L.A. Auto Show 2015: 2017 Ford Escape

Nov. 18, 2015 6:30 AM PT

What it is

Ford is refreshing its sturdy, best-selling SUV with a fourth-generation makeover that includes two new engine choices.

Why it matters

The Escape is Ford’s No. 2-selling vehicle, after the F-Series pickup trucks, and is the No. 2-selling SUV in the country, behind Honda’s CR-V but ahead of Toyota’s RAV4 and everyone else. Last year, the company sold 306,000 Escapes. This year to date, the number is 258,000 — an indication that the model needs some new energy.

UPDATES: Get live updates from the floor of the L.A. Auto Show

(Ford)

What’s new

Ford is offering two new power plants – four-cylinder EcoBoost engines in a 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter turbos. (The base model will still come with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter.) The engines include the auto stop/start function, said to increase fuel economy, with a slight boost in horsepower and torque with the bigger turbo. The Escape will also offer as options some high-tech bells and whistles associated with more expensive cars – enhanced park assist, hill start assist, lane keeping alert and adaptive cruise control.

The competition

The compact SUV market is overheated, and overcrowded, with the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and several Jeep models all fighting for attention. Ford expects sales in this segment to grow by more than 10% in the next five years.

PHOTOS: See the best of the L.A. Auto Show

The details

Powertrain: 1.5 or 2.0-liter turbo EcoBoost engines

Transmission: 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters

Fuel economy: N/A

Horsepower: 168 or 240

Torque: 184 or 278

Autos

Charles Fleming

Charles Fleming writes about automobiles and motorcycles for the Los Angeles Times’ Business section. He also writes the urban hiking column LA Walks. A former staff writer for Newsweek, Variety and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, he is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller “High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Excess,” the New York Times bestseller “My Lobotomy,” and “Secret Stairs, A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles” and its sequel, “Secret Walks: A Walking Guide to the Hidden Trails of Los Angeles.”