The Escape has been something of an on-again, off-again member of Ford’s line up ever since its launch way back in 2000 alongside its twinned Mazda, the Tribute.
Jointly developed by Ford and Mazda on the Ford CD2 platform (which itself was a reworking of Mazda’s GF platform), the Escape was essentially Ford’s somewhat belated reaction to Toyota and Honda surprising everyone by making car-based SUVs a thing in the mid-90s.

We never saw the second generation model that debuted in 2008, but then nobody really did, as it had largely retreated to the US market, however the “third generation” car was sold here as the second generation Kuga (not to be confused with the short-lived European Cougar coupe that was built between 1998 and 2002), only being called the Escape in the US market. Yeah, we know – Ford's naming conventions were an absolute mess in the 1990s/2000s...
Anyway, the fourth generation Escape (or third generation Kuga – okay, they’re still confusing...) dropped in 2020 and was a larger, yet lighter and more frugal car that featured a plug-in hybrid powertrain that would eventually make it here.

Now we have a major refresh of that car, complete with the first non-plug-in full hybrid powertrain Ford has offered locally in its mid-size SUV.
Using the same engine as the plug-in hybrid, the Escape FHEV (or ‘Full Hybrid Electric Vehicle’ as Ford calls it) uses a 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor (or two in the case of the ST-Line X AWD we drive here) and a planetary gearset that essentially operates like a CVT for seamless EV-style performance.
It’s a setup we have seen before in the likes of Chinese hybrids such as the MG 3 and Haval Jolion, with wildly differing results – the Jolion has all the worst aspects of a CVT-style transmission, while the MG3 is fantastically EV-like.

This largely comes down to two thing, neither directly related to the transmission itself: the engines and the sound proofing. Where the MG has a refined, smooth and modern engine and plenty of sound deadening to keep the worst of the flaring isolated to the engine bay, the Jolion has a decent engine that can sound a bit strained at higher revs, but much less sound deadening.
Around town the Escape is a strong and responsive operator, with a surprising amount of day-to-day urban running taking place on electricity alone.
While this makes the MG a better car to drive, it does come at a cost. A literal one – where the Jolion remains a very affordable budget small SUV, the MG has taken a fairly big price jump over the old budget model.

So how does Ford handle the delicate balance between refinement and cost? Well...it’s kind of in the middle.
At $66,490, no one would ever accuse the Escape ST-Line X as being at the budget end of the market landing, as it does, at a higher price point that the segment benchmark; the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (something that is exacerbated by the fact that the Toyota is currently on special offer that starts at $48,790 and goes up to $60,990).
However, the Ford counters this by landing fully loaded with cutting edge technology and safety equipment. While the Toyota has most of this as well, it is an older generation of the various technologies, particularly when it comes to the infotainment tech.

As well as being fully-loaded with kit, the Escape’s interior is also a pleasantly high-quality place to be as well, with comfortable seats and quality materials used throughout. The latest generation of Ford's SYNC infotainment system is nicely logical and intuitive, although its wireless Android Auto connectivity still seems to be a bit flaky on occasion.
It is very easy to think of the Escape as a larger Focus, particularly on a winding back road, where it is nicely responsive and agile.
Around town the Escape is a strong and responsive operator, with a surprising amount of day-to-day urban running taking place on electricity alone. However, it does only have a relatively small 1.1kWh battery, so you will also see the petrol engine firing up on a fairly regular basis.

As far as fuel usage goes, however, it is pretty much as frugal as you would expect it to be, with Ford claiming a combined average figure of 5.3l/00km. This isn’t particularly far off the mark, with high fives/low sixes being the norm when you aren’t really trying to be economical, while the official figure is pretty easy to achieve with a bit more right foot discipline.
The Ford has a delightfully compliant ride over rough surfaces, happily absorbing niggling surface imperfections, while remaining nicely composed and responsive. Steering is precise and communicative, while it turns in with the same precision that European Fords have long had.
In fact, it is very easy to think of the Escape as a larger Focus, particularly on a winding back road, where it is nicely responsive and agile, while always remaining composed and predictable.

Then there is that powertrain which, by and large is utterly wonderful – responsive and silky smooth around town, as well as effortless and relaxed out on the open road, it feels like a car in possession of considerably more power than the 134kW Ford says it pumps out, although it doesn’t supply a torque figure (when you start combining petrol engine and electric motor torque outputs it does get rather complicated), so that could be on the healthy side.
While the level of standard equipment does go some way to closing the gap over the competition, it still doesn’t quite go all the way.
While the convoluted arrangement of petrol engines, electric motors and planetary gearsets does make for seamless progress, there is a slight issue when it comes to heavy acceleration – that's where the CVT-like behaviour comes to the fore.

While Ford mitigates this with a few “simulated” gear shifts thrown into the mix, which actually work rather well to keep things from flaring too badly most of the time, asking for maximum effort from the Escape will push it into a CVT-style groan.
It’s a relatively rare occurrence and certainly not a deal breaker, but it does take the edge of what is otherwise a super-slick and refined package.
The mid-size SUV segment is also packed with many other seriously convincing options as well, so the Ford's price does hand it a hefty disadvantage, with the likes of the excellent Kia Sportage Earth Hybrid clocking in at more than $10k less than the Ford, and it will largely come down to whether the Escape's badge, new-gen tech and more conservative styling appeals to you enough to justify the money asked.
What are the key statistics for the Ford Escape ST-Line X Hybrid?
The hybrid Escape uses a 134kW 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle inline four-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.1kWh battery powering a pair of electric motors through a planetary gearset (eCVT). The ST-Line X is AWD, as opposed to other Escape hybrids and the plug-in variant, which are FWD.
Is the Ford Escape ST-Line X Hybrid efficient?
Ford claims an official WLTP fuel consumption figure of 5.3l/100km on the combined cycle and we found this to be pretty close to what we were achieving in a week of real-world driving.Mainly suburban driving saw it landing in the high fives/low sixes, while adding a bit of open road cruising into the mix saw it easily drop down into the mid-to-low fives. Which is pretty good for a mid-size AWD SUV crossover.
Is the Ford Escape ST-Line X Hybrid good to drive?
Like all Fords, the Escape has a delightfully engaging chassis and sublimely well calibrated steering, while the engine feels like it has considerably more than the 134kW Ford says it has. While this is all very good, the transmission does put a bit of a dampener on things by behaving like a CVT and flaring on larger throttle applications. Still, around town and cruising at light throttle on the open road, it is a smooth, responsive, silent delight.
Is the Ford Escape ST-Line X Hybrid practical?
The Escape has plenty of boot space (565 litres – almost 40 more than the FWD models) that is easily accessible thanks to a nice low lip. There is also plenty of storage around the cabin.
What do we like about the Ford Escape ST-Line X Hybrid?
Ride and handling are top-notch for the medium SUV segment, while the technology packed into it is excellent as well. The seats are fantastically comfortable, and the interior is nicely laid out, while the powertrain is strong and refined. Plus, it is also rather frugal.
What don’t we like about the Ford Escape ST-Line X Hybrid?
It’s quite pricey. While the level of standard equipment does go some way to closing the gap over the competition, it still doesn’t quite go all the way. Also, the eCVT is a bit too much like a conventional CVT sometimes...
What kind of person would the Ford Escape ST-Line X Hybrid suit?
Anyone wanting a practical, comfortable and extremely capable mid-sized SUV who doesn’t want a Toyota and doesn’t mind paying a bit more because of that. Or someone who is good at negotiating – remember, Toyota has a fixed pricing system, while Ford doesn’t, so there’s room to move there...