Ford Authority spies have spotted the 2023 Ford Escape in numerous states of disguise over the past several months – including a couple prototypes that were completely uncovered – giving us a good idea of what to expect from the forthcoming refreshed crossover. Now, sources familiar with the matter have told Ford Authority that the 2023 Ford Escape will jettison all of its currently available trim levels for an entirely new range, too.
| 2023 Ford Escape Lineup | 2022 Ford Escape Lineup |
|---|---|
| Base | S |
| Active | SE |
| ST Line | SEL |
| ST Line Plus | Titanium |
| ST Line Premium | |
| Platinum |
The current Escape trim levels – S, SE, SEL, and Titanium – first appeared on the 2013 Escape and have been in continuous use ever since, with the exception of SEL, which was present on the 2013 model before it was dropped from 2014-2017 and later reappeared for the 2018 model year. Regardless, the 2023 Ford Escape will replace those trim levels with new ones in the form of Base, Active, ST Line, ST Line Plus, ST Line Premium, and Platinum.
It’s currently unclear how these trim levels will be used, though it’s likely safe to assume that the Base will be the entry-level offering, with Platinum serving as the top-end trim, based on the hierarchy of other Blue Oval products. The ST Line may also offer Plus and Premium packages as opposed to either serving as a distinct trim, too.
Ford Authority originally reported that the 2023 Ford Escape lineup would be gaining an ST Line trim back in early July, a fact that was later confirmed when spies spotted an ST Line model completely uncovered wearing the corresponding badges. Since then, those same spies have also spotted a more rugged Active model wearing no camo, as well as the crossover’s revised interior with a larger infotainment screen. Meanwhile, 2023 Escape order banks are currently scheduled to open this September, as Ford Authority previously reported, with production kicking off in early November.
We’ll have more on the 2023 Escape soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Escape news and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
ST line but no ST? Lame
Simple solution for the ST…make it your “top dog” stand alone…plug in hybrid, awd, more powerful battery and electric motor (300+ hp) like the rav4 Prime!
Oh great, even more trim lines and I thought there were already too many. 😲
Three trims with “ST” in the name? Well that’s just stupid. You may as well have a Bronco, and a second car with a silly name like Bronco Sport. Oh wait…
Seriously, what kind of glue are the putzes in Ford’s marketing sniffing these days?
ST Line names are wrong. They got changed to Select and Elite.
Agree on the names, but not a big deal. I do hate the move to the display screens being up and out from the dash!! Yuck!
Definitely why not integrate into dash, would look so much more appealing and natural!
Wish they would do a screen display like the new Kia Sportage . No clunky stick up screens that you have to reach out to use. When built in a little lower, they are not so ugly and visually obtrusive. Based on the poor exterior and interior designs, I will not be buying a Ford again.
Too ugly , only have dark exterior colors (like we need three shades of grey ???) and quality is horrible with all the recalls.
Ford is having enough difficulty delivering any level of vehicles so why so many trims. And are any of them Hybrids ,no mention ?
P.S. I currently own a 2013 Escape SEL and it is attempting to break all records for Recall, currently at 15.
Ford needs to put the gas tank back on the drivers side like it was on my old Escape and I wish they’d go back to the box look. The newer ones lost too much space. My old Escape came with a CD player now my 2019 is just a radio. 😢
Display screen is downright ugly.
To bad no one at Ford that has any authority over design and ergonomics read any of these posts. They would see people are disgusted with many decisions that Ford is making. The only reason for trim name changes is to give the consumer less options for more money. It’s a shell game.
While I have been a fan of Fords for a long time the style of the screen is butt ugly. Stop cheating out and build the display into the dash. It blocks the drivers view and looks like a cheap tablet plunked with crazy glue on the dash. Please Ford listen to your customers, not the penny pincher in accounting.
I agree with all the comments about integrating the screen into the dash. I think that looks amazing on the F-150s and the mustangs. The screen up top looks downright stupid. Also, As much love as I have for the escape this currently generation is horribly underpowered. It obviously works on the other vehicles but it would be awesome to have an AWD Hybrid Escape with a 3.0 Ecoboost attatched to it like with the Explorers. And for the love of god remove that rear occupant alert feature