about refinement at high revolutions.

The Elephant In The Room

The US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA for its acronym in English, has not yet released its estimates of consumption for the Ford Escape Hybrid 2020, much less for the PHEV version, but we hope that in both cases the advantages over to the gasoline versions are significant. The Ford Escape hybrid powertrain is available on vehicles with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive on the SE Sport and Titanium levels, unlike the PHEV that will be available for all levels except the basic Escape S.

The Ford Escape hybrid powertrain is available on vehicles with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive on the SE Sport and Titanium levels.

The initial price for the Escape SE Sport Hybrid is $ 28,255, while the Escape Titanium starts at $ 33,400. In areas with raw winters the Escape Hybrid will make more sense than the PHEV, since the latter does not offer all-wheel drive, but in the rest of the country the hybrid van will get an important rival in its plug-in sister.