2006 L.A. Auto Show: 2008 Ford Escape
The Ford Escape is still the best-selling compact SUV on the market after debuting in 2001. That’s a considerable achievement, especially with competition like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V in the same segment. Ford has redesigned the exterior and interior of the Escape and given it new electric power steering for the 2008 model year, but the engines, suspension and almost all the underpinnings remain unchanged. The popular hybrid version is getting the same refresh and debuts alongside the standard Escape.
The 2008 Escape will still come with a choice of a 153-hp four-cylinder engine or a 3.0-liter V-6 that produces 200 hp. Even the hybrid powertrain is exactly the same for ’08, with its combined 155 hp from the four-cylinder and an electric motor.
Big changes are almost all design-related. Check out the beefier exterior – obviously meant to take on the more masculine Dodge Nitro rather than the Japanese cute-utes – and updated interior. We’re not sure if the redesign is perfect, but the simple change from Ford’s traditional green instrument lighting to blue here in the Escape is a much-welcomed end to a major nitpick of ours.
More pictures can be found below.
Ford Escape Hybrid
