Between sand, dirt, grass and hours of freeways – we put this city-oriented 2017 Ford Escape Titanium 2.0L TDCi AWD through its limits for a week. Asphalt was merely the beginning for this vehicle.
What immediately impressed us was the generous 1603L of cargo space inside. Even if you live a city-focused life and require pram or shopping space, or align with our use of the space (surfboards, luggage, fishing rods, camera bags etc.) – this car will quickly accommodate you. The boot can also be opened hands-free with a simple wipe of the foot beneath the back bumper for times when your hands are occupied with shopping etc.
The keyless entry and ignition is an instant presentation of how smooth and easy our experience was with the car. A simple download of the Android Auto app allowed our phones to quickly integrate with the cars voice-activated SYNC 3 system. Spotify (with album artwork as the background on the 8″ touch screen) and Google Maps became full-screen features of all our drives. With a number of USB and car charging ports, fold out tray tables on the back of the driver and passengers chairs (akin to aeroplane trays), and a full panoramic sunroof; technology, aesthetic and comfort appear to be fully embraced.
With Ford representatives, we began our week on the sandy shores of Boat Harbour near Kurnell. Even on sand, we were witness to the success of the Active City Stop feature that helps avoid low speed collisions by hitting the brakes on the car at speeds up to 50km/h.
The 2.0L engines’ 178kW of power and 345Nm of torque helped us roar North on the freeway. The cars Adaptive Cruise Control was put to good use here and it became the feature I desperately missed and craved once my time ended with the car. Radars and sensors update 20 times a second to track slowing vehicles in front of you, adjusts to an appropriate speed, before speeding back up to your set speed once it is safe and clear to do so. The Lane Keep System also shone during this portion of the drive with the car sensing the marked lines of the lane and if we nudged too close to either side, a smooth and gentle realignment to the center of the lane would occur.
Between a dynamic engine, complete comfort and ease, across dirt and sand roads, the Ford Escape proved to us it was a far removal from the traditional family SUV, whilst having the ability to be a hero for both types of lifestyles.
Compare models of the Ford Escape over on the official Ford website.
The journalist was provided with a loan vehicle for this article.
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