A test mule for an all-new Ford Escape compact crossover has been spotted on the road in Europe, giving us our first look at what to expect from the forthcoming fourth-generation CUV. There, the current Escape is sold as the Ford Kuga, which started 2018 as the UK’s seventh-best-selling car, according to Auto Express – four positions behind its mechanical cousin: the Ford Focus.
That’s relevant because the Focus, too, has undergone a complete redesign for 2019, growing larger in both length and width. As the Ford Escape is expected to be based on the same underpinnings, it is also expected to grow in size, and the spy photos hosted by Auto Express provide some evidence of this; note the extra material that’s been grafted onto the body at the C-pillar, elongating the body. There’s no evidence yet of any growth in the lateral dimension, but we expect the new Ford Escape to be several inches wider than the current iteration.
No radical changes are expected from the powertrain; in the US market, we can likely count on the same FWD/AWD with a choice of normally-aspirated 2.0L I4, 1.5L EcoBoost I3, or 2.0L EcoBoost I4, although Ford’s new 8-speed automatic transmission is almost a given. However, with Ford set to spend $11 billion on electrification over the coming years, there is a relatively strong chance that we could see the return of the Ford Escape Hybrid.
To see the 2020 Ford Escape spy photos yourself, visit AutoExpress.com.
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