Up against stellar competition — Honda’s CR-V and the Toyota RAV4, for instance — and part of a portfolio that is now almost completely car-free, it’s important that Ford’s completely redesigned Escape be a home-run. Compact crossovers are all the rage right now — the CR-V, RAV4, and Escape are all among the top-10 sellers in Canada right now — so a competitive Escape is absolutely key to Ford’s continued good fortunes. Here are a few observations are driving a top-line Escape Titanium with the 2.0-litre turbo-four and all-wheel-drive.

It’s gasoline

The attribute that really stands out is how powerful the Escape’s top-line engine is. Yet another of Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder engines, this one is good for 250 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic, it should be good from a sub six-second scoot from rest to 100 km/h. More importantly, it’s got grunt to spare when passing semis on the highway, and it’s good to tow some 1,587 kilograms. The only downside is that it needs revs. Unusually, especially for a turbocharged engine, is that both horsepower and torque peak at 5,500 rpm, pointing to an engine that might be a tad weedy at low rpm. Indeed, I thought the slight fluffiness I felt at low speeds was due to lethargic transmission, but it’s more probably the result of this EcoBoost’s aggressive tuning. Once moving, however, the Ford Escape is the beast of the compact crossover segment.

It’s also sophisticated

Absolutely everyone who got a ride in the new Escape commented on the relaxed nature of the powertrain, some commenting that it felt smoother than either the CR-V or the RAV4, while others compared it with Audi’s Q5. While I wholeheartedly agree with the first assertion, I’m not quite as sure about the second, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is the most “together” EcoBoost four-cylinder that I’ve yet driven. The most powerful four-cylinder in its segment as well as its most sophisticated, those looking for a reason to choose the Titanium — only this trim and the SEL get the 2.0L EcoBoost — over its Japanese competition need look no deeper than under the hood. This is the class of the segment in both performance and exemplary NVH.

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

With great power comes…

Pretty darned frugal consumption, actually. Ford’s EcoBoost engines haven’t always delivered the fuel economy from the supposed efficiency of turbocharging smaller engines, often exceeding Transport Canada’s rating by as much as 50 per cent.

The new Escape is certainly an exception, averaging 9.7 L/100 kilometres of combined highway/city driving — compared to its 9.1 official rating. And this is with me enjoying the fruits of Ford’s now more energetic turbocharger, goosing it away from lights, cruising at 125 km/h, and just generally hooning about. With a little more, err, deliberation, perhaps I might have even hit Ford’s official numbers, which would have been a first for me with any EcoBoost engine. Well done, Ford.

The interior is much improved

With caveats, though. First off, the Escape’s cabin is roomier than its predecessor, especially in the cargo area, which now almost rivals the voluminous Honda CR-V. It’s also a calm environment, the absence of tire noise and the aforementioned lack of NVH from the engine compartment contributing to the tranquility. Together with decent seats, excellent headroom and enough legroom for six-footers in the back, the new Escape is one of the few compact CUVs in which four adults can travel in comfort.

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

2020 Ford Escape Chris Balcerak , Driving

The interior trim bits, long a sore spot in the Escape, have also been improved. The dashbord’s synthetic covering is softer (if not quite soft), the Titanium’s leather up to snuff, and some of the fake wood, well, looks less fake than in the past. That said, some of the plastic — in the door panels, for instance — are not state-of-the-art. That might not be huge deal on the base model, but in a $44,599 Titanium, it was somewhat lacking. Whether that alone is enough for some to remove the Escape from their shopping list is doubtful, however. The previous generation’s plastics were atrocious and that didn’t stop it from being the third best-seller in a very competitive segment.

It’s pretty high tech

At least in the top-of-the-line Titanium edition. Standard equipment includes Ford’s CoPilot360 suite of advanced driver aids, on-board WiFi, Active Park Assist, and Ford’s MyKey security system that allows you to set maximum speed — which I inadvertently did — for younger drivers. There is even a USB-C port (as well as a conventional USB version) for those that have recently upgraded phone or iPad.

Of particular note is Ford’s latest Sync 3 infotainment system. As with all Ford’s tech upgrades of late, I am terribly impressed with this latest Sync, which has what must be the most improved man-machine interface of any infotainment system of the last five years. The eight-inch touchscreen remains relatively uncluttered, the menus uncomplicated, and the radio, especially for inveterate channel hoppers like Yours Truly, a doddle to use. Well done.

A few final thoughts

First, don’t bother with the Titanium Premium package unless you really need the panoramic sunroof; the six-inch heads-up display, which is part of the $2,300 package, is simply not worth it. Second, the Escape is also available, in lesser trims, with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost. I haven’t driven it yet, but don’t be put off by its odd number of cylinders; Ford’s triples are normally smooth engines and this one’s powerful, with 181 horsepower and 190 lb.-ft. of torque. That puts the base Escape essentially on a par with the only engine available in the Honda CR-V.

Indeed, I suspect that the proliferation of powertrains in the new Ford Escape’s engine portfolio is probably its best foot forward. Besides the two turbo-fours, there’s a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycled Hybrid, and coming a little later, a Plug-in Hybrid with a 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery good for about 50 kilometres of emissions-free, electric motoring.

For this — and the qualities listed above — I think the Ford Escape has a chance to overtake the Honda CR-V for second spot in the compact crossover segment. I do suspect, however, that the Toyota RAV4, with its similar proliferation of powertrains, will remain in the top spot. Nonetheless, the 2020 Escape is a big step forward for Ford. It needs to be; with no cars in its portfolio, Ford SUVs need to be firing on all cylinders.